Italy secured the bronze medal at the 2026 Women's Volleyball Nations League with a commanding 3-1 victory (25-16, 23-25, 25-22, 25-13) over hosts China at the Macao East Asian Games Dome on Sunday.
The reigning world and Olympic champions bounced back impressively from their semifinal defeat to Brazil, breaking China's resistance with a dominant performance led by opposite Ekaterina Antropova. The 23-year-old scored a match-high 26 points, including four aces and one kill block, earning MVP honours for the bronze-medal match.
Italy stormed through the opening set, racing to a 13-3 run before Myriam Sylla sealed it with an ace for 25-16. China levelled the match in the second set, with outside hitter Zhuang Yushan firing three aces as part of a five-point run that gave the hosts a 17-13 lead. Italy fought back to 24-23, but Paola Egonu's serve found the net to hand China the set 25-23.
The third set swung back Italy's way. After trailing 3-0 early, Julio Velasco's side showed their champion mentality, opening a 17-13 lead before withstanding a Chinese fightback. Twenty-two-year-old outside Stella Nervini delivered a blistering attack for set point, and Tang Xin's off-target swing gave Italy the set 25-22.
The fourth set was a masterclass. Antropova caught fire in every facet of the game — attacking, blocking, and serving — as Italy raced to a 25-13 demolition. The team finished with a 65-46 advantage in successful attacks and an 8-4 edge in aces.
Middle blocker Sarah Fahr contributed 13 points with remarkable efficiency, while Nervini added 11. Captain Gong Xiangyu and middle Wang Yuanyuan each scored 10 for China, with Zhuang Yushan leading all Chinese scorers on 14 points, including three aces.
"It wasn't easy to recover from yesterday's loss," Antropova told VBTV after the match. "Obviously, we wanted to play in the final today, but still winning the third place is absolutely amazing and I am really happy we could do that."
The bronze is Italy's first in VNL history, adding to their three gold medals from 2022, 2024 and 2025. The team will fly back to Italy on Tuesday before beginning preparations for the European Championships.
Sources
- https://en.volleyballworld.com/volleyball/competitions/volleyball-nations-league/news/antropova-shines-in-italy-s-consolation-win-for-vnl-bronze
- https://www.volleyball.it/2026/07/26/notizie/argomenti/vnl-femminile/articolo/vnl-finals-bella-risposta-azzurra-litalia-chiude-con-il-bronzo-cina-battuta-3-1-nella-finale-p.html
