The Italian women's national team finished its participation in the 2026 Volleyball Nations League with a bronze medal. In the third-place match in Macao, the team led by Julio Velasco defeated hosts China 3:1 (25:16, 23:25, 25:22, 25:13), just one day after their dramatic 2:3 defeat to Brazil in the semifinals.
Italy started strong and built a solid lead in the first set thanks to the powerful play of Ekaterina Antropova and the stability of Sara Nervini. China managed to equalize after a contested second set, in which the hosts exerted serious pressure with their serves and challenged the Italian reception.
In the third set, the "Squadra Azzurra" once again took the initiative. In key moments, Antropova, Fahr, and Nervini scored decisive points, and in the fourth set, Italy left no doubt about their superiority, taking a 10:3 lead and effortlessly closing out the match.
Ekaterina Antropova was the top scorer for the winners with 26 points, while Sara Fahr added 13. For China, Zhuang Yingshuan finished with 14 points, and Gong Xiangyu scored 10.
| Metric | China | Italy |
|---|---|---|
| Attack | 46 | 65 |
| Block | 10 | 5 |
| Aces | 4 | 8 |
| Points from opponent errors | 16 | 20 |
| Total points | 76 | 98 |
Italy compensated for China's superiority in blocking with an overwhelming dominance in attack (65:46) and twice as many direct points from serves (8:4). Furthermore, the Italians capitalized better on opponent errors, which proved crucial for the final success.
| Game element | China | Italy |
|---|---|---|
| Digs | 93 | 90 |
| Reception | 90 | 72 |
| Successful sets | 130 | 136 |
Although China had an advantage in reception and digs, Italy was significantly more effective in attack and serving. These elements, along with Antropova's strong performance, brought the bronze medals to the European team. Thus, Italy concluded its participation in VNL 2026 with bronze medals, while China remained in fourth place in front of its home crowd in Macao.
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