The U.S. Men's National Team took a tough 3-0 loss against Italy in the Volleyball Nations League. The match? A clinic in serve and receive by Italy.
Italy's Serve and Receive Game
Let's be real, Italy knew how to pick apart the U.S. Their serving was straight up dominant. They notched 8 aces to the U.S.'s 1, and that was the story. As Karch Kiraly put it, "Italy is a really good team and they picked us apart in serve and receive." You could feel it coming.
Cooper Robinson led the U.S. with 11 kills, with Gabi Garcia adding 10 points. But when you commit more errors and get out-blocked 6 to 2, you're in trouble.
Missed Opportunities
The U.S. had their moments. Robinson's back row attack cut Italy's lead to one in the first set, but the U.S. couldn't close. A 9-6 lead in the second set vanished after Italy's 9-2 run. That was the flip. The U.S. tried to fight back, but Italy's control was too strong.
Where Do We Go from Here?
Erik Shoji, who returned to the lineup, showed promise with 4 digs and 4 receptions. But Italy avoided him like a problem they didn't want. Ethan Champlin came in to stabilize the serve receive, leading with five successful receptions.
The U.S. sits at 4-4, while Italy moves to 6-2. Next up? Türkiye. The U.S. has an extra week to regroup. Garcia said it best: "The young kids are not so young anymore. We know we have a lot of work to do."
And from there... it was over. But they’ll be back. That'll do it.
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Source: USA Volleyball
