Alan Nine
Italy completed a straight-sets victory over Sweden in the opening match of the CEV Enel EuroVolley 2026 Men despite repeated rain interruptions at the outdoor arena in Naples.
Elsewhere in Europe, defending champions Poland made an emphatic start against Portugal and Latvia defeated Pool D hosts Romania. Australia and South Korea also reached the Asian Championship semi-finals.
Men's EuroVolley
Italy beat Sweden 3-0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-17) in Piazza del Plebiscito to collect their first three points in Pool A. The start was delayed and play was interrupted three times as rain made the court slippery, turning the opening set into a 62-minute contest.
More than 5,000 spectators remained in the temporary arena, with President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella watching from the stands. Italy stayed in control after the final restart and gradually imposed their greater attacking quality.
Yuri Romanò led the scoring for Ferdinando De Giorgi's side with 13 points. Giovanni Sanguinetti added 12 and Daniele Lavia finished with 11 as the hosts attacked at 61 per cent. Italy also recorded six aces and six blocks.
The most encouraging moment came late in the third set, when Alessandro Michieletto entered with Italy leading 20-16. It was the outside hitter's first appearance since playing for his club in mid-January.
De Giorgi praised his players' ability to adapt and remain focused in exceptional conditions. He also described Michieletto as an example to the squad during his rehabilitation, highlighting the commitment and sense of belonging he had shown over the previous two and a half months.
Captain Simone Giannelli said the wind had changed the way Italy served, with the team increasingly using the float serve simply to keep the ball under control and protect the strength of their break phase.
Italy now move indoors to the PalaPanini in Modena, where their next Pool A match will be against Greece on 12 September.
Defending champions Poland opened their campaign with a 3-0 win over Portugal in Sofia, taking the sets 25-12, 25-18 and 25-20. Bartłomiej Bołądz was their leading scorer with nine points.
Latvia produced the other notable result, beating hosts Romania 3-1 in Cluj-Napoca. Only one point separated the teams overall, 95-94, but Latvia held their nerve in two sets decided beyond 25 points and finished with a 13-10 advantage in blocks.
International Volleyball
Australia and South Korea secured the first two semi-final places at the Asian Men's Championship in Fukuoka. Australia ended Thailand's unbeaten run with a 3-0 victory, while South Korea recovered from losing the opening set to beat China 3-1.
Iran face Chinese Taipei and Japan meet India in the remaining quarter-finals. The continental champions will qualify directly for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, while the top three teams will earn places at the 2027 World Championship.
At the Women's South American Championship, Brazil beat Peru 3-0 to remain top with six points. Argentina also stayed unbeaten after overcoming Colombia 3-2, recovering from two sets to one down before winning the tie-break 15-8.
Club News
Numia Vero Volley Milano recorded their second pre-season win by beating Valsabbina Millenium Brescia 4-0 at the Opiquad Arena. Rebecca Piva made an impact in attack and from the service line, while libero Martina Casati made a positive first-team debut.
In France, Chaumont and United States libero Kyle Dagostino agreed not to begin the 2026/27 season together for personal reasons. The club responded by signing 27-year-old Finnish libero Niklas Breilin from Maaseik.
