Italy`s remarkable winning streak faced a severe test on Saturday against Brazil, but the reigning Olympic champions ultimately prevailed, extending their unbeaten run to 35 matches and securing their place in the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship final.
This thrilling semifinal clash, featuring the top two teams in the FIVB World Ranking, unfolded before 6,000 spectators at Bangkok`s Huamark Indoor Stadium. The Europeans triumphed with a narrow 3-2 victory (22-25, 25-22, 28-30, 25-22, 15-13), marking their first-ever win against their South American rivals in World Championship history.
Italy is now poised to compete against Türkiye in Sunday`s final, scheduled for 19:30 local time (12:30 GMT). Brazil will play Japan for third place four hours earlier. In an earlier semifinal on Saturday, the Europeans defeated the Asians 3-1 (16-25, 25-17, 25-18, 27-25).
Maintaining an undefeated record since May 2024, Italy now has the unique chance to hold the titles of reigning Olympic, Volleyball Nations League, and World Champions simultaneously. This victory guarantees their fourth medal in the World Championship, building on their gold in 2002, silver in 2018, and bronze in 2022.
Substitute Ekaterina Antropova played a pivotal role for Italy, entering the match in the first set to replace star opposite Paola Egonu. Antropova led her team with an outstanding 28 points, comprising 20 kills, six blocks, and two aces.
“We feel great,” commented Antropova. “I’m incredibly happy we managed to secure the win in the end. It was an amazing match, enjoyable both to watch and to play. It was as tough as we anticipated. I’m proud of our team; even when we weren`t at our best, we fought through. Brazil played exceptionally, clearly giving their all. Now, our focus is on quick recovery for the upcoming final.”
Outside hitter Myriam Sylla also delivered a strong performance for Italy, contributing 21 points (19 kills, two blocks). Paola Egonu, returning for the tie-breaker to finish the match, added 11 points, including ten kills and one ace.
Brazil’s star captain, Gabriela ‘Gabi’ Guimarães, was the match`s highest scorer with 29 points (27 kills, two blocks). Opposite Rosamaria Montibeller followed with 20 points (19 kills, one ace), supported by middle blockers Diana Alecrim and Júlia Kudiess, who scored 15 and 14 points respectively.
“It’s tough to lose a match like this, decided by such fine margins,” remarked Gabi. “I made some errors in the tie-breaker and wished I could have contributed more. I’m incredibly proud of our team’s fight. Italy is an exceptional team and fully deserves their spot in the final. They demonstrated great depth by utilizing various players and performing admirably under pressure. Now, our attention turns to the third-place match, as securing a medal is very important for us.”
Blocking proved significant for both teams; Brazil excelled with 22 blocking points, while Italy also performed strongly with 15. Both sides recorded 69 points in kills, and Italy held an advantage in aces (four to Brazil`s two). Ultimately, Brazil`s higher error count (27 compared to Italy`s 19) likely played a decisive role in their loss.
Finley Blackwood