Olympic volleyball sensation Valentina Gottardi sparks viral frenzy

The Summer Olympics in Paris, France, are bringing an exhilarating atmosphere to women's beach volleyball. The games, held at the stunning Eiffel Tower Stadium, offer a breathtaking backdrop for the competition.

The American duo of Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes is facing off against Italy's Valentina Gottardi and Marta Menegatti in a thrilling match.

Valentina Gottardi, just 21 years old, has captured the spotlight with her impressive performance. Her play has sparked significant buzz on social media. Fans have been vocal about her skills, with one tweeting,

Another fan simply stated,

And a third added,

With over 50,000 Instagram followers, Gottardi's popularity is set to soar as her match against the Americans progresses.

The match has been a nail-biter so far. The Americans secured a narrow 21-18 victory in the first set.

However, Italy has taken the lead in the second set, with a score of 7-6 early on Sunday afternoon.

The United States rallied under Italian pressure, exchanging points with Menegatti/Gottardi before sealing the first set 21-18 with back-to-back points.

Italy remained persistent, putting Cheng/Hughes on high alert. The Italians surged ahead with a 5-0 run to lead 13-8 in the second set, sending the Eiffel Tower Stadium crowd into a frenzy. They maintained their advantage to win the second set 21-17, leveling the match at one set each.

In the decisive third set, Cheng scored four straight points, including two aces, giving the U.S. a 5-1 lead. Although Italy fought back to narrow the gap to 12-11, Cheng and Hughes surged ahead in the final moments, outscoring Italy 3-1 to win the set 15-12.

Cheng and Hughes will now face Switzerland's Nina Brunner and Tanja Huberli in the quarterfinals.

Source: Hockey Patrol
Olympic volleyball player Valentina Gottardi goes viral

Source: The Spun
Italian Beach Volleyball Star Is Going Viral On Sunday