It was a shocking day on the men’s side as Cherif & Ahmed and Samuele Cottafava & Paolo Nicolai were eliminated and Brazil still has four men’s team alive. Sarah and Melissa are still fighting to defend their crown and there were some epic three setters with huge come from behind victories across the 16 matches. If you missed any of the action, you’ve come to the right place to catch up.
Il silenzio cala sul Foro Italico
In the seedings, Adrian Carambula & Enrico Rossi were the top ranked team, but it was Samuele Cottafava & Paolo Nicolai that had caught all of the attention with their dominance so far in Rome. Daniele Lupo & Alex Ranghieri were thriving in the Foro Italico as well, but that all came to a crashing end tonight in one session that left the Italian fans silenced and Brazil and the Netherlands moving on.
Carambula and Rossi’s shock exit happened yesterday at the hands of the Chilean Grimalt cousins, but the nature of Cottafava and Paolo’s demise was truly breath taking. I haven’t seen many more dominant first sets than the one they put together against Brazil’s Renato Lima and Vitor Felipe only to lose in three sets.
Nicolai completely dominats set 1
Nicolai was on fire as they stormed out to 10-3 lead through a series of blocks, aces and pressure that forced Brazil into errors. After Brazil steadied for a while, Nicolai established his dominance again late in the set and a huge 21-11 score. Even his setting skills were on display as his back setting and even a jump back set gave Samuelle tons of open swings.
Brazil’s resilience shocks the crowd
But as we all know, the second set starts with a 0-0 score no matter how lopsided the first set end. And the young Renato showed amazing maturity to shake off a horrible opener in the pressure packed moment with all the fans against him. He and Vitor stayed toe to toe and lead 11-10 going into the technical timeout. Renato came up with a huge block on Nicolai to steal the advantage late and then Cottafava seemed to wilt in the pressure missing an attack to give Brazil the win.
Unbelievably the match was going to a third set. Italy gained an early advantage, but Vitor Felipe’s dig and transition kill silenced the crowd at 7-7. Renato blocked Cottafava for lead at 8-7 at the side switch and then the thrilling back and forth really got started.
Note: Beach fans should really pay for a month of Volleyballworld.tv just to watch the end of this set.
Nicolai blocked to get back a 10-9 advantage. Cottafava missed wide to give the lead back to Brazil. Nicolai’s block seemed to give Italy the lead back but it was covered, would Brazil maintain the lead… no, Cottafava stopped the Brazilian transition and came up with clutch finish of his own and Italy leads 13-12. Then came the craziest play of all, Renato looked ready to win back a point and claim the first match point, but his feet got tangled up and he couldn’t even jump while sending the back over for Italy, but Vitor Felipe scores the point anyway with a shocking monster block on Cottafava. With the match on the line, Cottafava’s attack went long and somehow Renato and Vitor Felip are still alive.
Dutch powerball undoes Lupo and Ranghieri
Alexander Brouwer & Robert Meeuwsen did what Brouwer and Meeuwsen do. Pound the ball and and pound the ball some more. Just minutes after Brazil had shocked the crowd in the Foro Italico, the giant Dutchies made sure there would be no sparks of life. They got out to leads in both sets and never trailed the entire match en route to a 21-18, 21-13 win. Those guys really know how to kill the party atmosphere.
Pavan and Humana-Parades win thriller
My other match of the day, if you can only watch two, is Melissa Humana-Paredes & Sarah Pavan’s thrilling win over Talita Antunes & Rebecca Cavalcanti. There was so much tension in this one, too. Tension in the third set at least. Brazil absolutely owned the first set and Canada was even more dominant in the second. Brazil had the advantage to win it so many times late in the third, but Canada just wouldn’t give up. Shockingly it was several Talita miscues down the stretch that gave Canada just enough life too keep their World Championship defense alive, 16-21, 21-11, 18-16.
As I said yesterday, for Canada to repeat as World Champions they will have to leave a path of Brazilian devastation in their wake. They are now 2/3 of the way through that with Duda and Ana Patricia waiting tomorrow.
The last Brazilian women’s team standing got there by eliminating Carol and Barbara in two sets today. Carol and Barbara were flying around the court while Ana Patricia and Duda methodically maintained control. It was Ana Patricia’s jump float serve late in the second set that picked up some crazy movement and struck for four aces in her last two trips to the service line. She threw in a block for good measure as her team pulled away for a 21-16, 21-17 win. The winner of tomorrow’s quarterfinal match between Canada and Brazil has to be considered the favorite to win the entire tournament.
Brazil’s men continue to roll
Brazil may be down to one women’s team, but their men are a very different story. In addition to Renato and Vitor Felipe’s amazing come from behind win, Brazil picked up three other wins, giving them half of the remaining men’s teams. Bruno and Saymon had an answer to everything Ahmed and Cherif threw at them. Bruno’s court vision and ability to always take the right swing on side out was on full display. For that reason, Saymon got most of the serves, but he was up to the challenge. You always expect Qatar to score points with Ahmed’s speed and Cherif’s blocking, but Brazil stole the first set and held steady to win the second 21-19, 21-19.
Guto was the hero in his and Alison’s match against the Grimalts. As has happened so many times this year, he’s by far the littlest man on the court, but had the biggest impact. Marco Grimalt seemed to have Alison’s number and blocked him several times, but Guto was flawless in side out. Marco pulled on him several times and each time Guto made him pay. He even scored three or four second ball kills including the match point winner.
Another player that reminds my a bit of Guto, but is an even better setter is Australia’s Marc Nicolaidis, He and Isaac Carracher’s amazing tournament came to a close today against Brazil’s fourth winning team on the day, Andre and George. The experienced Brazilians were just too much down the stretch and ran away 21-15, 21-15.
Wild day on the women’s side
Australia’s Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho del Solar sent tournament favorites Katja Stam & Raïsa Schoon home thanks to a stunning second set comeback. The Australians had the Dutch on the back foot early with their trademark second ball attack by Taliqua and some heavy service pressure. After winning the first set 21-15, the match seemed destined to go three sets with Katja and Raïsa in control 18-13 late in the second.
Enter Mariafe. Two digs and put aways with a Katja hitting error make it a lot closer. Raïsa’s well placed pokey gave the Dutch set point at 20-18. Katja served into the net, but they still had a 20-19 advantage with just a side out needed. Katja’s attack on the second ball was so ferocious, but somehow Taliqua managed to control the ball from an awkward position, she went on to calmly put away Mariafe’s perfect transition set. A bit later Taliqua dug Katja again and transitioned to give Australia the 21-20 lead. The wind was fully out of the young Dutchy’s sails at that point and lightning struck a third time for Australia as Taliqua picked up yet another Katja attack after retreating from her blocking position. Australia moves on, The Netherlands are out.
Other thrilling women’s matches
Canada is the only country with two teams remaining with Sophie Bukovec & Brandie Wilkerson beating Germany’s Karla Borger & Julia Sude. This was another entertaining match (let’s be honest, they are all amazing matches at this point). Borger and Sude came back from way behind to win the first set 21-19. The second set created some more nervous moments for Canada, but they held on to win it by the same score. In the third, Bukovec was solid and Brandie made some big plays as this team is still undefeated in Rome.
In one of the crazier matches of the day, Joana Heidrich & Anouk Vergé-Dépré jumped out to an enormous lead only to nearly give it away to Anastasija Kravcenoka & Tina Graudina. The Latvian’s saved five set points, but Switzerland finally got set one finished. In the second set the Swiss jumped out to an even bigger lead, but avoided any drama by closing it out easily 24-22, 21-10.
Müller & Tillmann keep on winning
Svenja Müller & Cinja Tillmann got past Terese Cannon & Sarah Sponcil in a game you’ll love if you enjoy watching tenacious defenders. Cinja and Sarah exchanged breath taking defensive plays. The Germans dropped the first set, but went on to win in three, 19-21, 21-16, 15-11.
Kelley Kolinske & Sara Hughes are also on a roll. After dropping their first match in pool play they have been unstoppable. Today, Sara Hughes put on a defensive masterclass in a second set demolition of Tanja Hüberli & Nina Brunner (21-19, 21-9).
The team that shocked the Americans in the opening round and the 43rd seed entering the competition, Marta Menegatti & Valentina Gottardi are still going. They beat fellow Italians Claudia Scampoli & Margherita Bianchin after nearly losing the first set (25-23, 21-15). With all those amazing men’s teams, who would have thought this would be the only Italian quarterfinalist? Not me, that’s for sure.
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Mol and Sorum pushed to the limit by Austria
Robin Seidl & Philipp Waller finish the World Championships with an impressive 9th, but they were very close to pulling off a huge upset and going much further. Anders Mol and Christian Sorum looked extremely vulnerable midway through the second set before ultimately 18-21, 21-18, 15-9.
Schalk and Brunner keep it going under the radar
Chaim Schalk & Theo Brunner won an exciting three setter against Poland’s Piotr Kantor & Maciej Rudol. Chaim came up with the goods on defense as the consistent Americans move into the quarterfinals after a20-22, 21-17, 15-11.
COVID gets another Crabb
Less than a year after Taylor Crabb missed a chance to play at the Olympics thanks to a positive COVID test, his brother Trevor lost his chance to continue a great run at the World Championships for the same reason. Interestingly, Tri Bourne has been on both sides of the equation, becoming an Olympian as Taylor’s replacement and losing out on the chance to keep playing here. That means that Estonian’s Kusti Nõlvak & Mart Tiisaar move on to the next round and on a surprise day of rest.
Quarterfinal matchups
The first match of the day is the best on the women’s side, Melisa and Sarah against Ana Patricia and Duda. Next up is Anouk and Joana vs Sara Hughes and Terese Cannon. The winner of those matches will meet in the semifinals on Saturday.
Next up is an all Brazilian men’s match between Andre & George and Bruno & Saymon. The first session ends with Taliqua and Mariafe taking on Müller & Tillmann.
After a break and a few extra ticket sales, Alison & Guto face Anders Mol & Christian Sorum. The winner of that match faces the Brazilian duel’s winner in the semis.
Brandie and Sophie take on Marta & Valentina in the evening session’s second match. The winner gets the Australia vs Germany winner in the semifinals.
The final two matches of the day are Nõlvak & Tiisaar vs Renato & Vitor Felipe and finally Schalk & Brunner against Brouwer & Meeuwsen. The winners of those matches face off Saturday.
Every one of these teams is now three wins away from a World Championship