VNL 2026: Italy sweep Argentina 3-0, Giannelli reaches 100 career kill blocks

Italy's men's volleyball team continues its strong run in the Volleyball Nations League 2026: in Osaka, the Azzurri swept Argentina 3-0 (25-22, 25-22, 25-22) in Week 3, earning three valuable points in their push for the Final Eight.

The match featured a major milestone for Simone Giannelli, Italian captain and setter, who reached 100 career kill blocks in the VNL during the first set, finishing the match with 102 stuffs — more than any other Italian in the competition's history.

"Playing a good level of volleyball is always important," Giannelli told VBTV. "Today we showed a very good level against a very good team like Argentina. They gave us pressure with defense, but we were calm and we played our volleyball. I am proud of my team."

Yuri Romanò was the top scorer with 15 points (one ace, one block), followed by Mattia Bottolo with 13. For Argentina, opposite German Gomez also finished with 13 points.

With this victory, Italy climbs to 5th place on a 7-4 win-loss record (23 points), closing in on Final Eight qualification. Argentina remain 14th on 3-8 and 10 points.

In the other match in Osaka, Cuba swept Canada 3-0 (25-22, 25-21, 29-27) in a crucial relegation battle, with Miguel Lopez scoring a match-high 16 points.

Sources

• Volleyball World — Giannelli 100 career VNL kill blocks: https://en.volleyballworld.com/volleyball/competitions/volleyball-nations-league/news/giannelli-raises-100-career-vnl-kill-blocks-as-italy-sweep-game-with-argentina