Italy secure third straight #EuroVolleyU22W title!

On Sunday, Italy crowned themselves triple U22 European champions as they beat Serbia 3-1 in the final match of the continental championship for this age group for the third straight edition. This result capped a memorable weekend for Italian women’s Volleyball since earlier in the afternoon the U18 national team had triumphed at ‘their’ European Championship in Riga, Latvia. 

Italy finished the competition contested in The Hague with a clean record of five wins in as many matches. They had previously beaten Serbia by the same score earlier this week in the pool stage and repeated the same result on Sunday in the grand finale of the tournament. Italy did set the pace from the early stages of the match rushing to a 2-0 lead before Serbia responded by taking the third set. However, the Azzurre resumed their triumphal march in a one-sided fourth set (25-13), with Merit Adigwe top scoring with a personal tally of 27 points, including three blocks and one ace. 

Gaetano Gagliardi, head coach of Italy: “This group’s journey is truly exceptional. If we consider that since 2024, this team has reached four finals in various age categories, we can understand the value of what we have achieved. These girls have always believed in themselves and have worked incredibly hard. This year, we have added some younger players.

Today, I want to dedicate this victory, in particular, to Giorgia Amoruso, who was injured in the first set. I am satisfied with everything we have accomplished, with the entire journey, and with the difficult moments, during which we came together more than ever. We had a somewhat difficult start to the group stage, but then, in the semi-finals and final, we rose to the occasion and did a wonderful job, even after Giorgia’s injury during this final. I think this is a wonderful result, which I dedicate to my family and everyone close to me. A special thanks goes especially to Technical Director Marco Mencarelli, Alessio Trombetta, and, of course, to the entire Italian Volleyball Federation, who had faith in me from day one.” 

Linda Manfredini, captain of Italy: “I have to say that being captain and winning the European Championship has a different feeling to it. When we scored the last point, I immediately thought about our group. We have been together for a few years, we are close-knit, and we all love each other. We deserve this European success. During this European Championship, we improved match after match, reaching the final with the right focus and in top form. We are all athletes who never give up; we know how to react to difficult moments, and we just need to look each other in the eyes to find the strength to bounce back even in the most challenging moments.”

In the bronze medal match, hosts the Netherlands regrouped from their heart-breaking tie-break loss to Serbia the night before to stun Spain in three straight sets (25-21, 25-23, 25-17). Coach Eric Meijer was overjoyed, as were the girls themselves. “I am so proud of how quickly this team has learned - and how fast they have mastered playing several systems. After all, we had very little time.” Regarding the match against Spain, he added: “Of course, there were phases where our level dipped a bit, but that’s not unusual in youth Volleyball. But they always refocused in time and were really sharp at the end. The resilience this squad has shown is impressive.”

Captain and libero Pippa Molenaar: “After yesterday’s disappointment, we woke up today feeling that there was still something to play for. A medal was our goal; we had not specified the colour.” She spoke proudly of the team’s spirit and the bond they share. “We are patient with one another when we sense tension or if someone is struggling. We look each other in the eye at the right moments and help one another out. We have also bounced back from huge deficits so many times during this tournament. This team is unbreakable.”