Italy defeated Iran 3-1 (25-23, 25-22, 20-25, 31-29) on Tuesday in Pool F of the FIVB Volleyball Men’s U-21 World Championship.
“Iran is the strongest team in the world in this category. They won the previous title (U19). It was difficult to play against them, but we played well. We never gave up,” Lavia said.
"We have played a good match with everyone's contribution. This is not about individual achievement but a beautiful victory as a team," he added.
Italy coach Monica Cresta also praised Iran.
“It was extremely difficult to play against Iran. From the start, we knew that it was going to be tough. In the first two sets, we played well even under pressure. In the third and fourth sets, they played absolutely better than us,” Cresta said.