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Italy has clinched the top spot in Pool A following a nail-biting five-set thriller against Slovenia, while Greece secured a strong third place after their own impressive victory.
Italy Edges Slovenia in Dramatic Finale
The final day of Pool A action in Modena delivered high drama, with Italy and Slovenia battling for supremacy. While both teams had already secured their passage to the knockout stages, the coveted first position in the pool was on the line. In a match that went the full distance, Italy emerged victorious, triumphing 3-2 over their rivals and ensuring they enter the next phase as pool leaders.
Greece Claims Third Place with Solid Performance
Earlier in the day, Greece cemented their third-place finish in Pool A with a convincing 3-1 win against Slovakia. This marked Greece’s third consecutive victory in the tournament, showcasing their resilience and growing form. Slovakia, despite their efforts, concluded the pool stage without a win.
Slovakia vs. Greece: A Battle for Position
The match between Slovakia and Greece saw Greece eager to solidify their third-place standing. From the outset, Greece established control, with Theodoros Voulkidis serving effectively to build an early lead. Angelos Markou and Lampros Pitakoudis were key offensive threats, leading the charge as Greece took the first set 25-17.
Slovakia, however, refused to go down without a fight. They mounted a comeback in the second set, putting Greece under pressure with strong serving, including aces from Jakub Ihnat and Branislav Hanusek. This resilience paid off as Slovakia leveled the match with a 25-21 set win.
Greece responded decisively in the third set. Stellar performances from Markou and Pitakoudis helped them regain the advantage. Despite Slovakia’s attempts to close the gap, Greece secured the set 25-22, taking a 2-1 lead.
The fourth set saw Greece maintain their momentum. A powerful service run from Voulkidis and relentless attacking from Pitakoudis, Alexandros Raptis, and Markou propelled them to a comfortable lead. Although Slovakia fought valiantly, Greece closed out the set 25-17, sealing their third-place finish in Pool A.
Angelos Markou was the standout scorer for Greece with 21 points, including 20 successful attacks. Lampros Pitakoudis contributed 17 points with a high efficiency. For Slovakia, Erik Gulak and Julius Firkal each scored 14 points.
“We are blessed because we are living some really beautiful moments here in Modena, but we don’t stop here. From tomorrow on, we are going to prepare for our next game, and that’s the most important thing. It was not easy to keep our minds focused today because we knew from yesterday that we had qualified for the Round of 16. We had to focus more than in the other games because we also wanted to win this match. They pushed us a lot, but we showed on the court who is the boss.”
A Slovakian player commented on their performance: “We tried to focus on our tactics. We had some weak moments when we didn’t catch easy balls, which worked in our opponents’ favour. But we gave our best; unfortunately, it was not enough.”
Italy vs. Slovenia: A Championship Decider
The highly anticipated clash between hosts Italy and Slovenia lived up to its billing as a pool decider. Italy secured the first two sets, but Slovenia fought back fiercely to take the next two, forcing a dramatic deciding fifth set. In the end, Italy’s home crowd advantage and determination shone through as they claimed the fifth set 15-9, winning the match 3-2 and topping Pool A.
With the pool stage concluded, Italy will face Denmark in the eighthfinals, while Slovenia is set to play Serbia. Greece will meet Finland, and Czechia will take on Belgium in their respective knockout matches.
Source: CEV
