Apeldoorn, Netherlands – The Italian women`s national volleyball team has completed a truly dominant run in the 2025 Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Preliminary Phase, finishing with a perfect 12-0 win-loss record and accumulating 33 points. Their flawless performance was capped off with a decisive 3-0 victory over hosts Netherlands in Apeldoorn on Sunday.
Facing a Dutch side keen to impress their home crowd, Italy, the defending VNL champions and reigning Olympic champions, encountered spirited resistance. The Netherlands pushed hard, particularly in the opening two sets, demonstrating moments of genuine parity. However, Italy`s composure and technical execution prevented any significant setbacks. The set scores of 25-23, 28-26, and 25-18 reflect the competitive nature of the match, especially early on, before Italy asserted clear control in the third set.
A standout performance came from the 22-year-old opposite hitter Ekaterina Antropova, who led the Italian attack with an impressive 25 points. Her contribution included 20 successful spikes from 34 attempts, registering a striking 59% attack efficiency. Complementing her offensive output, Antropova added three kill blocks and two aces. For the Netherlands, 22-year-old Elles Dambrink was the primary scoring threat, finishing with 16 points. Italy`s middle blocker Sarah Fahr also reached double digits, contributing 10 points through a mix of attacks, three blocks, and two aces.
Italy`s success, as noted by outside hitter Myriam Sylla, stems from a cohesive team philosophy emphasizing the importance of every player and every moment. This disciplined approach has clearly paid dividends, allowing the team to navigate the demanding preliminary schedule without a single loss.
The Netherlands concluded the preliminary phase in 10th place with a 5-7 record and 15 points, outside the qualification spots for the Finals. Italy`s top finish positions them strongly as they advance to the final stage of the competition, having proven their status as the team to beat after a flawless preliminary campaign.
