Italy`s second consecutive and third overall victory in the Volleyball Nations League earned four players from their squad a place in the tournament`s Dream Team. The announcement of the Dream Team lineup took place on Monday, the day after the European squad`s triumph in the seventh edition of the tournament, held in Łódź, Poland.
The tournament`s ideal lineup included libero Monica De Gennaro, who was also named MVP, setter Alessia Orro, opposite Paola Egonu, and outside hitter Myriam Sylla. In addition to the Italian players, the Dream Team also featured two athletes from runner-up Brazil – outside hitter Gabriela `Gabi` Guimarães and middle blocker Julia Kudiess – as well as one player from third-placed Poland, middle blocker Agnieszka Korneluk.
Monica De Gennaro, 38, the oldest player in the Italian squad, was named the tournament`s best libero for the second time, returning to this position for the first time since 2022. She ranked third in the overall VNL in digs with 160 and also delivered 39 accurate passes during the team`s campaign, participating in 12 matches. De Gennaro became the first libero and the second Italian player to receive the prestigious MVP award in the women`s VNL, joining her long-time national team teammate Egonu, who was selected in 2022 and 2024 during Italy`s first two triumphs.
Alessia Orro, 27, who was also the best setter of the VNL in 2022 and 2024, led Italy to their third title in the tournament. She participated in 11 matches of the Italian campaign and registered 216 successful setting actions, in addition to 34 points (23 kills, seven blocks, four aces).
Paola Egonu, 26, was the best opposite and MVP of the VNL in 2022 and 2024, playing key roles in Italy`s first two victories in the tournament. In 2025, she was selected for the tournament`s Dream Team as the best player in her position after scoring 220 points (188 kills, 22 blocks, ten aces) in 14 matches, ranking fifth in the tournament in this category.
Myriam Sylla, 30, earned her second consecutive VNL Dream Team selection this year, repeating her achievement from 2024. The outside hitter appeared in ten of the 15 matches in the Italian campaign, tallying 78 points (69 kills, eight blocks, one ace), 16 of which came in the gold medal match against Brazil.
Gabi, 30, the captain of second-placed Brazil, joined the team midway through their VNL 2025 campaign, playing in their last nine matches. She still made a significant impact, scoring 112 points (97 kills, 13 blocks, and two aces). This marks her fourth selection as a VNL Dream Team member, having previously been picked in 2019, 2021, and 2022.
Julia Kudiess, 22, the youngest member of the VNL 2025 Dream Team, is also the only newcomer on the list. Participating in 14 of Brazil`s 15 matches in the tournament, she topped the VNL blocking charts with an impressive 63 blocks and was her team`s third-highest scorer with 151 points (81 kills, 63 blocks, seven aces).
Representing third-placed Poland, 30-year-old captain Agnieszka Korneluk made it to the Dream Team for the third straight time and fourth overall, repeating her accomplishments from 2018, 2023, and 2024. She was the second-best blocker in the seventh edition of the tournament and contributed 133 points (84 kills, 45 blocks, four aces) in 11 appearances.
VNL 2025 Dream Team Roster
- MVP: Monica De Gennaro (Italy)
- Best Setter: Alessia Orro (Italy)
- Best Opposite: Paola Egonu (Italy)
- Best Outside Hitters: Myriam Sylla (Italy) and Gabriela ‘Gabi’ Guimarães (Brazil)
- Best Middle Blockers: Julia Kudiess (Brazil) and Agnieszka Korneluk (Poland)
- Best Libero: Monica De Gennaro (Italy)
Finley Blackwood