Imoco regain world title and lead all-European podium
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Prosecco Doc Imoco Volley Conegliano led the all-European podium of the 2022 FIVB Women’s Club World Championship and guaranteed the world title will remain in Europe for a full decade with their Sunday victory in Antalya, Türkiye.
Standing above Turkish rivals VakifBank Spor Kulubu and Eczacibasi Dynavit Istanbul at the podium, the Italian giants spearheaded the third-straight and fifth overall European medal sweep in the tournament.
The continent is home to 12 of the 15 gold medal winners at the Club World Championship, with VakifBank (four), Imoco (two), Eczacibasi (two), Russia’s Dinamo Kazan, Türkiye’s Fenerbahçe, Azerbaijan’s Rabita Baku and Italy’s Ravenna having all won world titles. European teams have triumphed in each edition of the event held since 2013.
It was the third medal won by Imoco in three Club World Championship appearances, following their victory in 2019 and their second-place finish in 2021. It was also the 18th trophy lifted by the Italian club since its foundation, in 2012.
In the gold medal match in Antalya, Imoco displayed a strong game to prevent reigning CEV Champions League winners VakifBank from retaining the title they had won in 2021 and claim a 3-1 (25-18, 23-25, 25-21, 25-21) victory.
The gold medal match was highly anticipated and not only because it was a rematch of the 2021 final, but also because it opposed star opposites Isabelle Haak and Paola Egonu, who after leading VakifBank and Imoco to world titles in 2019 and 2021 switched clubs at the start of the 2022-2023 season.
The 23-year-old Haak was on the better side of the rivalry again this time as the Swedish star was not only the top scorer of the gold medal match with 34 points (32 kills, two blocks) as she was also awarded the Most Valuable Player of the tournament for a second-straight year.
Three other Imoco players scored in double digits in the gold medal match with American outside hitters Kathryn Plummer and Kelsey Robinson adding 12 and ten points respectively and Dutch middle blocker Robin De Kruijf adding another ten of her own.
Most of VakifBank’s offensive production was split between Egonu, who tallied 27 points (23 kills, two blocks, two aces), and Brazilian star outside hitter and team captain Gabriela ‘Gabi’ Guimaraes, who scored 17 (16 kills, one block).
Despite the defeat in the gold medal match, VakifBank were able to keep their tradition of stepping on the podium every time they appear in the event – their medal count is now up to eight, with four gold, two silver and two bronze.
The two finalists formed the Club World Championship Dream Team, with Imoco having Haak, Robinson, setter Joanna Wolosz and libero Monica De Gennaro selected and VakifBank seeing Gabi and middle blockers Chiaka Ogbogu and Zehra Gunes make the list.
In the bronze medal match, Eczacibasi topped Brazil’s Gerdau Minas 3-1 (25-22, 23-25, 25-10, 25-21) to take bronze – they now have five medals, with two gold, one silver and two bronze. Serbian opposite and team captain Tijana Boškovic was instrumental in the team’s victory with a match-high 32 points (27 kills, two blocks, three aces).
Following Sir Safety Susa Perugia's at the Men's Club World Championship last week in Brazil, this is the eighth time and the first since 2019 in which Europe has the club world champions on both genders.