Italy and Germany split wins during VNL preparations

The women’s national teams of Italy and Germany took another step forward in their preparations for the 2025 Volleyball Nations League this week, meeting in a pair of matches in Northern Italy, which ended with one victory for each side.

The duels happened just under a month before the start of the team’s campaign in the VNL 2025, from June 4-8, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

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Reigning Olympic champions Italy won the first of the two encounters between the teams, held on Thursday, in Novara, 3-1 (25-18, 20-25, 25-17, 25-21), in their first official match after the victory in Paris last August.

Two of the three Olympic champions already available for head coach Julio Velasco, outside hitters Loveth Omoruyi and Gaia Giovannini led the Italians with 16 and 14 points, respectively. Making her national team debut, middle blocker Matilde Munarini scored 11 and was the match’s MVP. Germany had the match’s top scorer in middle blocker Camilla Weitzel, who tallied 17 points, and got another 15 from outside hitter Lina Alsmeier.

On Friday, the duel repeated in Milano, where the Germans reacted and won 3-1 (25-21, 26-24, 22-25, 25-21). Middle blocker Marie Schölzel scored 18 points, one more than outside hitter Romy Jatzko, and won the MVP award. On the Italian side, backup opposite Giorgia Frosini led the way with 16 points.

After the matches, the Italians are set to return to work on Monday, in Milano, with 15 players – setters Carlotta Cambi, Jennifer Boldini and Chidera Eze Blessing, opposites Adhuoljok Malual and Frosini, outside hitters Giovannini, Omoruyi, Alice Degradi and Rebecca Piva, middle blockers Anna Gray, Linda Nwakalor, Federica Squarcini and Benedetta Sartori and liberos Eleonora Fersino and Illenia Moro.

“It’s the start of the season and we’re getting to know each other,” Giovannini said. “The goal for now is to get a better feel of each other on the court. I thought we played well in the first match and had good moments in the second. We weren’t able to play at our best, and we know we can do much better.”

For the Germans, the matches in Italy served to officially start the work of the new head coach Giulio Bregoli.

“I’m taking some very positive things from these two matches,” the Italian coach reflected. “We’ve been working together for a very short time, and I've already got to see many of the things we worked on reflect on the game. It feels like the team has already understood our game plan and has been able to implement it, which is a very good sign.”

Bregoli is currently working with setters Corina Glabb and Hannah Kohn, opposites Emilia Weske and Marie Hänle, outside hitters Alsmeier, Jatzko, Antonia Stautz and Maria Tabačuks, middle blockers Schölzel, Weitzel, Monique Strubbe and Anastasia Cekulaev and liberos Annie Cesar and Anna Pogany.

Before the start of the VNL, the two teams will take part in a friendly tournament in Italy alongside Türkiye and the Netherlands, between May 23-25.

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