OSIJEK, Croatia — For the second consecutive match, the United States Girls U19 National Team came back from a 2-1 deficit to advance at the U19 World Championship on Friay. The U.S. handed Italy its first loss of the championship, 3-2 (31-29, 23-25, 20-25, 30-28, 15-8) to advances to the semifinals.

Team USA held the lead in kills (70-66) and aces (8-4), while both teams were strong on the block with 17 each.

The U.S. will play at 12:15 p.m. Saturday against Poland, which edged Team USA 16-14 in the fifth set in pool play.

Crestview High School graduate and University of Pittsburgh freshman Abbey Emch served two points along with two attack points and two blocks, including a key one in the fifth and deciding game.

Outside hitter Cari Spears posted match-highs of 21 kills and 24 points, adding two blocks and an ace, and finished with 11 digs. Middle blocker Jordan Taylor led all players with seven blocks and totaled 19 points with 12 kills.

Outside Suji Davis also finished with 19 points as she contributed 15 kills, two blocks and two aces, while also posting 10 successful receptions. Opposite Henley Anderson rounded out the four U.S. double-digit scorers with 17 points on 12 kills, two blocks and three aces, and also recorded 12 digs.

Libero Lily Hayes led the team with 13 digs and a match-high 13 successful receptions. Setter Genevieve Harris totaled 39 assists, seven digs, one kill and one ace.

Italy scored four consecutive points to take a 9-5 lead in the first set and held the lead until back-to-back Anderson points, one on a back row attack and another on a block, tied the score at 17. After a Davis kill made it 18-18, Italy took a three-point lead. Trailing 22-19, the U.S. used a 5-1 run to take its first lead of the match and set point at 24-23 on a Taylor kill on an overpass.

The teams were tied six more times in the set with the U.S. staving off four set points. With the score even at 29, Italy was unable to hit through the double block of Anderson and Taylor with Taylor earning her third block to give the U.S. its third set point. A great dig by Anderson led to a set-winning kill by Taylor, her seventh kill and 10th point. Anderson scored six points on five kills and a block.

The U.S. scored four of the first five points of the second set and still led 7-6 when Italy scored three points to take the lead by two. The margin grew to four at 16-12, but the U.S. squared the match at 17-17 and 19-19.

A successful challenge on a serve called out gave the U.S. its first lead, 20-19, since 7-6. The U.S. took a 22-19 lead only to see Italy finish the set on a 6-1 run to tie the match at a set apiece. Taylor added three more blocks as well as a kill, while Spears and Anderson each scored four points on three kills and an ace.

Anderson scored off the block to give the U.S. a 10-7 lead in the third set but Italy responded with a 6-1 run to take a 13-11 lead. The U.S. never regained the lead though it did tie the set at both 13-13 and 17-17. Spears paced the U.S with six kills on five blocks and an ace, and Davis provided four kills.

Davis served for 10 consecutive points to stake the U.S. to an 11-1 lead in the fourth set. Spears scored on three kills in the 10-point run. The lead reached 11 at 18-7 before Italy went a 16-5 run to even the set at 23. The U.S. earned six set points, the last when Spears scored off the Italy block for a 29-28 lead. Anderson followed with an ace to send the match to a fifth set. Spears led all players with eight kills in the set with Davis scoring six points on five kills and an ace.

With the U.S. leading 3-2, an Italy service error made it 4-2 in the fifth set. The U.S. scored three of the next four points, all on kills by Spears, for a 7-3 lead. Italy scored two points in a row before a hitting error gave the U.S. an 8-5 lead as the teams switched sides.

An Abbey Emch block put the U.S. back up by four points, 10-6. After the teams exchanged service errors, the U.S. double block of Taylor and Davis took over, scoring three of the final four points. Davis earned two blocks and Taylor one with Davis also putting a ball down after an overpass. Davis scored five points on three kills and the two blocks, while Spears added the three key kills early in the set.