Raphaela Folie returns to Conegliano

Middle blocker Raphaela Folie is due to return to Conegliano and will be playing for the Italian Panthers this coming season. The announcement came on Sunday – exactly 10 years after she first moved to the club that has dominated domestic and international competitions for the past decade. Folie had previously spent six seasons with Conegliano and will again wear the shirt displaying no. 7. 

Born in 1991 in Bolzano, Folie made her debut in the highest division of the Italian national league in 2010 with Asystel NOVARA before moving to Villa Cortese, Bergamo, and Modena and eventually arriving in Conegliano, spending the subsequent six seasons with the Panthers. She then moved to Milano for two years spent with Vero Volley before joining the newly established LOVB in the United States, securing the league title there in 2025 with Houston. She played for Italy’s national team for 10 years – securing a World Cup title, the Mediterranean Games (2013) plus a EuroVolley bronze (2019) and World Grand Prix silver medal (2017) in the process. 

In her latest LOVB campaign, Folie played 17 matches in four months – reaching the semis of the competition. She scored 94 points including 56 kills and 30 blocks in the process. Throughout the previous six seasons spent with Conegliano, Folie played 143 matches – the seventh highest number of caps ever – thereby scoring 1,233 points, 303 blocks, and 80 aces, while securing 15 trophies (4 league titles, 4 Italian Cups, 5 Supercups, 1 Champions League and 1 Club World Championship title). 

“It feels very emotional to come back to Conegliano. Back then, when I first came here, I said I wanted to start winning – and we did so for six years. Even from afar, the bond with the club was never dissolved. I have developed a very close relationship with some of the players from that era, with whom I speak daily. I never forgot the fans; they have an extra gear and Palaverde is the coolest place where I have ever played and I cannot wait to enjoy that feeling again,” Folie says. “I really wanted to play abroad and the US were always a major goal for me. I did develop as a person and as a player as well – it has been two interesting years there. However, when the opportunity to return to Conegliano arose, I did not have to think twice. I am incredibly happy to return to a place I call home. I will have to adjust to much more demanding rhythms compared to LOVB – however, I am still hungry for success and I still would like to improve both as a person and as an athlete too. I want to help the team reach the final stage of all competitions and will share my experience with some of the younger players too,” she concludes.