The Italy Women’s Volleyball National Team is the new European champion. It dethroned two-time successive titleholder Serbia with a 3-1 win in the final of the CEV EuroVolley 2021.
For the third time in history and 12 years after the last success, the Italy Women’s Volleyball National Team became the European champion. The Italian coronation in the CEV EuroVolley 2021 happened in the most difficult way: at the end of a path during which it was invincible, against the rival who also didn’t suffer a single defeat in the tournament (actually, in the last 24 games in continental championships!) and is the two-time defending champion in the final, and on rival’s home soil in Belgrade in front of more than 20,000 fiery spectators. Thus, ‘Le Azzurre’ finally took revenge on Serbia for defeats in the last three major events: in the final of the 2018 FIVB World Championship, semi-finals of the 2019 CEV EuroVolley, and quarter-finals of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
After losing the first set, the ladies coached by Davide Mazzanti grew point by point, winning the second set in a comeback from 20-22 to 25-22, denying the Serbian lead of 8-3 in the third set, and literally dominating the fourth set up to a bit humiliating 25-11. Paola Egonu rose to the most prominent figure on the winning side with 29 points, being especially inspired in the third and fourth set in which she served three consecutive aces out of four in total to finish off the host. Anna Danesi set up six blocks. Despite being the top scorer in Serbia with 20 points, Tijana Bošković’s attacks were harmless in most of the match, which 13 points she gave away (six errors, blocked seven times) prove in the best way. Mina Popović made five blocks.
CEV Women’s EuroVolley 2021
Bronze medal match:
Turkey – Netherlands 3-0 (25-20, 25-19, 25-23)
Final:
Serbia – Italy 1-3 (26-24, 22-25, 19-25, 11-25)
