VOLLEYBALL: Less than 48 hours after pulling off one of the biggest wins in Australian volleyball history, the Volleyroos have arrived in Italy to contest the World League finals with the best five teams in the world.
Australia has been grouped in Florence with host nation Italy and the United States, while Brazil, Russia and Iran will contest the second group.
Underlining how much of an upset the Volleyroos caused when they first beat Netherlands, and then France, on the weekend to qualify for the World League finals, organisers had not booked flights for the Australian squad.
Enough seats were found on Sunday night, and the exhausted but elated men's team found themselves in the air again.
Australian coach Jon Uriarte said his team has a big job ahead of it.
"It's going to be tough, but it's great that we've got a chance to play the best teams in the world," he said.
"As part of our preparations for this year's World Championships (in Poland in September) we now have a chance to have a look where we are and keep learning and growing.
"All these young people will keep evolving and working hard and using the opportunity."
The Volleyroos timed their run perfectly through the World League, having finished bottom of their qualifying group but earning the right to play in the weekend's semi-finals as the host nation.
They showed they were ready when they had a clean sweep victory over world number 11, Canada, in Sydney on the weekend before the semi-finals, and then backed it up with a straight sets win over Netherlands on Friday.
Saturday night's win over France, in front of the biggest volleyball crowd in Australia since the Sydney Olympics, was described by captain Aidan Zingel as being "as big as when we qualified for the Olympics."
Uriarte, who has always been cautious with his praise, said his team had worked hard and deserved to be in Italy.
He was also excited that Australians had finally been given the chance to watch their elite players in action.
"The effort to keep working, to get focussed technically, to learn to persevere, and to deal with the ups and downs and the pressure - it's young men trying hard, and it's beautiful to be coaching them," Uriarte said.
"To finally be in the situation, after 14 years we always have been playing away, and then finally we got at home the chance to show to Australians how spectacular our sport is. We want to spread our sport to Australia."
Australia's first game at the World League finals against the United States on Thursday night, Australian time, before taking on Italy on Friday night.
Ross Solly
Volleyball Australia
