Italy downs Korea using home advantage – Volleyball news
Korea challenged the Italian team in front of more than 3,000 local fans at the Nelson Mandela Forum in Florence, Italy on Friday.
It was the first meeting of Italy and Korea in Pool C of the 2012 FIVB World League. Hosts Italy used the competitive edge of playing under familiar conditions and benefitted from the support of local fans, in order to defeat Korea 3-2 (24-26, 25-23, 21-25,
25-23, 18-16).
Kim Yo-Han of Korea topped all the scorers with his match-high 22 points, which included 19 spikes and three service aces. He was one of three Korea players, who actually scored double-digit scores. Likewise, home team was supported by Cristian Savani and
Ivan Zaytsev. They notched up 15 and 13 points, respectively.
Opening set of the match featured a balanced action. Home team scored the early points of the match, while visitors were yet to be board. However, the ambitious Koreans fought bravely and gave a good competition to hosts. Consistency in attack and defence
enabled Korea to take control of the game. They came from behind and secured first set with two points at 26-24.
Italy used solid defence by opposite Dragan Travica to break the tempo of Koreans. Travica dismissed many of opponents’ attack attempts and blocked their shots right away. In the meantime, Ivan Zaytsev offered strong offence and took the score by storm.
Eventually, second set came successful for Italy as they posted 25-23 on board.
The see-saw battled continued in third set and both teams tried to make a difference. Korea’s Shin Young-Suk showcased his attacking skills in third set and helped the team to take lead. Visiting Korea captured third set (25-21) and moved to 2-1.
Italy did not let Korea to get away with lead and pulled off success in fourth set, which created the tie of 2-2. The spectators were on the tip of their toes to find out the result of the match. The game entered fifth set, while Italy came on top with final
score of 18-16.
Captain of Italy Cristian Savani stated, “It was a very hard match because after the Olympic Qualification Tournament we feel a little bit physically and mentally tired.”
“After 150 minutes and 119 points each there is nothiing more to say. It's a pity that we made so many mistakes for more than a half match. Anyway, it was important to win in front our fans,” said Italian head coach Mauro Berruto after the match.
On the other hand, the Coach of Korean squad Park Ki-Won appreciated the effort put by his team. He said his players really made it an incredible match. He seemed satisfied even after defeat in the opening fixture.
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