Under 21, Azzurrine girls are world champions

Mission accomplished. The Under-21 women’s national team wrote a new, important chapter in the glorious history of Italian youth volleyball this evening: thanks to a 3-2 (25-22, 22-25, 15-25, 25-19, 15-11) victory over Japan, the Azzurrine women graduated as World Champions.

After winning silver in 2023 and gold in 2021, Italy returns to the top step of the podium at the rainbow event. In the last four editions of the World Championships of the category, in fact, the balance is simply extraordinary: two silvers (2019 and 2023) and two golds (2021 and 2025). Results that once again confirm the competitiveness and continuity of results of the women’s youth national teams.

In Surabaya, Indonesia, captained by Linda Manfredini and led on the bench by Nino Gagliardi, the Azzurrine girls shone at the end of a journey that began on August 7: victories against the Czech Republic, Algeria, Poland, Egypt, then the only stop with Turkey, followed by successes over Indonesia, China, Brazil, and finally the triumph in the final against Japan, a team that had never known defeat until then.

This extraordinary group thus gives itself its second consecutive international medal, following silver at the Under-20 European Championships in Sofia in 2024. A world gold won to the tune of victories, 8 in total, growing from match to match and fielding an increasingly convincing game. All 12 female athletes summoned made their decisive contribution to a full and well-deserved success.

With this victory, the Italian Volleyball Federation further enriches its medal tally, which in this summer of 2025 already counts five total podiums between women’s and men’s national youth teams.