Italy continued to roll in the second set with Barcellini chipping in a spike and a block early to edge Italy ahead four. Folie kept up her strong play by driving home a pair of attacks to help extend the lead to 17-7. Algeria’s Aicha Mezemate came off the bench to stun Lucia Bosetti with a block and a spike down wide to follow but led by Anzanello, the Italians were too far out of reach at that point. A Barcellini spike at the end was just too far for Tsabet to dig, as Italy took the second set, again 25-14.
Algeria had better luck in the third, sticking close to Italy with a flurry of attacks from Tsabet and Lydia Oulmou to come within one at 12-11. But Tsabet would go down with a knee injury mid set and needed to be helped off. The Italians pulled away after that as Anzanello, who was attacking well in the game, further stymied Algeria with a block on Melinda Hennaoui at the net. Algeria showed some quickness on a long rally late, but eventually a business-like Lucia Bosetti drove a spike through for the point, looking impatient as though the game had gone long enough for her liking. Barcellini’s fifth block of the match would take the set 25-15, and the match as Italy repeated their straight sets win recorded in their only other match against Algeria at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
