Volleyball: Poland, Italy keep winning form

MANILA — World No. 1 Poland clobbered Brazil, 25-23, 22-25, 25-21, 25-21, in week 3 of the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) men’s tournament Friday at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

The Poles proved their stature as the top-ranked team in dispatching the Brazilians in less than two hours to improve their record to 8-2 behind leaders Japan, the United States, and Italy.

Wilfredo Leon Venero spearheaded Poland’s supremacy over the 2016 Olympic and 2021 VNL champion Brazil with 22 points on 20 hits, a block and an ace, including a hammering kill in the first set for a slim 25-23 win.

Bartosz Bednorz added 11 points as 2021 VNL MVP Bartosz Kurek had 10 with Marcin Janusz manufacturing 17 sets for outright finalist Poland, which will host the 8-team finale on July 19 to 24 in Gdansk City. 

“We prepare for this kind of games. Brazil is a very strong team so we knew from the beginning that it will be a tough game,” Leon Venero said. “Our team needs our best game as possible and we think it’s enough to win.”

Meanwhile, streaking Italy made short work of Slovenia, 25-13, 25-22, 25-17, to catch the leaders in men’s VNL.

Riding big wins over Brazil and Canada, the Italians sustained their drive and rolled past the Slovenians with little to no resistance to stay unblemished in the VNL deciding preliminary leg in the Philippines.

Italy, with Yuri Romano again leading the onslaught, bumped off the first-game winner Poland for third place in the tight standings.

The world No. 3 team improved to 8-3 won-lost with 23 points to overtake Poland.

Romano, the 6-foot-6 opposite spiker, drained 16 points on 11 attacks, three service aces and two blocks as Italy finished off the world No. 8 Slovenia in only one hour and 20 minutes.

“It’s a very good game and a very good performance for us. We won three matches so far and we want to win another one,” said Romano as Italy braces for a gigantic collision with unbeaten Japan on Saturday. “It will be the most difficult match for us, especially against Japan, who have won all their matches so far.”

Alessandro Michieletto and Daniele Lavia produced 13 points apiece to provide coverage for Romano as team captain Simone Giannelli had 18 sets for Italy, which slammed the door down on the Slovenian offense.