Newly crowned European champion and MVP Paola Egonu, Tokyo 2020 gold medallists Micha Hancock and Haleigh Washington and silver medallist Rosamaria Montibeller will be among the players to look out for when powerhouse contingents and rivals Imoco Volley Conegliano and Igor Gorgonzola Novara clash on Saturday at 17.30 CET/15.30 GMT in the 26th edition of the Italian Supercoppa at the Pala Panini in Modena.
Legavolley Femminile A1 - 2021
Egonu, Olympic medallists headline Italian Supercoppa
The 2021/2022 Italian season opener features rivals Conegliano and Novara at 17.30 CET/15.30 GMT on Saturday
Published 02:00, 01 Oct 2021
Imoco Volley Conegliano is composed mostly of their players from the 2019 FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championship gold medal-winning line-up, headed by Egonu, Joanna Wolosz and Monica De Gennaro.
Igor Gorgonzola Novara is comprised of Olympic medallists Hancock, Washington and Rosamaria and seasoned internationals Britt Herbots, Christina Chirichella, Nika Daaelderop and new recruit Ebrar Karakurt.
After an entire year of competitions behind closed doors, the stars of the Italian Women’s Serie A are ready to step on the pink-coloured court to impress the passionate Modena crowd.
The opening match promises a thrilling duel between two leading squads in the Italian League and international club competitions in recent years. The season opener also features the talented tacticians of both squads – Conegliano’s Daniele Santarelli and Stefano Lavarini – the latter led South Korea to a fourth-place finish at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Santarelli’s Panthers were last year’s Scudetto and Coppa Italia winners while Lavarini’s side will try to improve on their runner-up finishes in both competitions.
