LEGENDARY MATCH | ITALY vs TURKIYE | Women's VNL 2024. Vargas outscores Antropova, but Italy upset Türkiye!
Italy stunned the world’s number one team and defending Volleyball Nations League champions Türkiye at their home in Antalya on Saturday with a four-set victory that brought them a precious 10.65 points, lifted them to number four in the FIVB World Ranking and solidified their candidacy for an Olympic ticket to Paris 2024. Earlier on Saturday, the Netherlands suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of Poland in Antalya that pushed them down below Canada in the chart and below the qualification cut-off in the ranking.
After wasting five set points and losing the first set dramatically, Italy pushed on to celebrate a 3-1 (25-27, 25-21, 25-21, 25-19) upset of the home team and disappoint the 11 thousand Turkish fans on the stands. The Italians were spearheaded by opposite Ekaterina Antropova, who piled up 23 points towards the victory, acing as many as five times in the process. Outside hitters Alice Degradi and Caterina Bosetti added 16 and 11 points, respectively, while middle blocker and captain Anna Danesi raised five kill blocks to finish with 10 points. On Türkiye side, opposite Melissa Vargas hammered out an impressive match high of 33 points.
The first set was about a huge scoring race between Vargas and Antropova. After 21-20 Italy’s way, Antropova followed up on a successful spike with two back-to-back aces to give her team a quadruple set point. Inspired by the fantastic support from the home crowd, Türkiye fought back, as playmaker Cansu Ozbay crowned their four-point run with an ace to level the score at 24-24. Another Italian set point was denied before a monster block by Hande Baladin and a successful swing by Vargas put an end to it all at 27-25 Türkiye’s way. It was Italy’s serving that made the difference in the second set. They fired four aces, two by Bosetti and one each by Antropova and setter Carlotta Cambi, against none for the home team, and that accounted exactly for the gap in the final score of 25-21. Vargas hammered another eight points for Türkiye in the set, but this time it was Antropova, who hammered the set winner.
The serving continued to bring Italy what Türkiye were lacking in set three as well. Antropova fired two aces. Anna Danesi also scored from the serving line to help tilt the balance Italy’s way for another 25-21, shaped up by Danesi with an overpass kill for the set winner. In set four, Italy completely dominated on the court, led by Alice Degradi in attack. In the end, it was Antropova again, who delivered the 25-19 set and match winner with an off-the-block spike.
It was Italy’s third win in four matches played, while Türkiye dropped to a 1-2 win-loss record.
Oh, the faintest of touches by Ganesh.
It's Antropova that can find the floor and she silences this crowd again.
She does because she stays on the end.
He's not the best coach in the world for nothing.
Karakurt fed into Kambi.
Good touch by Urge.
Karakurt with work to do.
She jousts so well.
That telescopic arm.
And it's kept straight, so that's it.
The ball's not going anywhere.
It's not coming back because her arm's straight.
And she's on the floor, so she's not going to get pushed back here.
Look at that. There you go.
21-20. Game on.
Antropova off the hands.
Can Turkey rescue this one?
Vargas from outside the three.
Italy saying they haven't touched this ball.
Might not matter.
Antropova doesn't matter.
Turkey need a side out. They need it now.
They're not going to get it, though.
Antropova leaves them all stood like statues.
Santorelli can't believe it.
Such a good serve. It's right.
Look at it. It's bisected.
That's definitely Karakurt's ball.
No doubt about it, but that's the weakness that they have with her as a passer.
23-20.
Antropova.
Oh, it's another heavy one.
It's another ace.
And Antropova is taking the first set away from Turkey.
This is so good because this is the one area where no one has to give you the ball.
It's all up to you. It's what you can do.
And that's exactly what she can do.
Marvellous serve.
Penny.
For Baladine's thoughts.
Should have had the first one. Could have had the second one.
Oh, how close is that?
Not close enough.
That's marginal.
That's probably end up being a ball's width back.
Left-hander. Change of angle.
Helped over the block.
Another opportunity.
One more time.
Oh, Antropova misses.
Again, they're just leaving her the line.
Say, right, if you want to go there, go there.
But you've got a small space to go.
Still needs another two. Lovely ball into Kambi.
Oh, the block is gigantic.
What a moment to come up with a play like that.
Instinctive block.
Way, way across the net.
Kalach just makes that move.
And it's so nice because her hands are up.
With the ace.
It's 24-24.
What are we witnessing?
Ozbay sends it on its way again.
Composure required.
And Antropova provides it.
Oh, Urge.
Furious with herself.
But it was a massive swing.
It was and she can't.
Bozzetti serves.
Ozbay sets.
Vargas swings.
You know the rest.
Well, whilst you're watching the replay,
Santorelli having a quiet word with Ibra Karakurt
about what he wants with his serve now.
Ibra Karakurt.
It's a good serve as well.
Challenges Bozzetti.
Antropova!
Monster death point, Turkey!
Defended five of them.
Now they've got one of their own.
The other way they go.
Oh, the tip is brilliant.
But so is the touch.
Vargas for the set.
You better believe it.
Turkey are in business.
Once you look at it,
Velasquez is so calm anyway.
Nothing is phasing him.
Nothing really does.
Paladin.
Oh, that is close.
Close, but Turkey are back to four.
If anything, Velasquez is probably thinking,
this isn't my best squad.
And they're giving Turkey a real challenge here.
Paladin.
Over there to Di Gratti.
Nicely done by Vargas.
Tuba.
Another good touch.
And a joust.
Comes back Italy's way.
Over the head by Kambi.
Another joust.
Scrambled beautifully.
Brilliant.
But now it's Turkey's opportunity.
Helped over on the second ball.
No one wants to win the point.
Santorini is going to be unhappy that
Ousbaide chose that, potentially.
But it's worth having a go to
see if people are paying attention
to go over with a second touch.
And Italy were paying attention.
And what a play Kambi.
Knowing exactly where that space was.
That's a lovely set.
It's a tall order here for Turkey 8
to get back into this one.
It was a tall order in the first set, to be fair.
And they managed it somehow.
So Djibijolou coming in.
Specialist server.
Good first reception.
A pipe attack and a good touch by Baladine.
Bumped on by Ousbaide.
And a massive block.
Three up against Vargas.
Great triple block from Italy.
Really aggressive in that to try and
shut down the space for Vargas to go into.
De Guardi's lined it up perfectly.
Set point.
Set four last time wasn't enough.
They've got five this time.
Kambi sends it on its way.
Ousbaide.
Thrown off the hands by Ivigin.
Good look through the net from Ivigin.
To be careful of that.
There's been quite a lot of leniency
of the amount of time the ball has spent
in the hand throughout this week.
It's the same for both sides.
Exactly. Standards have been set.
That's for sure.
Jansu Ousbaide serving to stay in the set
as she was before.
24-20.
Another go for Andropova.
Work to do.
It's a good swing but a decent touch
by Ivigin.
Sends it as far as Fersenio.
Over on the first ball.
It's another set point save.
Here we go again.
Italy timeout.
Shock.
24-21.
Astonishing rescue act.
One step in to do it again.
It's a decent serve but Fersenio
can come up with a pass.
Andropova wipes off the block.
And the game is level.
Another float serve.
Got a pass this time but the swing
far from Italy.
Turn on the first ball.
Here comes Vargas.
Wow.
There's no...
The only players I've seen do that kind of stuff
in the men's game.
Wallasey is able to do that
because of his unique approach
is an opposite.
There aren't hardly anybody else
who can do that.
Service into the net.
Andropova.
Straight on Vargas
who gets a good touch.
Aydin.
Off the hands.
It's swept up by Kambi.
And over to Andropova
who executes a pretty tasty angle herself.
He's certainly trying to
command things here for Turkey.
Andropova.
20-19.
Into the net.
What was Julio Velasco up to there?
I think he scored.
He's water.
No, he didn't.
Point on serve here.
This is where it gets interesting.
It just might, you know.
Fersenio.
That's so good for Murgat.
Point on Kambi.
Andropova.
Beautiful.
Beautiful winner.
I think there was a bit of hesitation
from Vargas
because that ball's clipped the net.
She wasn't sure
whether it clipped Gunes on the way through.
And then it was like,
do I get in the way?
Do I get out of the way?
That's a big point for Italy.
The serve.
First touch by Lloche.
A good one.
That occurs.
Welcome back to the game.
Fersenio digs.
Decent block.
Andropova.
Murgat.
Ozbay.
And the tip.
That's all it is from Tuba.
Begrati!
Monster block!
The Libros for both of these teams
are playing incredible defence.
Picked up a couple of blocks.
That one is timely.
What's his serve going to be like?
To the middle they go.
And Akrari
brings Italy to a set point.
It was fast.
It was clinical.
They've got three goes at it,
the Italians.
Overpass.
Put down by the captain.
Daniesi
makes it Italy 2,
Turkey 1.
And there is a stunned silence
here in Antalya.
Volleyball not good enough to Turkey.
Fersenio passes.
Great work by Urge.
She has played out of her skin tonight.
Very often in a losing cause.
Touched down the line by Bozzetti.
Clever swing.
Calm,
cool,
collected
Caterina.
And sometimes
that's what you need, isn't it?
Because everyone is so tense
and there is so much expectation
every time the ball is in the air.
You can totally relieve that
by just finding a little calmness.
Daniesi
flirts with that service line again.
It's like that meme going around
where it looks like they're not touching the floor
as they walk around.
Yes, yeah.
I'm sure she's doing that.
But bringing Ousmane off the net,
making it tricky
and really stretching Vargas
to bring out the absolute best in her
to get these side-axes for Turkey.
Bringing in
Icatch to serve.
Livereau by trade.
I'm not surprised there.
How many times has Icatch served in this season?
Maybe a couple of times in training.
Probably the most she's served will be here in training
with the national team
knowing she's playing this role.
Even the Boos don't have the same belief
that they had in the first couple of sets.
Nope.
It's another sensational service
from the brilliant Ekaterina Antropova
who's registered as having five ace serves
but there are more points off the surface now.
Those who've been overpassed on the return,
those who've had a couple of touches and gone down.
I mean, that one's into the net
but surely,
surely this one's done as a contest.
Two points required,
two side-axes needed.
What can Vargas do?
Needs a miracle.
Good first touch by Bossetti.
But a brilliant block.
It's going to take a lot more than that though.
And Italy,
two points away
from an outstanding victory
in the performance,
arguably,
of the tournament so far.
Goal!
Bossetti
cooks one.
...class by Italy.
24-17
match point.
Kanekut
with a tip
and a bit of composure herself.
They are hanging
by a fibre.
24-18
Here we go.
Oh, Vargas is there.
This needs to drop.
Tuba
finds a touch.
That's two match points saved.
Lovely ball in.
Just not quite the connection that time
from Kambi to Akrari in the middle.
Otherwise it would have been all over.
19-24
Another match point.
Another.
Good ball in.
Just punched back court.
Vargas
with a tip.
Fersino
gets there.
Antropova
through the hands
and Italy's quest
for the Paris Olympic Games
is one step closer.
They have come to Antalya
and upset Turkey.
