Italy, recognized as the world`s top-ranked team, has officially claimed one of the coveted spots in the quarterfinals of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship in Thailand. In the opening match on Saturday in Bangkok, they delivered a decisive victory over Germany in the eighth-finals, ensuring their progression to the tournament`s final eight teams. Italy`s next opponent will be determined later the same day, emerging from the fourth eighth-final match between Poland and Belgium.
The Italian squad achieved a commanding 3-0 sweep (25-22, 25-18, 25-11) against their European rivals, Germany. Star opposite Paola Egonu was the standout performer, contributing a match-high 21 points to Italy`s victory.
Egonu`s exceptional contribution included a third of Italy`s 48 attack points, four of the team`s nine kill blocks, and one of their two aces. Adding to the offensive power, 21-year-old outside hitter Stella Nervini scored an impressive 11 points, featuring a crucial kill block. Middle blocker Sarah Fahr also made a significant impact with 10 points, including an ace and nine attack points. Fahr notably sealed the match with a powerful first-tempo swing, boasting an outstanding 82% success rate in attack.
This win extends Italy`s remarkable streak to 33 consecutive victories in official matches. This impressive run commenced in June 2024 and includes major titles such as the Olympic gold at Paris 2024 and two successive Volleyball Nations League trophies.
“We`re not preoccupied with consecutive wins; our objective is simply to perform our best and secure victory,” stated , Italy’s outside hitter, who contributed eight points. “We anticipated Germany would be a formidable opponent, recalling our challenging 3-2 victory against them in the VNL. Therefore, we knew they would come out strong, and we maintained our focus. It wasn`t easy; it presented some difficulties, but as a unified team, both on and off the court, we managed to prevail. Our collective spirit ensures we stay together and are prepared for any challenge.”
Germany struggled to match Italy`s offensive output, tallying 30 successful attacks, five kill blocks, and no aces. Both teams recorded 16 unforced errors. Outside hitter Lina Alsmeier was Germany’s sole player to reach double-digit scoring, achieving 10 points, all from attacks.
commented on the loss: “It`s tough right now; we envisioned a different outcome than a straight-sets loss. We had hoped to display more resilience, similar to our strong performance against Poland. We also acknowledge that Italy played exceptionally well, making it incredibly difficult for us. While it`s disheartening to be out of the tournament, this marks the start of a new Olympic cycle. We`ve made significant progress as a team, with many young players, and have focused on building something new this summer, which was evident in this tournament. We anticipate growing stronger year by year.”
Oliver Wrenwick 
Finley Blackwood