Two former club world champions, Italy’s Antonio Carraro Imoco Conegliano and Trentino Itas Trento, earned the right to return to the FIVB Volleyball Club World Championships in December as winners of Europe’s CEV Champions League Volley. In Sunday’s Super Finals in Antalya, Türkiye, they defeated Italy’s Allianz Vero Volley Milan and Poland’s Jastrzebski Wegiel Jastrzebie-Zdroj, respectively, to triumph as women’s and men’s continental champions. All four teams participating in the two finals are qualified to compete at the Club World Champs.
Two-time club world champions Imoco persevered through a tough five-set battle in front of 9,300 spectators on the stands to celebrate a 3-2 (25-14, 23-25, 25-19, 19-25, 15-9) victory over Vero Volley, with Swedish opposite Isabelle Haak putting away a 23-point match high and earning the Most Valuable Player award. American outside hitter Kathryn Plummer added another 21 points towards Imoco’s success, while Vero Volley’s star opposite Paola Egonu was her team’s top scorer with 19 points.
Imoco have played at the Club World Championships three times and always reached the final. In addition to their gold medals in 2019 and 2022, the Panthers took silver in 2021. Vero Volley, on the other hand, qualify for the global event for the first time in the club’s history.
