The magical 2025 continues for Mattia Bonifante - the young setter for Cucine Lube Civitanova and teammate of Alex Nikolov. After an impressive season at club level, the 20-year-old talent added a bronze medal from the Universiade in Germany to his collection.
Born in 2004, Bonifante led the Italian national team to a 3:1 victory over Japan in the third-place match. The encounter, played on July 24, was a kind of response to the bitter elimination by Brazil in the semi-final, where the "Squadra Azzurra" lost in a tie-break after a dramatic comeback.
"We are returning home with a deserved medal! A happy ending that erased the disappointment of the semi-final. The victory brought back our smiles. The tournament was very intense, but my experience with Lube helped me cope with the rhythm. Wearing the national jersey is something special," Bonifante told Italian media after the competition.
Individual Recognition and Strong Club Season
In addition to his success on the international stage, the setter will also be individually honored - on October 19, he will receive the prestigious "Badiali" award forbest player under 23in Serie A1 for the 2024/2025 season. This is another recognition for his performance, after he won:
his first Del Monte® Italian Cup,
reached the Scudetto final,
and played in the final match of the Challenge Cup.
