Italy has no intention of making compromises in the summer of 2026. Head coach Julio Velasco announced the extended squad of the "Squadra Azzurra" for the Volleyball Nations League, and the first opponent is Bulgaria on June 3 in Brazil. The last clash between the two teams in the VNL dates back to June 18 last year, when in Hong Kong, Italy dominated most of the match: Bulgaria - Italy 1:3 (17:25, 25:23, 15:25, 15:25).
Right from the start, the Italians will appear as close as possible to their optimal form, which makes the clash a serious test for the Bulgarian team.
Strategy: two groups, but one clear core
Velasco will work with two squads – Squadra A (main) and Squadra B (extended) – but the leading figures are in the first group. This practically means that Bulgaria will face the strongest team Italy currently has.
Italy – squad for VNL 2026
Main Group (Squadra A)
Setters:
Carlotta Cambi, Alessia Orro, Kidera Blessing Eze
Liberos:
Ilaria Spirito, Eleonora Fersino, Ilenia Moro
Opposite Hitters:
Merit Adigwe, Paola Egonu, Josephine Obosa
Outside Hitters:
Alice Tanase, Stella Nervini, Myriam Sylla, Loveth Omoluyi, Gaia Giovannini, Ekaterina Antropova
Middle Blockers:
Denise Meli, Dalila Marchesini, Linda Nwakalor, Sara Fahr, Anna Danesi, Linda Manfredini
Extended Group (Squadra B)
Setters:
Asia Bonelli, Francesca Scola
Liberos:
Federica Pelloni, Sara Panetoni
Opposite Hitters:
Giorgia Frosini, Binto Diop
Outside Hitters:
Alessia Bolzonetti, Alice Nardo, Valeria Battista, Beatrice Gardini, Anna Piovesan
Middle Blockers:
Katja Eckl, Sara Caruso, Veronica Costantini, Islam Gannar
Egonu remains the focal point
The presence of Paola Egonu and Miriam Sylla clearly indicates that Italy will not be looking for a smooth entry into the tournament. These are the team's two main offensive weapons.
To them, we add:
Alessia Orro – control and tempo in setting
Anna Danesi and Sara Fahr – stability in the middle
depth among outside hitters, with the novelty being Antropova's inclusion in this position, allowing both her and Egonu to be on the court simultaneously.
The combination speaks of a squad ready to play at a high level already in the first week.
Italy enters the VNL with a clear declaration of high ambitions and shows it with its selection. For Bulgaria, this means a tough start, but also an opportunity to measure its level against one of the favorites as early as June 3.
The start will be indicative – not only in terms of results, but also as a direction for the entire tournament.
