Italy vs Serbia

The first set was the tightest of the evening, with both teams trading points deep into extras. Italy held their nerve at 24-24, winning two consecutive points — a stuff block followed by a Serbian attack error — to take the set 26-24. It proved to be the pivotal moment of the match.

Buoyed by that escape, Italy controlled the second set from the midway point. A well-timed run of points off the serve of their outside hitters stretched the lead to 20-15 before closing 25-20. The third followed a similar script: Italy created a small gap, Serbia fought to close it, but the hosts never allowed parity. A 25-20 finish sealed the 3-0 sweep.

The opening set at 24-24 was the match's fulcrum. Serbia had multiple set-point opportunities but could not convert. Italy's block stepped up at the decisive moment — a denial at the net that shifted momentum decisively. Had Serbia taken the first set, the match could have swung; instead, Italy rode the energy through two controlled sets and never looked back.

Italy's collective blocking was the headline — they held Serbia to a low attacking efficiency across all three sets. The Italian middle blockers disrupted Serbia's transition attack consistently, forcing errors at crucial moments.

Serbia's outside hitters carried the offensive load but found few gaps against Italy's structured defence. Despite flashes of quality from the service line, unforced errors at decisive moments — especially in set one — proved costly.

Italy's 3-0 scoreline looks commanding, but the 26-24 first set reveals a tighter contest than the set count suggests. Italy's edge came from composure in the clutch: they won the big points at 24-24 and maintained execution through two competitive but controlled second and third sets. Serbia, by contrast, matched Italy for extended stretches but could not sustain the level required to take a set.

Italy moved to 2-0 in Group A with 6 points, level with France in the fight for top seeding heading into the knockout phase. The defending champions (winners in 2022 in Algeria) have now won both matches without dropping a single set.

Serbia remain winless after two matches (0-2), at the bottom of the six-team group. With matches against Portugal and Algeria to come, they still have a path to qualification but must start converting competitive stretches into set wins.

Italy's next match: vs Portugal on 26 August. Serbia next face Algeria on the same day.

A clinical, professional performance from the hosts — not a blowout, but never truly in doubt once they survived the first-set scare. Serbia competed well in stretches but lacked the finishing polish to convert chances into set wins. For Italy, this was the kind of statement that tournament contenders make: winning the tight moments against a quality opponent and never giving them a way back in.