Not only is Sinner king of Wimbledon, Italy’s women’s volleyball is on the top of Europe: double victory for the Under 18 and Under 22 national teams

While the great media spotlight remained focused elsewhere, in particular on the World Cup and Sinner’s splendid victory at Wimbledon, the young athletes of Italian volleyball achieved a historic feat that went almost unnoticed. In just a few hours, on the parquet in The Hague in Holland, both the Under 18 women’s volleyball and the Under 22 selection have conquered the roof of Europe.

The perfect triumph of the Under 18s against Turkey

The first signature on the blue masterpiece was that of the Under 18 national team led on the bench by Stefano Gregoris. The Italians ended the practice against Turkey with a round 3-0 (25-20, 25-16, 25-15), making up for the defeat suffered in the tie-break during the group stage. On the pitch, the blocking supremacy was devastating, as evidenced by the final score of 11-2. Captain Lisa Monari Gamba led the group by scoring 11 points overall, well supported in the offensive phase by the 18 points scored by Anita Tessariol, capable of traveling with 50% efficiency in attack.

The starting line-up chosen by Stefano Gregoris saw the diagonal of Alessia Manda and Anita Tessariol on the pitch, with Bianca Legrenzi and Marina La Tella as central players, Lisa Monari Gamba and Giulia Faleschini as spikers and Sara Grossi in the role of libero. The collective show of strength was also reflected in the individual awards of the event: Bianca Legrenzi was elected best central defender thanks also to the 5 point blocks signed in the final, Alessia Manda triumphed as best setter, Giulia Faleschini collected the award for best spiker and Lisa Monari Gamba was crowned MVP of the tournament.

The Under 22’s golden encore

Completing the day of glory was the Under 22 selection of coach Nino Gagliardi, capable of beating Serbia 3-1 (25-21, 25-19, 18-25, 25-13) and repeating the category title after the success in 2022. The match showed the character of the basic sextet formed by Helena Sassolini, Merit Adigwe, Nicole Manfredini, Dalila Marchesini, Dominika Piomboni, Giorgia Amoruso and libero Roberta Regoni. Despite the serious leg injury suffered by Giorgia Amoruso during the first set with a score of 20-19, the team was able to react with incredible mental alertness.

Maria Teresa Bosso’s arrival on the pitch was crucial in maintaining the right clarity in the hot moments, then closing the match in double figures with 11 points, the same scored by a solid Dalila Marchesini. The irrepressible Merit Adigwe, the absolute top scorer of the match with 24 balls put on the ground, was the loudest voice in attack. After an empty passage in the third set, also thanks to the inclusion of Alessandra Talarico and Gaia Tosini in the center, Nino Gagliardi’s girls dominated the fourth set, closing the contest thanks to a winning block by the Piomboni-Marchesini duo.