The reigning Olympic champions are now set to face the winner of the match between Poland and Belgium in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.
Italy, ranked number one globally, became the third team to secure a place in the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Women`s World Championship quarterfinals in Thailand. In a dominant performance on Saturday`s opening game in Bangkok, they achieved a ruthless straight-sets victory over Germany, advancing effortlessly to the tournament`s final eight. Their next opponent, either Poland or Belgium, will be determined later the same day.
Match Details and Key Performances
Star opposite Paola Egonu was instrumental in Italy`s 3-0 (25-22, 25-18, 25-11) sweep against European rivals Germany, scoring a match-high 21 points.
Egonu`s formidable performance included contributing a third of Italy`s 48 attack points, four of their nine block points, and one of their two aces. Young outside hitter Stella Nervini added 11 points, including a block, and middle blocker Sarah Fahr impressed with an ace and 9 attack points, achieving an 82% success rate, sealing the match with a powerful spike.
This victory marks Italy`s 33rd consecutive win in official matches, extending an impressive streak that began in June 2024 and includes the Paris 2024 Olympic title and two consecutive Volleyball Nations League championships.
Outside hitter Myriam Sylla, who contributed eight points, shared her thoughts post-match: “We don`t focus on consecutive wins; our goal is always to perform our best and secure the victory. We anticipated a tough challenge from Germany, remembering our close 3-2 win against them in the VNL. We stayed focused from the start. It wasn`t an easy game, quite challenging, but we achieved it as a team. Both on and off the court, we are united and moving in the same direction, prepared for any difficulties.”
Germany`s Performance and Outlook
Germany lagged behind Italy in all scoring categories, registering 30 successful attacks, five blocks, and no aces, matching Italy only in unforced errors with 16 each. Outside hitter Lina Alsmeier was Germany`s sole player to reach double-digit scoring, contributing 10 points exclusively from attacks.
Lina Alsmeier expressed her disappointment: “It`s tough right now; we envisioned a different outcome than a straight-sets loss. We hoped to show more fight, similar to our high-level play against Poland. Italy played exceptionally well, making it incredibly challenging for us. It`s disheartening to be out of the tournament, but this marks the first year of a new Olympic cycle. We`ve made significant progress as a team, with many young players, and we`ve worked to build something new this summer, which I believe was evident in this tournament. We`ll continue to grow and return stronger in the coming years.”
Jasper Thornfield 
Oliver Wrenwick