France Defeats Italy in Five Sets in Nations League
In the second stage of the Nations League in Canada, France emerged victorious over Italy in a thrilling five-set match.
The French volleyball team secured a hard-fought victory over Italy (25-23, 18-25, 25-23, 19-25, 15-10), the defending world champions, on Wednesday in Ottawa, Canada, during the second stage of the Nations League. Despite missing their star player Earvin Ngapeth due to a muscular issue, the French team, who are Olympic champions in Tokyo and aiming for success at the upcoming Paris Games, displayed resilience and determination on the court.
With this win, their fourth in five matches in the Nations League, France climbed to the 5th spot in the 16-team preliminary phase. The team’s goal is to secure a spot among the top eight teams to advance to the final phase of the competition before the Olympics.
Italy, the reigning world champions from 2022, had been undefeated in the tournament until this match. “During the tie break, we managed to make key defensive plays that gave us the energy to clinch the set. It was a tough match,” commented libero Jenia Grebennikov in a post-match interview.
The victory against Italy marks a significant achievement for the French team as they continue their journey towards the Nations League finals and prepare for the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris.