In Turin, the Italian national volleyball team, the reigning world champions, emerged victorious in a preparatory tournament, defeating Türkiye, Germany, and the Netherlands.
European volleyball powerhouse Italy successfully concluded the FIPAV Cup Men Elite preparation tournament with a perfect record of three wins. This success provides a significant boost as they prepare to travel to Asia, aiming to defend their world title at the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship, a championship they clinched three years prior.
Hosted in Turin from Friday to Sunday, the tournament saw Italy face off against fellow continental rivals Türkiye, Germany, and the Netherlands – all of whom are also slated to participate in the upcoming World Championship. Italy`s dominant performance, winning every match, delighted the home crowd and instilled considerable confidence ahead of their journey to the Philippines for the championship, scheduled from September 12th to 28th.
Tournament Match Summaries
On Friday, the reigning world champions commenced their tournament campaign against Türkiye, securing a 3-1 victory (25-19, 31-29, 19-25, 25-16). Opposite Kamil Rychlicki was Italy`s top scorer with 20 points, complemented by outside hitter Luca Porro`s 14 points. For Türkiye, opposite Adis Lagumdžija also contributed 20 points.
Italy continued their impressive run on Saturday with a commanding straight-sets win (25-19, 25-16, 25-22) against Germany. Rychlicki once again led the Italian scoring with 16 points, with Mattia Bottolo adding 11. Germany`s veteran opposite Georg Grozer was their leading scorer with 14 points.
The tournament culminated in a match between Italy and the Netherlands, where the world champions again proved superior, clinching the title with a 3-1 victory (23-25, 25-22, 25-20, 25-19). Mattia Bottolo was Italy`s top performer on Sunday, scoring 20 points, closely followed by opposite Francesco Sani with 17. Michiel Ahyi led the Dutch scoring with 12 points.
Head coach Ferdinando De Giorgi commented on the tournament`s value, stating, “Participating in these three matches allowed us to thoroughly test various strategies following several weeks of intense training.” He added, “We encountered challenging situations and had to adapt quickly, and I observed a strong, unwavering will to win from the players. Adaptability is crucial for any team, and at the World Championship, we must be capable of evolving our approach and finding alternative solutions during tough stretches.”
The other three participating teams concluded the tournament each with one win and two losses. Germany achieved a decisive straight-sets victory (25-17, 25-20, 25-12) over the Netherlands on Friday. On Saturday, the Dutch team rallied to defeat Türkiye 3-1 (22-25, 25-23, 25-16, 25-20). Finally, on Sunday, Türkiye overcame Germany in a four-set match (31-29, 25-16, 21-25, 25-19).
Following their FIPAV Cup Men Elite triumph, the Italian team is scheduled to depart for Tokyo on Wednesday. They will remain in Japan until September 9th, where they plan to play two friendly matches on September 6th and 7th to complete their final preparations for the World Championship.
Jasper Thornfield 
Oliver Wrenwick