Coach Julio Velasco’s Italian national team overcame their Japanese rivals at the end of a hard-fought match in which the Italians never wavered. Egonu MVP
The season of the Italian national team begins in the best possible way: after an exhilarating final against Japan, coach Julio Velasco’s Italian team triumphs in the Volleyball Nations League 2024 deservingly taking the gold medal. A splendid success, which came after convincing victories in the semi-finals and quarter-finals against Poland and the USA, two very credible rivals, and a group stage closed in second place behind Brazil (finished in fourth position, after the final lost against the same Polish teams ).
Italy’s 3-1 over the Japanese certainly had several protagonists, including Paola Egonu, top scorer of the match and MVP of the Competition with 27 points on the scoresheet and an efficiency of 19%. Excellent performances also by Sylla and Degradi who scored 15 and 12 times respectively. Immediately post-match, the Italian Captain Anna Danesi took stock of Italy’s path in this Volleyball Nations League: “I’m happy to be part of a wonderful group, you can see it from how we played: this is just the This competition was tough, we traveled a lot, but we concentrated a lot and did our best. Japan was a tough opponent and deserved to be in the final: today, with our block and our defenses , we did an excellent job: we return to Italy with a beautiful medal!”
A result that can only raise expectations in view of the Olympic Games in Paris, starting on 26 July. This is the comment of the president of the Women’s Serie A Volleyball League Mauro Fabris: “After the triumphs in the three European cups of our Serie A teams Novara, Chieri and Conegliano who beat Milan in the CEV Champions League final, comes the success of the Italian national team in this VNL. A splendid journey that anticipates the Olympic Games in Paris. Congratulations to the girls, who are not surprisingly also protagonists on the roof of Europe with our teams, to coach Julio Velasco, supported by two of our best coaches such as Massimo Barbolini and Lorenzo Bernardi, and to all the staff of the Italian selection. And so, with all due prayers and a thought about the Paris Games: “Come on girls, let’s start well…”.