7.0WIRE / Career / Match / Team Italy / Ita-Rom Italy-Romania 3-1 (25-18/21-25/25-13/25-17) TOURNEY : World Championship Qualifiers for POOL I HELD IN : Urbino, Italia @ 15 July 2001 / 3:00 pm REFEREES : Hofti and Cuk (Yugoslavia) TEAM ITALY COACH : Marco Bonitta PLAYERS : E. Lo Bianco; P. Paggi; E. Togut; F. Piccinini;   A.V. Mello; S. Rinieri; P. Cardullo (L); M. Leggeri (C);   M. Cacciatori; S. Croatto; V. Beccaria; and de Tassis           Mission complete. Italy beats Romania to sweep Pool I and directly qualify to the 2002 World Championships to be held in Germany. Team Romania is not an impossible adversary but with such caliber players as Carmen Turlea and Christina Pirv the team is much harder to beat than Italy's previous competitors. With Manuela Leggeri's slight injury in the last game, Coach Bonitta decided to field Paola Paggi instead. It was a great move as team Italy burst into an 11-2 lead courtesy of Elisa Togut. Romania was able to catch up but with the superb plays set up by Lo Bianco, the first set ended 25-18 in favor of Italy. The Romanians came back during the second set and attacked Italy's weak reception. Silvia Croatto coming in for Simona Rinieri did not alter the course of the set, as the team struggled with its reception. The set closed at 25-21, Romania. Everything fell into place during the third set, however. Italy's reception got better and their defense got even tighter. Romania on the other hand struggled in reception and had too many errors in attack. Italy posted a 16-8 score and went on from there, ending the set at 25-13. The huge 3rd set win boosted Italy's confidence but their reception faltered at the start of the fourth. It looked pretty bad but the team's desire to qualify was just too strong. Paola Paggi set the mood for the whole team, constructing wall after wall. Soon everyone caught the spirit and started attacking relentlessly. The set and match ended 25-17. POINT BREAKDOWN Italy: Lo Bianco 2, Rinieri 6, Paggi 18, Togut 15, Piccinini 15, Mello 10, Cardullo (L), Cacciatori dp, Croatto 10, Leggeri dp, De Tassis dp, Beccaria dp. Romania: Trombitas 2, Corjeutanu 10, Marcovici 3, Turlea 10, Pirv 12, Popescu 5, Simpetru (L). Butnaru dp, Alexe dp, Minca dp, Busu dp, Danoiu dp. dp - didn't play