7,000 people flocked to a sold-out Mandela Forum in Florence on June 16 to see Italy’s national men’s volleyball team take on Cuba in the early stages of the World League.
Italy asserted its strength, winning its fourth match in the 2013 FIVB World League, beating Pool B rivals Cuba 3-0 (25-23, 25-18, 25-19) on Sunday.
‘We tried to start better than last Sunday and so we did,’ said Italian head coach Mauro Berruto.
With Italy’s two wins against Cuba this weekend, the squad has raced to a 4-0 undefeated record for the first time since 2011, when it started 6-0. This also marks the fourth consecutive year in which gli azzurri have won the first three matches of the World League.
Cuba also showed some talented hits during Sunday’s match, especially from 19-year-old Yordan Bisset Astengo. But the country demonstrated its inexperience as well, enabling Italy to hold on to their lead until the end.
‘This match confirms that we are a very young team that still make too many mistakes,’ said Cuba’s trainer Gladston Orlando Sam. ‘We need to concentrate more from the beginning to the end.’
