Alan Nine
Volleyball.it’s coverage on Sunday, August 9, 2026 moved across Italy’s senior and youth national teams, the closing stages of a major beach-volleyball event and early signals from the club season. The clearest Italian headline concerned the women’s national team of Julio Velasco, which is leaving for Poland for its last competitive test before EuroVolley 2026. Around that update, the day also brought a setback for Italy’s Under 17 women at the world championship in Santiago del Cile, a semifinal defeat for Valentina Gottardi and Reka Orsi Toth at the Elite16 in Hamburg, and a preseason message of ambition from Filippo Lanza at Cisterna Volley.
The international frame was broader as well. Volleyball.it also highlighted Argentina’s decision to use a young experimental men’s team at the Copa Sudamericana in Cochabamba, a choice that has already produced a place in the final against Brazil. The result fit the tone of the day: August is becoming the moment when federations and clubs move from summer preparation to more concrete competitive definition.
International
Italy’s women’s national team has completed its training week in Trentino and will travel on Monday, August 10 to Koszalin for the last tournament before the European Championship. Volleyball.it reported that the Azzurre will face France on August 11, Ukraine on August 12 and host nation Poland on August 13, with 14 players selected by Velasco. The squad includes Alessia Orro, Carlotta Cambi, Myriam Sylla, Loveth Omoruyi, Gaia Giovannini, Anna Danesi, Sarah Fahr, Paola Egonu and Ekaterina Antropova among others.
The same day’s international section also pointed to a different kind of project in South America. Volleyball.it reported that Argentina reached the Copa Sudamericana final in Cochabamba after defeating Colombia in the semifinals with a squad entrusted to Under 21 coach Damián Arredondo and a largely experimental group. With the senior national team already qualified for the September pre-Olympic tournament, the federation chose to rest several established players and turn the competition into a development stage. Even before the final against Brazil, the run has already given the project immediate competitive value.
International Under
Italy’s women’s Under 17 team suffered its first loss at the world championship in Santiago del Cile, falling 3-1 to South Korea after opening wins over Algeria and the Dominican Republic. Volleyball.it detailed a match shaped by Korea’s defensive efficiency and lower error count, with the Asians taking the first two sets before Italy reacted strongly to win the third.
Hillary Uwadie again led the Italian scoring with 23 points, while middle blocker Elena Di Napoli added 12 points, including three blocks. Italy briefly carried momentum into the fourth set and was level at 19-19, but South Korea closed more cleanly to seal the win. Volleyball.it noted that Italy will return to the court in the night between August 10 and 11, facing Puerto Rico at 2 a.m. Italian time.
Beach Volley
On the sand, Gottardi and Orsi Toth saw their run stop in the semifinals of the Beach Pro Tour Elite16 in Hamburg. After reaching the last four without dropping a set, the Italian pair lost 2-0 to Swiss duo Nina Brunner and Tanja Hüberli, who closed the match 21-8, 21-18 in 32 minutes.
The result did not erase the strength of the earlier path, but it shifted the final objective of the tournament. Volleyball.it reported that the Italians are scheduled to return on Sunday afternoon for the third-place match against Brazil’s Carol and Rebecca, after the Brazilians lost their semifinal to world champions Tina and Anastasija.
Superlega
The club section brought a more reflective story from Cisterna Volley. Filippo Lanza, approaching his sixteenth SuperLega season, told Volleyball.it that he is already working individually ahead of the start of preseason on August 19. The outside hitter described his eagerness to return to training and his curiosity about a renewed roster that he believes can build something important.
Lanza also offered a first reading of the coming league campaign. According to the report, he sees a top group formed by Perugia, Civitanova, Trento, Verona, Piacenza and Modena, with Milano just behind and a tightly packed chase for the remaining playoff places. For Cisterna, he identified survival as the minimum target rather than the limit, while pointing to confirmed players such as Fanizza, Barotto, Mazzone and Tosti and to the experience gained by coach Daniele Morato in his first top-flight season.
