Alan Nine
Italy secured top spot in their Women’s EuroVolley pool with a hard-fought victory over France, while the men’s national team contested a record-breaking opening set against Germany.
Elsewhere, Isabelle Haak came within one point of a long-standing European Championship record, the third edition of the Courmayeur Cup was officially presented and Italy’s men reached the semi-finals of the Mediterranean Games.
Women’s EuroVolley
Italy completed the pool stage with a perfect record after defeating France 3-1 in Gothenburg.
The Azzurre won 25-19, 19-25, 25-23 and 25-19, finishing top of Pool D with five victories and 15 points.
It was Italy’s toughest match of the tournament so far. France responded strongly after losing the opening set and drew level by winning the second. They also held a lead during the fourth, but Julio Velasco’s team found the decisive answers when it mattered most.
Italy recorded 14 blocks, while Paola Egonu led the scoring with 22 points and Ekaterina Antropova added 12. Depie was France’s leading scorer with 18 points.
Italy will now travel to Brno for the round of 16, where they will face the fourth-placed team from Pool B. Following Wednesday’s matches, their opponents were expected to be either Bulgaria or Ukraine.
Earlier in the competition, Isabelle Haak delivered one of the finest individual performances in recent EuroVolley history.
The Swedish opposite scored 52 points as the hosts recovered from two sets down to defeat Croatia 3-2. In doing so, she improved her previous personal best of 42 points, set in 2021.
Haak nevertheless fell one point short of the competition record. Barbara Jelić scored 53 points for Croatia in their 3-2 European Championship semi-final victory over Italy in 1999.
Jelić attacked 101 balls during that match, finishing with a 54% success rate and 30% efficiency.
Italy Men
The opening match of the FIPAV Cup Men Elite produced an extraordinary first set at the PalaCalafiore in Reggio Calabria.
Germany eventually edged the opening set against Italy 66-64 after one hour and 29 minutes, with the teams contesting a total of 130 points.
The set surpassed several major records from the rally-point era. Argentina’s 50-48 first-set victory over Poland in the 2026 Volleyball Nations League had produced a total of 98 points.
At club level, Sisley Treviso’s 54-52 second-set victory over Cuneo in 2002 had long stood as the benchmark in the Italian top flight. The set in Reggio Calabria also surpassed the 56-54 score recorded in the match between Korean Air Jumbos and Rush & Cash in South Korea in 2013.
The tournament forms part of Italy’s preparations for the European Championship. The Azzurri will next face Cuba in Messina before completing their programme against Brazil.
Italian Women’s League
The third edition of the Courmayeur Cup will be held at the Courmayeur Sport Center on September 26 and 27, one week before the start of the Serie A1 season.
Prosecco Doc A.Carraro Imoco Conegliano, Igor Gorgonzola Novara, Savino Del Bene Scandicci and Numia Vero Volley Milano will compete in the four-team tournament.
The event will provide four of Italy’s leading clubs with a high-level preseason test and an opportunity to assess their new signings ahead of the domestic campaign.
The presentation also confirmed that the Valle d’Aosta region will become the official tourism partner of the Lega Volley Femminile for the 2026/27 season.
The partnership will give the region visibility throughout a season featuring more than 400 matches across Serie A1 and Serie A2.
Mediterranean Games
Italy’s men secured their place in the Mediterranean Games semi-finals with a 3-0 victory over Algeria in Taranto.
Vincenzo Fanizza’s team won 25-16, 25-19 and 25-22, recording their fourth consecutive victory after earlier wins against Portugal, Tunisia and Serbia.
Tim Held led the scoring with 14 points, while Tallone contributed 12.
Italy qualified for the semi-finals with one Pool A match still to play. They will face France at the PalaMazzola on Friday, August 28 at 20:00, with both teams unbeaten after four matches and first place in the group at stake.
