Italy and Netherlands’ Offenses Impress in VNL 2023 Thriller

On the penultimate day of week 2 pool 3 in VNL 2023, Italy triumphed over the Netherlands in a nail-biting five-set match (22-25, 25-22, 25-20, 18-25, 19-17). Myriam Sylla, team captain of Italy, emerged as the top scorer, contributing 26 points to the victorious side.

Following the match, our journalist spoke with Felix Koslowski, the Netherlands’ team coach, regarding the closely contested game. Koslowski praised both teams for their high-level performance and noted that the offenses in this match were particularly strong, with a scoring rate of almost 60% which is comparable to men’s volleyball. The coach acknowledged that his team played well during the first set but conceded that Italy displayed an impressive performance in the subsequent two sets. Despite a strong team effort and solid defense in the fourth set, the Netherlands missed their chance for victory in the final set. Koslowski attributed the loss partly to his team’s inexperience, especially in comparison to Sylla’s exceptional performance during the match’s critical moments. Nevertheless, he expressed satisfaction with his team’s overall performance and optimism for their continued improvement through experience in such matches.

Davide Mazzanti, Italy’s team coach, also shared his thoughts after the game. He acknowledged that his team has been performing well in the VNL but emphasized the need for improvement in defense and transition. Mazzanti commended his team’s spiking in the final set, which he believed was instrumental in securing the win.

Myriam Sylla, Italy’s team captain, admitted that there are still many aspects the team needs to work on but emphasized that the victory bolstered their chances of reaching the finals.

The Netherlands is set to face Bulgaria in their final match of week 2 on June 18, while Italy will challenge team China on the same day. In anticipation of the upcoming match, Mazzanti remarked that he is familiar with team China, having played against them numerous times. He expects a thrilling game and expressed hope that his team can deliver a stellar performance.

(Reported by Boris CHUNG Bok Man)