From nearing an early exit in the quarterfinals, France is now just a win away from defending its Olympic crown in Paris 2024.
France’s back-to-back Olympic gold medal hopes in men’s indoor volleyball remain alive after advancing to the Paris 2024 Finals following their sweep of world no. 2 Italy in the semis, 25-20, 25-21, 25-21, at the South Paris Arena 1 on Thursday, August 8 (Philippine time).
Over a month after winning the 2024 Volleyball Nations League, the Les Bleus look to sustain their dominance which started with a golden run in Tokyo 2020.
French star spiker Earvin Ngapeth delivered the winning kill for his squad after an off-the-block hit that went to the stands.
Ngapeth did his usual damage with 13 points, but Trevor Clevenot also had an outstanding match for France, scoring 17 points on 15 attacks and two blocks.
The same scenarios unfolded in all three sets, as France, riding on the loud cheers of the home crowd, pulled away late to secure the frame and, later, the match.
Yuri Romanò was the lone double-digit scorer for Italy with just 10 markers.
France will face world no. 1 Poland in the gold medal match on Saturday, August 10, at 7:00 p.m. (Philippine time).
This will be the second time that the two countries will meet in a high-stakes knockout match, as they also battled it out in the VNL 2024 semifinals with France coming out on top.