Volleyball.it Daily Roundup Update - July 6, 2026

Volleyball.it on July 6 centered its latest coverage on the next steps for Italy's national teams and on a pair of domestic market moves. The senior women's team reached Hong Kong for the decisive third week of the Volleyball Nations League, the youth sector produced both a new win and a squad announcement at European level, and the Italian transfer pages brought official news from Tinet Prata and Gas Sales Bluenergy Volley Piacenza.

Women's VNL

Italy women's national team arrived in Hong Kong on Monday, July 6, for Pool 8 of the Volleyball Nations League, scheduled from July 8 to 12. Volleyball.it reported that the flight from Milano Malpensa landed in China early in the morning and that head coach Julio Velasco immediately scheduled the first training session after arrival to start adjusting to the time zone.

Italy will return to competition on Wednesday, July 8 at 11:00 Italian time against Ukraine at the Kai Tak Arena. According to Volleyball.it, the Azzurre currently sit third in the overall standings with six wins and two losses and are close to mathematical qualification for the Finals in Macao, set for July 22 to 26. The article also listed the 14-player squad in Hong Kong, including Alessia Orro and Carlotta Cambi as setters, Paola Egonu and Ekaterina Antropova among the opposites, and Anna Danesi back as captain.

International Under

Italy's Under 18 women's team kept its perfect run going at the European Championship in Riga, beating host nation Latvia 3-0 on July 6 by set scores of 25-18, 25-11, 25-16. Volleyball.it described it as the Azzurrine's fifth win in the tournament, leaving them on a clean path in Pool I with only one set dropped so far, against Belgium.

The report highlighted Italy's work at the net, with a team total of 16 winning blocks. Marina La Tella finished with 9 points, while Italy also received contributions from Stefano Gregoris' rotations, including Laila Cantoni in setting duties and Sara Boufandar on the wing late in the match. Volleyball.it noted that Italy's next pool match will be against Spain on Tuesday, July 7 at 14:00 Italian time.

Also on the youth front, Vincenzo Fanizza named the 14-player squad for the Under 18 Men's European Championship, which opens on Tuesday, July 7 between Porto San Giorgio and Cisterna di Latina. Italy, runner-up in the 2024 edition, will begin at 20:00 at the PalaSavelli against Serbia. Volleyball.it reported that Pool I in Porto San Giorgio will also include Poland, Slovenia, Finland, Greece, Turkey and Iceland, while the top two teams from each pool will advance to the semifinals on July 17.

Italian Transfer News

Tinet Prata officially added middle blocker Jacopo Larizza, a 1998-born player with more than ten years of experience in Serie A. Volleyball.it recalled that Larizza came through the youth system of Lube, made his top-flight debut there, and won both a league title and an Italian Cup with the club before later playing for Bergamo, Santa Croce, Taranto, Civitanova, Milano and most recently Monza. In his remarks to the club, Larizza said Prata's organization and ambition convinced him quickly and framed reading situations at the net as a central part of his technical identity.

Piacenza, meanwhile, promoted libero Francesco Rizzo, born in 2008, into the first team for the 2026/27 SuperLega season. Volleyball.it wrote that the player from Viterbo, standing 183 centimetres tall, signed his first senior-team contract after progressing from Volley Life Viterbo to Piacenza's youth structure, where he played in Serie C and Under 19. The club also pointed to his full preseason with the senior side, two friendly-match appearances and his experience with the Italy Under 17 national team as the basis for the promotion.