Italy and Slovenia throw off 2024 FIVB Volleyball Men's Nations League with four wins

After the conclusion of the first two pools in the 2024 FIVB Volleyball Men's Nations League, two European sides, powerhouses Italy and Slovenia, are on the top of the league table, having swept their opponents, on their way to four wins in four matches in Antalya, Türkiye and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

With a star-studded team at their disposal, Italy, the runners-up at the CEV EuroVolley Men 2023, had a virtually perfect start, dropping only three sets, two of them in the last match against hosts Brazil.

A 3:0 win against Germany (25:21; 25:18; 25:23), followed up by a 3:0 win against the Islamic Republic of Iran (25:19; 25:18; 25:11) set the tone for Italy, which lost the first set in the third match against Japan (23:25), only to deliver an excellent performance in the next three sets, where they did not lose more than 17 points.

But in the last match in Rio de Janeiro, Italy had to come back from one set down two times, as Brazil duly delivered an excellent challenge for the European side. A superb performance from CEV Champions League Men winner this season, Alessandro Michieletto, with 22 points, put Italy back on track, to help the European team secure the win, with a 15:13 win in the last set.

The only unbeaten team after the first pool of the 2024 FIVB Volleyball Men's Nations League was Slovenia, with opposite Tonček Štern shining for Gheorghe Crețu’s team, with 82 points, the second largest number, after Dutch star Nimir Abdel-Aziz, who scored 92 points in the first four matches.

Slovenia dropped five sets, but their first two matches saw them clinch crucial wins against the Netherlands, 3-2, and France, 3-1, setting them up for the next two matches, where they beat Canada and Poland.

The win against the reigning European champions, 3:0, was especially comfortable, as Slovenia dominated the match from start to finish, securing the three sets without any pressure whatsoever, 25:20, 25:21, 25:18.

It was Poland’s only loss, as the reigning champions in the FIVB Volleyball Men's Nations League and the reigning European champions had previously dropped a single set before the match. Wins against the USA and the Netherlands came both in straight sets, while Poland lost the first set against Canada, but went on to win, 3:1.

Reigning Olympic champions France also sealed three wins, with their only loss coming against Slovenia, while the Netherlands are the only European side to have a split record, with two wins and two losses.

Germany, Serbia and Bulgaria (1-3) are already lagging behind, while debutants Türkiye lost all their four matches played on their home court in Antalya, having a mountain to climb provided they want to make it in the final round, due to be played in Lodz, Poland, where the hosts are already qualified.

The next two pools in the 2024 FIVB Volleyball Men's Nations League will take place between 4 and 9 June in Fukuoka, Japan and in Ottawa, Canada.