Serbia wins 2011 CEV Volleyball European Championship
The final of the 2011 CEV Volleyball European Championship took place in Vienna, Austria, at the Wiener Stadthalle which was packed with 9750 enthusiastic spectators that had come to see Serbia and Italy play the championship match on September 18. Four
sets were required for the Serbians the Serbians to claim the crown by a score of 17-25, 25-20, 25-23 and 26-24.
The opening set of the game favoured the Italians as they were able to stabilise themselves quicker than the Serbians and get the lead as a consequence. The Serbians kept on the chase for the most part as the Italians were able to stretch their advantage
and stick with the lead even at 20-15. After that point, it was only a matter of time before the Italians were able to bag the first set of a game at a comfortable margin of 25-17.
The loss of the first set triggered the Serbians into putting more life into their game and they came out determined in the second set. As a result, the Serbians were found to be leading at 5-2 early on in the second frame. The Italians did not let the Serbians
go ahead and were able to catch up and level the score at 5-5. After a heated tug of war, the Serbians were leading again at 8-6 with the coming of the first technical time out. After the two sides came back onto the courts, the Serbians were able to separate
themselves from their rivals by gradually moving ahead in the scoring and stretching the advantage to 18-14. The Serbians did not find it hard after that point to gradually move towards a well earned win at 25-20 that equalised the match.
The confidence generated from the win enabled the Serbians to take the lead at the start of the third set of the game at 4-1 but the Italians did not let the Serbs get away with it and took the lead for themselves at 6-5. Before long, the Italians went into
a dominating position leading at 12-7 and the Serbs started pushing themselves harder in order to achieve a win. Eventually, the Serbs had themselves another notch at 25-23.
The fourth set of the game was highly competitive as the Italians looked for a fifth set while the Serbs wanted to end it as soon as possible as a result of which the frame was tied at 13-13. As the match progressed it grew more intense but the Serbians
were finally able to seal the deal at 26-24.
The two teams had already earned a slot in the upcoming FIVB World Cup which will act as the qualifying event for the London 2012 Olympic Games.
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