World number one Italy defeated world champions Serbia in the quarter-finals of the Paris 2024 Games, qualifying for an Olympic semi-final for the first time.
The Italians started the match unconvincingly but subsequently took control and closed it out 3-0 (26-24, 25-20, 25-20).
The battle between the top scorers Paola Egonu and Tijana Bošković was one of the main attractions of the match, with both stars finishing the game with 19 points each – Egonu had one block and one ace, while Bošković registered only one point from a serve.
Besides Egonu, Italy also relied on Caterina Bosetti, who finished with 6 points; centers Sara Fahr and Anna Danesi added the same amount. Miriam Sylla also scored six points.
For Serbia, Bianka Buša and Aleksandra Uzelac finished with eight and seven points, respectively.
Serbia's higher number of unforced errors (25 to 16) proved crucial, as despite this, the world champions scored more points in attack (42 to 39). Italy had three more blocks (seven to two) and one more ace (five to four).
The historic qualification comes after Julio Velasco's girls were crowned winners of the 2024 Volleyball Nations League just over a month ago.
The Italian women's qualification for the Olympic semi-finals comes on their seventh attempt, after being eliminated in the quarter-finals six times. Giovanni Guidetti's team will watch the fight for podium spots from the sidelines for the first time since London 2012.
The Italians will face European champions Turkey in the semi-finals on Thursday. Italians and Turks already met in preliminary group C, where Italy prevailed 3-0.
The quarter-final victory maintained Italy's position as world number one in the FIVB World Ranking with 419.62 points – they would have been overtaken by Brazil if they had lost the match. The Serbians dropped two places, now ranking tenth with 280.42 points.
After the match, Serbian captain Maja Ognjenović announced her retirement from the national team after 20 years and five Olympic Games, on her 40th birthday.
“It was a long journey for me,” she commented. “To think I started playing for the national team in 2004, so 20 years have passed. There were different emotions, many ups and downs, and unforgettable moments. This was a part of my life that I really enjoyed, but now it’s time for something different.”
