Reigning champions Italy secured their spot in the Volleyball Nations League 2025 semifinals with a decisive 3-0 victory over the United States in the quarterfinals held in Łódź. Star player Egonu led the charge with 20 points.
On Wednesday, defending champions Italy became the first team to secure a spot in the Volleyball Nations League 2025 semifinals. They triumphed over the United States in a quarterfinal match, which was a highly anticipated rematch of last year`s Paris Olympics gold medal game.
The reigning Olympic champions, Italy, displayed strong control in the first two sets of their opening VNL Finals match at Atlas Arena in Łódź. However, the American team mounted a comeback in the third set, forcing Italy to dig deep to secure a 3-0 (25-22, 25-21, 28-26) victory, moving them closer to defending their 2024 title.
Italy`s semifinal opponent for Saturday will be determined later on Wednesday, following the second quarterfinal match between host nation Poland and China, scheduled for 20:00 local time (18:00 GMT). The remaining two quarterfinals will take place on Thursday, with Japan facing Türkiye at 16:30 local time (14:30 GMT), and Brazil competing against Germany at 20:00 (18:00 GMT).
Italy, currently the only undefeated team in VNL 2025, heavily relied on their star player, Paola Egonu, who delivered 20 points (17 kills, two aces, one block) to secure the straight-sets win against the Americans. Opposite hitter Ekaterina Antropova also made a significant impact off the bench, contributing nine points, one more than middle blockers Anna Danesi and Sarah Fahr.
Ekaterina Antropova expressed her satisfaction with the win, stating, “I’m really happy that we could pull out a win today. It wasn’t easy, but I’m really proud of the team for how we managed difficult situations. We’ve been working as a team, and everyone is ready to support. We approach each match with the right attitude. We know our strengths, but we always want to prove ourselves and play great volleyball.”
For the American team, outside hitter Avery Skinner, one of only three Paris Olympic medalists participating in the Finals, was their most effective player, scoring 11 points, all from kills. Fellow outside hitter Sarah Franklin contributed eight points, comprising seven kills and one block.
Skinner, who played in Italy during the last club season, commented, “I think we’re pretty familiar with each other, and that can make it fun too, because we have to be creative. But for sure, they put together a good match, and I’m proud of us for sticking with it until the end. We’re super young, and each week was just about building on what we did the week before. This summer is long, we still have the World Championship, and we’ll work even more for it.”
Italy`s offensive efficiency was a crucial factor in their win; the defending champions surpassed the Americans in kills with a 50-36 advantage. They also had a slight edge in aces (five to four) but committed more unforced errors (23 to 17). Both teams recorded six blocks.
Maintaining an impressive undefeated streak of 27 official matches, the Italian team is now poised for their third appearance in the VNL semifinals. The European squad previously clinched gold in both their prior semifinal appearances in 2022 and 2024.
Jasper Thornfield 
Oliver Wrenwick