Alan Nine
The latest Volleyball.it coverage from the last 24 hours centered on national-team results, selection news and the closing stages of the weekend’s major federation events. The headline came from Pasig City, where Italy ended its women’s Volleyball Nations League week by beating Japan in straight sets. On the men’s side, head coach Ferdinando De Giorgi confirmed the 14 players who will travel to Ljubljana for Pool 6. Away from the indoor VNL schedule, Italy’s sitting-volley women completed an unbeaten run in Assen, while the first Gold stage of the domestic beach-volley circuit wrapped up in Termoli.
Women’s VNL
Italy responded immediately to its defeat against the United States by beating Japan 3-0 in the final match of Pool 5 in Pasig City. The result lifted the azzurre to six wins and two losses in the overall standings and kept them firmly in the race for the Finals in Macao, with the last intercontinental pool scheduled in Hong Kong from July 8 to 11.
The source report described a controlled Italian performance after a balanced opening phase. Italy took the first set 25-20, then survived Japan’s push in the second before closing 25-23 with an ace from Ekaterina Antropova. The third set finished 25-18 as Julio Velasco’s team found continuity through the middle with Sarah Fahr and more attacking weight from Loveth Omoruyi, Antropova and Nervini. Velasco said the team played very well in reception, defense, coverage and service, and also made clear that the experiment of using Antropova as an outside hitter is now over, with the player considered too important in her natural opposite role.
Men’s VNL
The men’s national team also produced one of the day’s central updates, with De Giorgi naming the 14 players for week two of the VNL in Ljubljana, where Italy will face Bulgaria, Ukraine, Brazil and Slovenia between June 24 and 28. After the first week in Ottawa, the coach brought back Riccardo Sbertoli, Gianluca Galassi, Lorenzo Cortesia and Daniele Lavia.
The selected squad includes setters Paolo Porro and Sbertoli; middle blockers Galassi, Cortesia, Giovanni Sanguinetti and Leandro Mosca; outside hitters Francesco Sani, Mattia Bottolo, Lavia and Luca Porro; opposites Kamil Rychlicki and Alessandro Bovolenta; and liberos Gabriele Laurenzano and Domenico Pace. Volleyball.it also noted that a second training group will remain at work in Val di Fiemme through June 28, including names such as Simone Giannelli, Alessandro Michieletto, Yuri Romanò and Fabio Balaso.
Sitting Volley
Italy’s women also collected a notable international result in Assen, winning the Dutch Tournament with a perfect six wins from six matches. On the final day the azzurre beat the United States 3-0 and then swept Poland 3-0 to seal first place. The article reports that the team dropped only one tie-break during the whole event, in the opening match against Ukraine, and lost just four sets overall.
Against the United States, Italy won 25-21, 25-18 and 25-13, with Ceccatelli, Cirelli and Battaglia all reaching double figures. The second Sunday match against Poland was even more one-sided at 25-8, 25-10 and 25-12, with Barigelli scoring 17 points and the team producing 22 aces. Head coach and technical director Pasquale D’Aniello called it Italy’s first Dutch Tournament title and said the winter’s technical and tactical work is now showing clearly ahead of the world championship in Hangzhou.
Beach Volley
The first Gold stop of the Italian Absolute Beach Volleyball Championship ended in Termoli with titles for Chiara They and Sara Braidenbach in the women’s draw and for Tobia Marchetto and Michael Burgmann in the men’s event. They and Braidenbach beat Mattavelli/Eaco 2-0 in the final, while Jessica Belliero Piccinin and Francesca Michieletto finished third. Braidenbach was named women’s MVP.
In the men’s tournament, Marchetto and Burgmann defeated Caminati/Rossi 2-0 in the final after previously coming through a run that included a win over the Hungarian pair of Artur Hajos and Lukas Philip Niemeier. Third place went to Manuel Alfieri and Alex Ranghieri, while Burgmann received the men’s MVP award. Volleyball.it added that the domestic circuit now moves on to Marina di Ravenna for the next stop from July 3 to 5.
Youth Volleyball
The federation also used the day to preview the 41st edition of the AeQuilibrium Cup - Trofeo delle Regioni, which begins on June 23 in Catania after the opening ceremony on June 22. The event will bring together 42 regional selections, with girls’ Under-15 and boys’ Under-16 teams involved across ten venues in and around the city. For the fourth straight year, every match will be streamed live on the federation’s YouTube channel, while the official event site will provide live scores, galleries and news updates.
