USA vs ITALY | Highlights | Women's VNL 2025. The finalists of last year’s Paris Olympics, Italy and the United States, met in their first official match of the season, dueling in Rio de Janeiro in their opening match in the Volleyball Nations League 2025, and, as was the case in the French capital, the Italians came out on top.
Fielding ten of the 13 players that gave the country its first Olympic gold medal ten months ago, the Italians handled a young American team in three sets at the Maracanãzinho stadium on Wednesday, claiming the first Pool 2 victory. A few hours later, Brazil spoiled Czechia's first-ever VNL match, winning in straight sets, and Germany swept Korea, completing the first day of action in Rio.
The reigning VNL champions, Italy looked dominant in the first two sets, securing comfortable victories, but started behind in the third set and had to fight back to reverse a 21-14 American lead to prevail 3-0 (25-13, 25-13, 30-28) and start their title defense with a positive result, also keeping their spot at the top of the FIVB World Rankings.
The MVP of the Paris Games, star opposite Paola Egonu carried the Italian offense against the Americans with 17 points (14 kills, three blocks). Fellow Olympic champions Myriam Sylla and Sarah Fahr also got to double digits, with 14 and 12 points, respectively.
“The Americans started pushing us more in the third set and we didn’t play like the first two,” middle blocker and team captain Anna Danesi said. “In the first sets, when they pushed us, we managed to focus on our side and what we had to do and things went well. I feel like we were playing at like 70% of our level in the third set and it was very hard to come back, but we did it and I’m happy for this.”
On the American side, new head coach Erik Sullivan sent to the court a very young team featuring ten players who were making their VNL debut against the Olympic champions in Rio. Outside hitter Sarah Franklin and opposite Logan Lednicky were the most productive with nine points each, but the coach also took many positives from the team’s collective performance in what should be one of the most difficult matches of the season for them.
“I love the way our team competed,” Sullivan said. “The first two sets were a little bit of a struggle for us, but they did a nice job, and the way we came out in the third was great. And we didn’t give up, which could have happened, especially against such a strong team as Italy. I think we did a lot of positive things in the third set, and we just have to get to a level where we are playing like that more consistently. It was a good first step in a long journey.”
Morgan Hentz first touch of the ball picked up by Oro.
And the first swing of the day from Paola Eganu.
She can be really, really dominant.
Ambrogiti served down the line. Oro on the run.
And now we'll see what USA runs on a free ball.
Down the line, tagged with power.
Franklin unable to get it up.
Italy is so good at these transition plays.
Still playing in college at Texas A&M.
Finds a way to get it done.
Tapped down.
USA one season of pro volleyball.
Top pass.
Feeding right into the powerful outside.
Beautiful serve.
That's a great example of the issue.
There's a solid pass.
They go back to Lednicki.
And again, it's the block of Italy.
This is what we saw from Italy all last summer as well.
Dainese along with Farr are phenomenal blockers.
Kambi goes to the middle.
This is Sage Kahane, a Torres setting now for the United States.
Babcock takes a second swing.
Blocked again, but recoverable.
Franklin over the top.
Carlotta Kambi in to pick it up.
Longest rally we have seen in this match so far.
And it's still going.
And the fans are loving it.
That time.
Blocked again and down.
The big wall of Italy coming up clutch again.
An out of system situation for Team USA.
They know they want to go to the heavy hitter on the right side.
And Italy is just waiting there to eat it up.
But massive.
First pass.
Good and just a block.
Wow.
And Trubova and Dainese.
This is a perfect example of the serve working really well with the block.
Behind the service line.
Going at Morgan Hentz.
This time.
Better attack.
And Sila using the hands.
That puts Italy at set point.
And what a first set by Italy.
Emily for the United States.
What do they need to get figured out before the second?
The biggest thing is controlling what they can control.
A lot of that comes with the pass.
We saw the decision here as well to say,
let's see how you guys adjust and work through it.
You want to have a short string.
Especially when you're going up against the number one team in the world.
I don't know if the expectation was let's go out and dominate.
The key for them was let's go out and be good.
Well, you don't ever know.
But this is, I think, just an information gathering match for Eric Sullivan.
Eganu again.
Oro back.
Eganu.
Free ball opportunity.
Good spot for it.
Skinner.
Good high reach.
Dug by Dejanaro.
Eganu again.
Sending it back is the United States.
And boy.
Can't look at the score.
You have to focus on your side and making those necessary adjustments,
controlling what you can control.
Another big block.
And the other part of that that was interesting was hearing.
Well taken care of for Italy.
Good pass.
Leads to middle attack.
Is that ball good?
Wow.
It was.
22 to 10 attack points for Italy over the United States.
More than double.
Ball brought to the outside again.
Dejanaro first touch.
Oro.
Tempo set to the pin.
Watts still up and going.
And Eganu.
Exclamation point.
The center back.
Great job for Italy staying in that play.
Dejanaro, she's not just getting touches on some of these plays.
She is putting her center in the perfect situation to run a good middle attack.
To run Eganu.
Keep it moving.
Yeah.
Keep it moving.
This is Sage Kahana Torres now who's inserted in to run the offense.
Wow.
That was power from the middle.
Quick and sharp.
Beautiful side out.
So fast.
Eganu through the middle.
Emily, it was a Molly McCage in the middle attack in front of the center.
Kahana Torres back to Franklin.
This time Sela all over it for the short.
Sela again, hence underneath it.
Options available.
Franklin tight.
And the experience.
Sela rips open the block.
Italy is running that outside set pretty fast.
Even in transition, Oro is forcing the tempo.
What that does is it doesn't allow the middle blocker to close on USA's side.
Dejanaro on the right side of the floor.
Jones, Perry right at her.
The block.
Oh, and a setter gets a block.
It's sweet.
But even more so when it ends the set.
Italy up two sets to none.
Just another great response from Italy.
Keeping the foot.
Has also spent some time overseas.
Right up the middle.
Sarah Franklin.
And we have not seen a backcourt attack from the United States until now.
Yeah.
No backcourt Vick attacks.
You see them use the right side a little bit.
But this time it's coming.
Eggleston's pass.
Well off the net.
Franklin steps in to setter.
And this time it's a United States block.
Led Nicky and McCage.
Sela.
Perfect pass.
Setter didn't even have to take a step.
Oro to the outside again.
Chase down.
Okay.
Not just a save, but a set as well.
McCage going coast to coast.
Getting parts of balls on either.
Franklin down the middle causing a little bit of trouble.
Sela.
And that's hence, again, ball's net side.
Through the block.
We're seeing a much smoother performance from the United States.
Sela's been so good to your point.
Far has been so good.
Great distribution by Oro.
And just when Led Nicky thinks that ball is down.
Nope.
From the backcourt, another up from hence.
The block of Italy as advertised.
Tight ball.
Powering through it is Led Nicky.
Just a few months ago.
But the scene between them has never been explored.
Different teams.
Good response.
Better pass.
And she will hit from the backcourt as will Eggleston.
Composure by Franklin puts the United States at set point.
That's a big serve at a critical time for Team USA.
Logan Eggleston.
Franklin all on her own outside.
Perfect pass.
And Molly McCage answers the bell.
When hence passes the ball, United States sides out.
And Italy's done a really nice job keeping the ball away from Morgan hence
in this situation.
Hence steps in the seam.
Got it.
It's going to be Agonu.
Still good.
Here's your chance.
Will they go Agonu again?
No.
We don't need to.
We got Selah.
Agonu picked up.
Good rip by Eggleston.
Slowed by the block.
Tight ball.
And Eggleston takes a strong swing by Selah.
Ripping open the hands of the U.S. block.
Pass is good.
This is for the match for Italy.
What a dig by hence.
Franklin.
Doug.
There it is again.
Again, the United States outlasting to tie it back up.
Pass from Franklin is spot on.
Agonu.
Trying to finish.
Franklin puts it back up.
It'll be a free ball.
All options available to Italy for the match.
To the middle it goes.
And Italy comes from down seven points to win in a sweep over the United
States to open their Volleyball Nations League 2025 campaign.
