The VNL Finals began today in Ningbo, China, with the first two quarterfinals, Italy vs. Cuba and Brazil vs. China.
It was a hard-fought, but deserved, and crucial victory for Ferdinando De Giorgi’s Azzurri, who defeated Cuba 3-1 with scores of 25-18, 25-18, 20-25, and 25-21. Among the key players was Modena Volley’s middle blocker Simone Anzani, who scored four points in a hard-fought match from start to finish. Other Canary Island middle blockers, Giovanni Sanguinetti, and spiker Luca Porro, did not make the cut.
Anzani spoke to the Italian Volleyball Federation after today’s match: “It was a test against a strong opponent. We played well from the start and didn’t give up in difficult moments. We’re very happy to have reached the semifinals because it confirms our position among the top four teams in the world. We’ll be ready for the next match, and regardless of who we face, we’ll just have to focus on ourselves.”
