Seconda Fase/Second Round  (30/09 – 2/10)

Pool G (Catania): Italy, Puerto Rico, Germany
Pool I (Catania): Russia, Egypt, Spain
Pool H (Milano): Cuba, Serbia, Mexico
Pool M (Milano): France, Japan, Argentina
Pool L (Ancona): Usa, Czech Republic, Cameroon
Pool N (Ancona): Poland, Brazil, Bulgaria

Seconda Fase - 18 Squadre/6 Gironi / Second Round – 18 Teams/6 Pools

Pool G – Catania: 30/09 PUERTO RICO-GERMANY h 17; 1/10 GERMANY-ITALY h 21; 2/10 ITALY-PUERTO RICO h 21
Pool I – Catania: 30/09 RUSSIA-EGYPT h 21; 1/10 SPAIN- RUSSIA h 17; 2/10 EGYPT-SPAIN h 17
Pool H – Milano: 30/09 CUBA-SERBIA h 17; 1/10 MEXICO-CUBA h 21; 2/10 SERBIA-MEXICO h 17
Pool M – Milano: 30/09 FRANCE-ARGENTINA h 21; 1/10 JAPAN-FRANCE h 17; 2/10 ARGENTINA-JAPAN h 21
Pool L – Ancona: 30/09 USA-CZECH REPUBLIC h 17; 1/10 CAMEROON-USA h 21; 2/10 CZECH REPUBLIC-CAMEROON h 17
Pool N – Ancona: 30/09 POLAND-BRAZIL h 21; 1/10 BULGARIA-POLAND h 17; 2/10 BRAZIL-BULGARIA h 21

Pool A (Milano): Italy-Iran 3-2 (25-21, 25-10, 21-25, 26-28, 15-13)
Italy complete their hat-trick – though with too much labour – and defeats Iran 3-2, thus entering the second round on a clean sheet. In Catania the Azzurri will face Puerto Rico and Germany, and will play the first match against the europeans coached by Lozano (on Friday, Oct. 1), while the match against the caribbeans will take place on the following day. Italy played a threefold match, beginning perfectly (2 sets to nil). Then we’d better forget the second part and partially the final steps. But when they found again – mainly thanks to Lasko and Travica, who replaced Fei and Vermiglio – the will to fight, almost won the fourth set (that seemed already lost) and finally won the fifth. Coach Anastasi had Birarelli sitting on the bench together with Parodi, in order to give them some rest, and played Sala and Cernic (who were then able to familiarize with the court). Positive notes came from the above mentioned Travica and Lasko, the latter being the real match-winner. Iran was forced to win, in order to go further in the championship, and supported by 500 fans tried their best, getting close to an amazing victory.

Pool B (Verona): Cuba-Brazil 3-2 (34-32, 18-25, 23-25, 25-21, 15-12)
The best match of pool B was attended by more than 7,000. Cuba overwhelmed Brazil after 129 minutes for 3-2 (34-32, 18-25, 23-25, 25-21, 15-12). Cuba got tickets for the bus to Milan, while Brazil will play in Ancona and Spain in Catania.
It's been a hardly fought match, with both teams willing to gain the first place in the pool. The first set was a lesson of good volleyball, and Cuba had a narrow win (34-32).
The beginning of the second set was greatly balanced, and only in its second part Brazil found the strength to close 25-18.
In the third set Cuba attacked Brazil at once and they gained the lead. Next to the closing line Brazile made an effort more than the cubans, and won 25-23.
The fourth set saw Cuba focused on the block, and Brazil - though unwilling - helped them with some mistakes, mainly the one by Dante in defence that determined the end of the set (25-21 for Cuba).
At the tie break Brazil led 1-3. Cuba narrowed the gap and Brazil coach quickly called for a timeout. The score went rapidly on 8-8 and 10-10. Leon and Simon gained again the advantage 13-11. The match was closed out by an attack by Leon who gave Cuba the victory of the tie break at scores 15-12.  

Pool C (Modena): Puerto Rico-Russia 2-3 (25-21, 14-25, 21-25, 25-23, 11-15)
Russia wins 3-2 against Puertorico at the end of an interesting  game: the 3500 spectators of PalaPanini have much fun.
Before the match begins we face a odd situation: Puerto Rico’s libero Harry Rosario wears the t-shirt number 19, but in the official scoresheet he is supposed to be number 2. The team-managers start to look for the right t-shirt, but in the meanwhile Rosario can not enter the court, so Puerto Rico starts without libero (he entered only at the beginning of third set).
Coach Bagnoli, without Muserskiy, decided to rotate all the players e Poltavskiy played a devasting game. In the Portorico team good performance of Rodriguez and Soto.
Russia goes to the second round as first qualified of Pool C, Portorico as second.

Pool D (Reggio Calabria): Usa-Argentina 3-1 (22-25, 27-25, 25-22, 25-20)
USA fought back from a set behind to outlast Argentina 3-1 (22-25, 27-25, 25-22, 25-20) in Reggio Calabria.
USA finished at the top of the pool with a clean sheet of three victories, Argentina came second.
Argentina started the match very aggressively and scored 4 successive points. Thanks to their solid block they closed 25-22.
USA woke up early in the second set and led almost the whole set, but won only 27-25.
Argentina returned back on track at the beginning of the third set and the match went in a style of point by point, but USA - led by the efficient wing attacker William Priddy - succeeded to break through and win the set 25-22.
In the fourth set Argentina had no more strength to oppose to the northamericans, who closed the match 25-20.

Pool E (Torino): China-France 0-3 (17-25, 20-25, 19-25)
France defeated China 25-17, 25-20, 25-19 to win the first-round Pool E in Turin.
France was tough at the service line, had a 51-33 spike advantage in converting 49 percent of its attacks to China's 36 percent.
No history at all in this match, with easy win in the first set (25-17).
France went on 5-2 in the second set, then 16-9 advantage, finally 25-20.
China had a little reaction in the third set, going in front 16-15: but thanks to Kieffer and Marechal France soon took the lead back and closed 25-19.

Pool F (Trieste): Serbia-Poland 1-3 (19-25, 18-25, 25-21, 23-25)
Serbia did not always play at full speed so that Poland stamped a comfortable 3-1 (25-19, 25-18, 21-25, 25-23) to finish first in Pool F. Thanks to their points ratio the Serbians advance to the second stage of the World Championship as second best of this group. A total of 6’600 spectators were counted tonight in the arena, another all-time record for the Palatrieste, bringing the total up to 33’000 in three days of competition.
Serbia and Poland started with thousands of fans continuously cheering and firing up their teams. The guys in red and white did not slow down their rhythm and bagged set nr 1 (25-19) after Dragan Stankovic served into the net. Serbia lacked consistency and motivation, while Poland kept on scoring (25-18 in the second set).In the third set Poland was less consistent than before, with the attacks getting more and more predictable, and so Serbia clinched the set and made sure ending in second place (25-21).
Fourth set had then not so much importance anymore, and Poland won 25-23.

Results and Standings 27/09

Pool A (Milano): Japan-Egypt 3-2 (32-34, 23-25, 25-19, 25-17, 15-13); Italy-Iran 3-2 (25-21, 25-10, 21-25, 26-28, 15-13).
Pool B (Verona): Spain-Tunisia 3-1 (25-23, 25-22, 25-27, 25-23); Cuba-Brazil. 3-2 (34-32, 18-25, 23-25, 25-21, 15-12)
Pool C (Modena): Australia-Cameroon 1-3 (25-21, 22-25, 21-25, 19-25); Puerto Rico-Russia. 2-3 (25-21, 14-25, 21-25, 25-23, 11-15).
Pool D (Reggio Calabria): Mexico-Venezuela 3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 25-20); Usa-Argentina. 3-1 (22-25, 27-25, 25-22, 25-20)
Pool E (Torino): Bulgaria-Czech Republic 1-3 (23-25, 25-27, 30-28, 25-27); China-France. 0-3 (17-25, 20-25, 19-25)
Pool F (Trieste): Germany-Canada 3-0 (27-25, 25-22, 25-20); Serbia-Poland.1-3 (19-25, 18-25, 25-21, 23-25)

Pool A (Milano): Italy 6, Egypt 4, Japan 4, Iran 4.
Pool B (Verona): Cuba 6, Brazil 5, Spain 4, Tunisia 3.
Pool C  (Modena): Russia 6, Puerto Rico 5, Cameroon 4, Australia 3.
Pool D  (Reggio Calabria): Usa 6, Argentina 5, Mexico 4, Venezuela 3.
Pool E  (Torino): France 6, Czech Republic 5, Bulgaria 4, China 3.
Pool F (Trieste): Poland 6, Serbia 4, Germany 4, Canada 4.