Julio Velasco and his national team are making history in Italian women’s volleyball. First the Olympic semi-final, never before conquered, then the final and now the chance to reach where no one has ever succeeded, challenging the United States and bringing an Olympic gold to Italy, a dream pursued for a lifetime. Paola Egonu and her teammates achieve what their male colleagues have missed: winning the semi-final at the Paris Games. At the South Arena, the azure enchant and pass 3-0 against Melissa Vargas’ Turkey, who still manages to score 17 points but fails to give her nation the Sunday final, the day the curtain falls on the five-ringed event. Italy will face Danesi’s leadership and De Gennaro’s libero, who at her fourth Olympics found herself against her husband, Daniele Santarelli, the coach of the Turkish team. An emotional charge added to a game that grants the azure their first Olympic final in history, celebrated with a final party to the tune of “Magical Nights.”
At this point, regardless of the outcome, a medal is guaranteed, erasing the Tokyo zero in team sports as well. But Velasco, from President Manfredi, was aimed for gold, the same metal that slipped through his fingers as the coach of the “Generation of Phenomena” at Atlanta ’96, losing to the Netherlands and settling for silver. Twenty-eight years later, he can try again with his girls, capable of repeating the same result as the last match of the group stage, again against Turkey. Three to zero that time, three to zero this time, except this time the final was at stake. A final never in question because Italy dominates from start to finish. The first set ends 25-22 with Egonu and Sylla shining. The Milanese opposite puts away eleven points (a total of 24), leading the comeback when Italy is behind in the middle of the set, starting with Monza’s spiker at the serve. Turkey struggles in side-out, regaining serve only after Sylla’s seven consecutive points. The azure are solid in all fundamentals, even at the net. In the second set, it’s a nerve-wracking battle until 18-18, with both teams challenging point by point, until Velasco brings in Antropova for Egonu.
The Scandicci opposite quickly gets into the game and repays the coach with five points, including two aces, directing the partial score to 2-0 for Italy. In the third and decisive set, Italy recovers from 18-20 to 25-22, with Egonu closing the game at the serve, also erasing a technical error on the scoreboard that credited one more point to Santarelli’s team at 16-14. The rest, however, is history, and in the end, the celebration erupts on the court and in the stands with hundreds of tricolor flags waving. Now, the appointment is set for Sunday for what could be one of the last Italian medals of the Olympics. Facing the United States, who, before Italy, found themselves on the South Arena taraflex in the match against Brazil, won 3-2. The Americans were adept at staying in the game despite the green and gold’s acceleration in the second set, closing the match in a tiebreak thanks to two particular players: Kathryn Plummer, with an impressive 23 attack points, and Ana Christina, with 22 points. But in three days, they will face Egonu and Antropova.
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