Italy Defeats Poland, Advances in VNL
(MENAFN) Reigning champions Italy extended their incredible winning streak to 28 consecutive matches by overpowering host nation Poland in straight sets during the semifinal of the 2025 FIVB Women's Volleyball Nations League (VNL) on Saturday.
Under the guidance of experienced coach Julio Velasco, Italy dominated across all key performance metrics. The defending titleholders amassed 51 kills compared to Poland’s 30, and tallied 11 blocks against the home team’s six. Team captain and middle blocker Anna Danesi was a standout at the net, leading all players with five blocks.
Opposite hitter Paola Egonu once again spearheaded Italy’s attack, finishing with a match-high 17 points, including 15 kills, one block, and one ace. Outside hitter Alice Degradi contributed 13 points, while Poland’s top scorer was middle blocker Agnieszka Korneluk with 11 points.
"It was a really solid performance from us," Degradi stated in a post-match interview with the official VNL website. "Our blocking and defense were especially strong, and we made it very difficult for them to score. We kept improving throughout the match. Each match is a new challenge, and our focus now is fully on the final."
Poland struggled to counter Italy’s intense pressure and consistency throughout the match. Korneluk acknowledged the Italian team’s superior play on the night. "They played an excellent match and fully deserved the win," she said. "We need to take lessons from this and quickly shift our focus. Tomorrow's third-place match is the most important one for us now."
Italy’s commanding victory sets the stage for a highly anticipated final against Brazil, who narrowly defeated Japan 3-2 (23-25, 25-21, 25-18, 19-25, 15-8) in a gripping five-set showdown.
Brazilian outside hitter Gabriela Guimaraes led all scorers with 25 points, closely followed by teammate Julia Bergmann’s 24. Japan’s Yukiko Wada ended the match with 20 points.
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