SHAOXING, China, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- Italian sides Imoco Volley Conegliano and Igor Gorgonzola Novara defeated their respective rivals on Friday afternoon to advance to the semifinals at the 2019 FIVB Women's Club World Championship.
Conegliano defeated Itambe Minas of Brazil 3-2 (25-17, 25-19, 20-25, 22-25, 28-26) in Pool B, while Novara dominated fellow Brazilian outfit Dentil Praia 3-0 (25-21, 26-24, 25-19) in Pool A.
In the eight-team two-pool annual tournament, only the top two teams in each pool advance to the last four, with other teams competing for 5th to 8th places.
Conegliano, who had secured their semifinal berth prior to the match, rested opposite spiker Ogechi Egonu and wing spiker Miryam Fatime Sylla, with fellow wing spiker Kimberly Hill only playing the first two sets, scoring 11 points.
Opposite spiker Nkemdilim Ruth Terry Enweonwu scored a match-high 23 points for Conegliano, with middle blocker Chiaka Ogbogu adding 20 points.
For Minas, who failed to record any points in their previous two matches, wing spiker Rosiandy Acosta Alvarado scored a team-high 21 points, with opposite spiker Bruna Honorio Marques adding 19.
In Pool A, both opposite spiker Jovana Brakocevic and wing spiker Elitsa Vasileva scored 17 points apiece for Novara, with Megan Courtney adding nine points, while Fernanda Rodrigues made a team-high 13 points for Praia, and Nicole Fawcett and Ana Carolina Da Silva added seven points apiece.
With one match remaining in each pool, both Conegliano and Novara are assured of their semifinal places, while Minas and Praia cannot now finish in the top four.
The other two semifinal berths will be contested on Friday evening between the competition's Turkish and Chinese sides.
