The end of VNL Week 3, the curtain has fallen on the first part of the Volleyball Nations League 2023. Two Rana Verona athletes have detached their ticket for the Final Eight. These are Leandro Mosca and Rok Mozic, with Italy and Slovenia ranking among the top eight national teams.
ITALY
De Giorgi’s Italy closed Week 3 of VNL with a great victory over Japan, a national team that had not yet lost in this international competition. The Azzurri defeated the Japanese 3-1, accessing the next phase which will take place in Gdansk from 19 to 23 July. The middle blocker from Verona Mosca took part in the third set, scoring a point in attack. The current world champions finished the first part of the tournament with a haul of 9 wins out of 12 total matches, finishing the third week with full points with four wins in as many matches. Argentina will be waiting for Italy on 19 July.
SLOVENIA
With the clear 3-0 success over the Netherlands, Slovenia also sealed access to the Final Eight in Gdansk. Mozic and his teammates ended the group stage with 8 wins, hoisting themselves to 25 points in the standings. The Scaliger hammer contributed to the victory against the Orange by scoring 11 points, including 8 in attack, 2 for blocks and one from nine meters. The Slovenian national team now has a week to recuperate and prepare for the next round, which will see them face Japan in the quarter-finals on 20 July.
BULGARIA
The path of the Bulgarian selection in the tournament ended with two defeats at the hands of Serbia and the USA. Coach Konstantinov’s team finished in fifteenth position, avoiding the downgrading to the Challenger Cup. In the first of the two races, Aleks Grozdanov became the protagonist in place three with an overall tally of 9 points, 2 of which were blocked. In the next match, however, the centre-back born in 1998 did not take the field. Bulgaria will therefore not take part in the second stage of the competition.
