Italy won the friendly tournament AIA Aequilibrium Cup Women Elite in Genoa, after finishing undefeated and in the last match prevailed over Poland with 3:2(26:24,18:25,25:22,22:25,15:11). Thus, the team led by Julio Velasco finished the competition with three wins and 7 points.
The match against the Poles offered serious intrigue and lasted more than two hours. The "Squadra Azzurra" dramatically clinched the first set with 26:24, after overcoming a deficit, but Poland reacted convincingly and equalized after 25:18. The Italians again took the lead after 25:22 in the third set, before the opponent sent the match to a tie-break after 25:22 in the fourth part. In the decisive fifth set, the hosts showed more stability and closed the match at 15:11.
Ekaterina Antropova was the top scorer for Italy with 20 points, while Nervini added 18. For Poland, Czernianska scored 25 points, and Lukasik finished with 17.
| Standings | Team | Wins | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Italy | 3 | 7 |
| 2. | Poland | 1 | 5 |
| 3. | Serbia | 1 | 4 |
| 4. | Turkey | 1 | 2 |
Italy went through the tournament undefeated, once again demonstrating squad depth and stability in key moments. Poland also left an excellent impression, especially in attack, while Serbia and Turkey primarily used the competition for game experiments before the start of the official season.
| Date | Match | Result |
|---|---|---|
| May 22 | Poland – Turkey | 2:3(22:25,20:25,25:22,25:22,9:15) |
| May 22 | Italy – Serbia | 3:2(25:23,22:25,22:25,25:20,15:12) |
| May 23 | Poland – Serbia | 3:0(25:17,25:18,25:18) |
| May 23 | Italy – Turkey | 3:1(25:23,20:25,25:13,25:17) |
| May 24 | Turkey – Serbia | 1:3(25:23,19:25,18:25,22:25) |
| May 24 | Italy – Poland | 3:2(26:24,18:25,25:22,22:25,15:11) |
The tournament in Genoa was the last test for the four teams before the start of the Volleyball Nations League.
Interestingly, Bulgaria will face all participants in the competition during this year's edition of the VNL – Italy, Poland, Serbia, and Turkey.
photo:federvolley.it
