Paola Egonu on Italy’s 30-player list for VNL

24-year-old Generation O star Paola Egonu is part of the Italian national team extended roster, announced by head coach Davide Mazzanti in Milan on Tuesday, on the eve of Volleyball Nations League 2023, in which the squad will try to defend the title they earned in 2022. The VNL 2022 Most Valuable Player is on the list despite vowing to take a break from the national team after the 2022 FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship, disappointed by some fan remarks on social media and taking a stand against racism.

In fact, 11 of the 14 players, who triumphed in last year’s VNL final in Ankara and then earned bronze at the World Championship in the Netherlands and Poland, are back on Mazzanti’s roster. The most notable absence is that of 27-year-old star setter Ofelia Malinov, a World Championship 2018 Dream Teamer, who had been alternating with Alessia Orro in Italy’s starting line-up for years. Also missing from the new list are 31-year-old outside hitter Alessia Gennari and 26-year-old middle blocker Sara Bonifacio.

The new national team list marks the return of 21-year-old star middle blocker Sarah Fahr, who suffered an injury during the 2021 CEV European Championship and had been out of the national team since then, as well as three more players from the 2021 European champions’ squad: 27-year-old libero Beatrice Parrocchiale, 26-year-old outside Sofia D'Odorico and 24-year-old middle Alessia Mazzaro.

Italy, currently number two in the FIVB World Ranking, will start the defence of their VNL title on May 30 in Antalya, Türkiye and then will play in the pools in Hong Kong, China and Bangkok, Thailand during competition weeks two and three of the Preliminary Phase, hoping to advance to the Finals in Arlington, USA from July 12 through 16. They also hope to defend their continental title at EuroVolley 2023, which they will co-host with Belgium, Estonia and Germany from August 15 through September 3. For the FIVB Road to Paris Volleyball Qualifiers, Italy will play in Pool C in Poland from September 16 through 24, where they will compete with the hosts, Colombia, Germany, Korea, Slovenia, Thailand and the United States for two tickets to next year’s Olympic Games.

“We don't want to think so much about what we've achieved in recent seasons, but rather we want to look at what we'll have to do to achieve the important goals we have ahead of us in 2023,” coach Mazzanti said during the press conference at Milan’s Museum of Science and Technology.

Italy women’s national team full roster:

Setters: Alessia Orro, Francesca Bosio, Giulia Gennari, Ilaria Battistoni, Rachele Morello
Opposites: Adhouljok Malual, Ekaterina Antropova, Giorgia Frosini, Paola Egonu, Sylvia Nwakalor
Outside hitters: Alice Degradi, Caterina Bosetti, Elena Pietrini, Francesca Villani, Loveth Omoruyi, Miriam Sylla, Rebecca Piva, Sofia D’Odorico
Middle blockers: Alessia Mazzaro, Anna Danesi, Cristina Chirichella, Emma Graziani, Federica Squarcini, Linda Nwakalor, Marina Lubian, Sarah Fahr
Liberos: Beatrice Parrocchiale, Eleonora Fersino, Monica De Gennaro, Sara Panetoni

• Watch Volleyball Nations League 2023 on VBTV

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