Giulia Arringhieri led Italy to a 3-0 (25-19, 25-13, 25-19) triumph over Slovenia to finish in fifth place at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games women’s sitting volleyball tournament on Wednesday at North Paris Arena.
Arringhieri’s 11 points, including six powerful attacks and five crucial blocks, were pivotal in the Italian team’s success. Supported by strong performances from Francesca Bosio, Eva Ceccatelli, and Sara Cirelli – each contributing nine points – Italy dominated throughout the match. Klara Vrabic led Slovenia with 10 points.
Italy outshone their opponents in attacks and serves, registering 30 kills and 13 aces, while Slovenia managed a slight edge in blocks, 10-8.
In the first set, Italy established early control, jumping out to a 12-6 lead, thanks to effective serving from Roberta Pedrelli and a block from Arringhieri that stifled Slovenia’s attempts to gain traction. Slovenia fought back, narrowing the score, but multiple attack errors from Vrabic and Barbara Kocmur allowed Italy to extend their lead. A reception error from Gabrscek at 23-17 put Italy further ahead, which they sealed with another Slovenian error, winning 25-19.
The second set was a masterclass in Italian dominance. After an initial 10-10 tie, Italy’s pressure began to show. Strong serves from Bosio and a crucial block by Arringhieri helped extend their lead to 18-10. Slovenia’s errors piled up, as they struggled to deal with Italy’s relentless attacks and serves. A final block by Giulia Bellandi on Vrabic handed Italy the set comfortably at 25-13.
In the third set, Slovenia briefly rallied, reducing Italy’s lead to 17-15 with Vrabic leading the charge. Sara Cirelli, who only started in the third frame, commanded the offence. Despite some resistance from Slovenia, Cecatelli served her way to end the set at 25-19 and secure the fifth-place finish for her team.
