Easy victory for Italy against the 29th team in the world rankings. Egonu leads the way with 10 points in the first two sets. Cuba is up next on Sunday at 12 noon.

A smooth debut. Italy defeats Slovakia 3-0 (25-20, 25-15, 25-17) in its first match of the World Cup. In Group B in Phuket, Thailand, the Azzurre had no trouble beating the 29th-ranked team in the world. The Olympic champions thus recorded their 30th consecutive victory in an official competition (they have not lost since June 1, 2024, when they lost 3-2 to Brazil).

In the first set, Danesi and her teammates struggled to find their rhythm. The ball movement was good, but the Azzurre had some difficulty in the break phase and the set ended 25-20 (Egonu 5 points). Velasco worked hard to give his girls advice on blocking, and the results were evident at the start of the second set. An 8-0 break with two winning blocks by Nervini saw the Azzurre take flight. The coach inaugurated the customary double substitution (Orro and Egonu out, Antropova and Cambi in), and the tactical move immediately proved effective, with Antropova confirming her comfort in this role. There was also room for Giovannini to make her debut (immediately scoring an ace). In 42 minutes, Italy was already 2-0 up. It was a useful “official training session” especially for the two middle blockers Fahr and Danesi, who performed at a high level, and for Egonu, who led the way with 10 points in the first two sets. The third set is a formality as Slovakia continues to make mistakes while the Azzurre finish the job, finding space to bring on Omoruyi. In the match won in 62 minutes, Paola Egonu is the top scorer with 15 points.

Now Cuba—  In the other match of the group, Belgium won 3-0 (25-23, 25-14, 25-11) against Cuba. The Azzurre will now return to the court on Sunday at 12:00 p.m. against Cuba, followed by their final group match against Belgium on Tuesday at the same time.