Volley Week logo

VOLLEY WEEK

Antropova in a new role and new success for Italy at the AIA Aequilibrium Cup, Poland gave no chance to Serbia

VolleyWeek

VolleyWeek

May 24, 2026 at 08:38

Antropova in a new role and new success for Italy at the AIA Aequilibrium Cup, Poland gave no chance to Serbia

Poland achieved a decisive 3:0 (25:17, 25:18, 25:18) victory over Serbia on the second day of the friendly tournament AIA Aequilibrium Cup Women Elite in Genoa. After a dramatic 2:3 loss to Turkey at the start, head coach Stefano Lavarini made almost an entirely new starting lineup, and "Druzyna Polska" (the Polish team) gave no chances to the rejuvenated Serbian squad.
The Polish women completely controlled the first two sets, and in the third, they overcame an 8-point deficit (1:8) to achieve a comeback and a clean victory. In the decisive rallies, Poland won five consecutive points and closed the match without losing a set.
In the other match, Italy defeated Turkey 3:1 (25:23, 20:25, 25:13, 25:17) and recorded their second victory in the tournament. Julio Velasco's team showed significant superiority in attack and blocking, especially in the third set, when they literally crushed their opponent with 25:13.
An interesting moment was the use of Ekaterina Antropova as an outside hitter, rather than her usual opposite position. The Russian with an Italian passport performed excellently in her new role and became the top scorer with 22 points. Adigwe also distinguished herself with a very strong match, adding 18 points, while Marchesini and Manfredini made key contributions in blocking.
After a shaky second set, the Italian women imposed a high tempo with their serve and pressure in transition, which completely disrupted the Turkish team's game. In the end, the hosts calmly closed the match in front of nearly 3600 spectators in Genoa.

photo:www.federvolley.it