'We played terribly'
Defending volleyball champion Italy beats United States
Posted: Thursday November 19, 1998 11:17 AM
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Cuba, whose women's team defended its world title last Thursday, beat Canada 15-10, 10-15, 15-12, 15-5 in 2 hours, 12 minutes AP |
TOKYO, Japan (AP) -- Defending champion Italy beat the United States
15-6, 15-2, 15-12 Thursday for its second victory against no
defeats in the second round of the Men's World Volleyball
Championships.
Italy, also the 1996 Olympic silver medalist, needed only one
hour, 12 minutes to beat the Americans, who are winless in the
16-team second round.
"We played a very high pace today. I believe the Americans
were tired after their very long match against Russia yesterday,"
said Italian captain Andrea Gardini.
The U.S. team played nearly three hours in losing to Russia on
Wednesday.
"We made a lot of mistakes and I'm not afraid to say we played
terribly ...," said American captain Lloyd Ball.
In another Group H match, the Netherlands, the 1996 Olympic
champion and 1994 world silver medalist, also scored its second
victory of the round, beating Ukraine 14-16, 15-11, 15-8, 16-14 at
Chiba-Makuhari Messe Hall near Tokyo.
Russia beat China 15-8, 16-17, 17-16, 15-9, and Yugoslavia beat
Greece 11-15, 15-3, 15-9, 15-5, with both winners remaining
undefeated in the second round.
In Group G matches in Hiroshima, western Japan, Cuba, whose
women's team defended its world title last Thursday, beat Canada
15-10, 10-15, 15-12, 15-5 in 2 hours, 12 minutes.
The Canadians were obviously hoping to repeat their upset
victory over the Cubans in the North American qualifying stages in
Havana nine months ago.
Brazil beat South Korea 15-13, 15-5, 15-9, and Bulgaria edged
Argentina 15-8, 16-17, 15-7, 10-15, 15-9.
Spain edged Japan 15-5, 13-15, 15-8, 11-15, 15-12.
Brazil, Spain and Cuba are 2-0 in the second round. Argentina
and Bulgaria are 1-1.
The men's championship started November 13 with 24 teams, and 16
advanced to the current round robin, which lasts until November 26.
The semifinals and finals will be played in Tokyo November 28-29.
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