Lausanne, Switzerland, May 8, 2018 - Italy lost to Japan 3-1 (23-25, 25-20, 25-22, 25-19) in Busto Arsizio in the first of two friendly matches ahead of the inaugural women's Volleyball Nations League which begins next week to mark the start of a thrilling FIVB season.
"So many things in training tonight have not succeeded, but at the beginning of the season it is absolutely normal," said Italy's head coach Davide Mazzanti. "We must not be in a hurry, but continue with our work. Japan retained a good level throughout the game and this put us in trouble. Before the start of the Volleyball Nations League we still have several days to improve."
Read the full match report (in Italian) on the Italian Volleyball Federation website.
Italy and Japan will meet again on Thursday at 20:00 local time (18:00 GMT) in Brescia for a second friendly, ahead of the start of the VNL on 15 May.
Italy travel to Lincoln to face hosts USA, Turkey and Poland on the opening week of the women's VNL, 15-17 May. Japan make their debut in Barueri against hosts Brazil, Germany and Serbia.
Italy's men also on their marks
Meanwhile, The Italian Volleyball Federation (FIPAV) presented to the Media in Rome their men's and women's national teams for the upcoming season.
"It will be a very intense summer," said FIPAV president Pietro Bruno Cattaneo who was joined at the press conference by Mazzanti and men's coach Gianlorenzo Blengini.
"We are leaving for this Volleyball Nations League with a great desire and curiosity to discover," said Mazzanti. "It will be a very interesting competition because it will allow us to compete for five weeks with the best national teams in the world."
"We will have to be able to reconcile [the stress from a very competitive national championship], especially in view of hosting the World Championship at home, which is a great responsibility, but that we all accept as a great privilege," concluded Blengini.
Italy's men launch their VNL campaign 25-27 May in Kraljevo against hosts Serbia, Germany and Brazil, but also focus on the 2018 FIVB World Championship which they jointly host with Bulgaria later in the season.
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