Italy have learned their opponents for the opening stage of the 2027 Women’s World Championship, while leading figures from the men’s and women’s professional leagues have begun work on a joint strategy for Italian clubs. The day’s other developments included a strong endorsement of teenager Manuel Zlatanov and the second round of the new Women’s Serie A3 season.
Women’s World Championship
Defending champions Italy have been drawn with Belgium, Colombia and Puerto Rico in Pool A of the 2027 Women’s World Championship. Julio Velasco’s side will play the group stage in Omaha, where the CHI Health Center Arena is one of four venues being used for the opening phase in the United States and Canada.
The top two teams from each of the eight four-team pools will advance to the round of 16. Pool E, which contains Poland, Germany, Slovenia and Cuba, lies on Italy’s route through the knockout bracket. The other groups include Brazil with Czechia, Kenya and South Korea; Türkiye with the Dominican Republic, France and Egypt; and the United States with Thailand, Mexico and Greece.
Montreal, Omaha, Orlando and Quebec City will stage the pool matches, while the medal rounds will be played at the Honda Center in Anaheim. The Californian arena is also due to host the volleyball tournament at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. The World Championship will award Olympic places to the three highest-finishing teams that have not already qualified.
Men’s SuperLega
Massimo Botti, head coach of Germany, believes 18-year-old Piacenza outside hitter Manuel Zlatanov has the all-round quality to become a starter for Italy. Speaking on the Lega Pallavolo Serie A’s After Hours programme after Piacenza’s 3-0 win over Modena, Botti praised Zlatanov’s influence in attack, serve receive, serving and blocking, while stressing the need for patience with a player of his age.
Riccardo Sbertoli reflected on Trento’s two-win start and the disappointment of Italy’s European Championship campaign. The setter described the national team’s defeat as his most painful experience in an Italy shirt and said setbacks matter only when a team learns how to use them. He also praised opposite Theo Faure for the intensity and consistency he brings to training.
Milano setter Santiago Orduna highlighted the impact of Basil Dermaux and Simone Porro in the five-set victory over Cuneo. Dermaux scored 32 points, while Porro came off the bench and sealed the 19-17 tie-break with an ace. Orduna described Dermaux as a powerful attacker with considerable potential as he adapts to the level of SuperLega.
Italian Volleyball
Claudio Durigon, president of the men’s Lega Pallavolo Serie A, and Vito Cozzoli, president of Lega Volley Femminile, have opened discussions on a common strategy for their clubs. Their stated priorities include protecting club investment, using resources more efficiently and presenting a coordinated position to Italian and international sporting institutions.
The proposed cooperation will cover talks with the FIPAV, CEV and FIVB, with particular attention to the international calendar, as well as relations with the Italian government. The two leagues will also explore commercial projects and shared events while retaining the separate identities of the men’s and women’s competitions.
Women’s Serie A3
The second round of the new national Women’s Serie A3 season produced five away wins and two matches decided in five sets. In Pool A, Volley 2001 Garlasco remained perfect with a 3-0 victory over C.R. Transport Ripalta, while Passione Valdarno Volley also made it two wins from two by recovering from a set down to beat Pallavolo Florens 3-1. The third set proved decisive, with Valdarno taking it 28-26.
Mondovì and Castellana Grotte both prevailed in tie-breaks. Banca Annia Aduna Women and Tonno Callipo Calabria also recorded their second consecutive victories, maintaining unbeaten starts after the opening fortnight of the championship.
Fonte: https://www.volleyball.it/links/rss/argomenti/volleyballit/rss.xml
