Back-to-back champs Italy dominate VNL Dream Team

Italy’s second-straight and third overall victory in the Volleyball Nations League earned four players in their squad a spot in the tournament’s Dream Team, which was announced on Monday, one day after the Europeans prevailed in the seventh edition of the tournament, in Łódź, Poland.

Setter Alessia Orro, opposite Paola Egonu, outside hitter Myriam Sylla and libero Monica De Gennaro were all selected for the tournament’s ideal lineup, which also featured two players from second-placed Brazil – outside hitter Gabriela ‘Gabi’ Guimarães and middle blocker Julia Kudiess – and one from third-placed Poland – middle blocker Agnieszka Korneluk.

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The best setter of the VNL also in 2022 and 2024, the 27-year-old Orro guided Italy to their third title in the tournament. The playmaker appeared in 11 matches in the Italian campaign and registered 216 successful setting actions, besides 34 points (23 kills, seven blocks, four aces).

Egonu, 26, was the best opposite and the MVP of the VNL in 2022 and 2024, playing key roles in the first two Italian victories in the tournament. In 2025, she was picked to the tournament’s Dream Team as the best player in her position after scoring 220 points (188 kills, 22 blocks, ten aces) in 14 matches, ranking fifth in the tournament in the category.

The 30-year-old Sylla earned her second-straight VNL Dream Team selection this year, repeating what she had done in 2024. The outside hitter featured in ten of the 15 matches in the Italian campaign, tallying 78 points (69 kills, eight blocks, one ace), 16 of them in the gold medal match against Brazil.

The oldest player in the Italian squad, the 38-year-old De Gennaro was awarded as the tournament’s best libero for the second time, returning to the position for the first time since 2022. The veteran ranked third in the entire VNL in digs with 160 and also delivered 39 passes in the team’s campaign, appearing in 12 matches.

The captain of second-placed Brazil, Gabi, 30, joined the team halfway through their VNL 2025 campaign, getting on the court in their last nine matches, but still made a big impact on the team, scoring 112 points, with 97 kills, 13 blocks and two aces. This was her fourth selection as a VNL Dream Team member – she was also picked in 2019, 2021 and 2022.

The youngest member of the 2025 VNL Dream Team, the 22-year-old Julia is also the only rookie in the list. Present in 14 of Brazil’s 15 matches in the tournament, she led the VNL blocking table with an impressive 63 stops and was her team’s third-best scorer with 151 points (81 kills, 63 blocks, seven aces).

Representing third-placed Poland, the 30-year-old captain Korneluk made it to the Dream Team for a third-straight and fourth overall season, repeating what she had accomplished in 2018, 2023 and 2024. She was the second-best blocker in the seventh edition of the tournament and contributed 133 points (84 kills, 45 blocks, four aces) in 11 appearances.

VNL 2025 Dream Team
Best Setter: Alessia Orro (Italy)
Best Opposite: Paola Egonu (Italy)
Best Outside Hitters: Myriam Sylla (Italy) and Gabriela ‘Gabi’ Guimarães (Brazil)
Best Middle Blockers: Julia Kudiess (Brazil) and Agnieszka Korneluk (Poland)
Best Libero: Monica De Gennaro (Italy)

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