Italy made a winning start to its 2026 Volleyball Nations League campaign defeating Bulgaria 3-0 (25-22, 25-16, 27-25).
The victory gives head coach Julio Velasco’s squad their first official win of the national team season and extends Italy’s unbeaten run in official competition to 37 matches.
Despite featuring several players making their VNL debuts, Italy delivered a composed performance throughout. Ekaterina Antropova paced the attack with 14 points, while young opposite Merit Adigwe impressed on her senior international debut with 12 points. For Bulgaria, Aleksandra Milanova was the top scorer with 12 points, followed by Mikaela Stoyanova with 10.
Italy edged a competitive opening set before taking control in the second, using strong serving and disciplined defense to build a comfortable advantage. Bulgaria responded with a spirited effort in the third set, but the Italians recovered from an early deficit and held firm late on to complete the sweep.
The result continues the positive momentum built during Italy’s pre-tournament preparations and provides an encouraging start ahead of tougher tests later in the week.
Match Result
Italy 3-0 Bulgaria
(25-22, 25-16, 27-25)