Italy are through to the semifinals of the CEV Trendyol EuroVolley 2026 Women’s Championship after defeating Sweden 3-1 in a demanding quarter-final in Brno. The Italian national team had to recover from a difficult opening set and survive several moments of pressure before completing a deserved comeback with set scores of 21-25, 26-24, 25-21, 25-23.
The result sends Julio Velasco’s team into the final four in Istanbul, where Italy will play the winner of Poland-Netherlands on September 5.
It was not the straightforward victory many might have expected after Italy had already defeated Sweden 3-0 during the group stage. This time, Sweden played with far greater confidence and pushed the reigning world champions into one of their most demanding matches of the tournament.
Italy ultimately found the answer through a combination of attacking power, defensive resilience and experience in the most important moments.
The victory is Italy’s seventh consecutive win at EuroVolley 2026 and gives the Azzurre their 13th European Championship semifinal appearance. Their previous semifinal appearance came in 2023.

Sweden start strongly and Italy have to react
The opening phase suggested that Italy could control the match.
Egonu, Antropova and Sylla immediately provided attacking options, while the Italian defence tried to put pressure on Sweden’s first ball. But the Scandinavian side did not allow Italy to build a decisive advantage.
The main difference was Isabelle Haak.
The Swedish opposite produced an extraordinary performance and repeatedly found solutions even when the Italian block appeared to have closed the available angles. Her ability to attack high balls, change direction and exploit defensive gaps made her extremely difficult to contain.
The first set remained competitive before Sweden moved ahead.
Italy struggled to turn several attacking opportunities into points, while Sweden became increasingly confident. Haak continued to deliver and the Swedish block also caused problems for the Italian hitters.
Sweden eventually closed the opening set 25-21, putting Italy behind for the first time in the knockout phase.
The Azzurre now needed a response.

The second set changes the match
The second set became the turning point.
Sweden opened with a 3-0 lead, but Italy quickly recovered. Eleonora Fersino produced important defensive plays, while Paola Egonu and Ekaterina Antropova increased their offensive presence.
Velasco also used Gaia Giovannini to strengthen the backcourt.
One of Giovannini’s defensive plays became particularly important. She managed to keep alive a difficult attack from Haak, giving Italy another opportunity to remain in the rally. The contribution did not necessarily appear as a spectacular statistic, but it represented exactly the type of effort Italy needed in a match where Sweden were constantly putting pressure on the defence.
Italy eventually moved ahead and reached a 16-14 lead.
But Sweden responded again.
Haak continued to score and Sweden moved back in front at 23-21. Italy could have lost control of the set, yet the Azzurre produced their strongest sequence of the match up to that point.
Egonu reduced the deficit, then helped Italy reach 23-23. Antropova gave Italy the first set point at 24-23.
Sweden saved it.
The set went to extra points, but Italy remained composed. Antropova eventually closed the set 26-24, bringing the match level at one set apiece.
That moment changed the atmosphere.
Italy had survived the most dangerous phase of the match.

Egonu takes control when Italy need her most
The third set began with a much more aggressive Italy.
The Azzurre established an early advantage and reached 7-2, forcing Sweden to chase the score.
Sarah Fahr contributed important points in the middle, Sylla remained highly effective and Antropova continued to provide pressure from the outside.
Sweden refused to disappear.
Haak remained the central figure for the Scandinavian side and repeatedly prevented Italy from turning the set into a comfortable victory. The gap narrowed and the score remained competitive deep into the set.
Italy were still ahead 20-18 when the final phase began.
That was when Paola Egonu made the difference.
The Italian opposite raised her level at precisely the right time, helping Italy close the set 25-21 and take a 2-1 lead.
The scoreboard now reflected a crucial change: Sweden had started the match in control, but Italy had gradually taken away their momentum.
One set separated the Azzurre from Istanbul.

Sweden fight back in the fourth
The fourth set initially looked as if it might be Italy’s easiest.
The Azzurre moved into a 17-12 lead, playing with greater confidence and finding more consistency in both defence and transition.
Alessia Orro was able to distribute the ball more effectively, while Fersino continued to cover large areas of the court.
Yet Sweden were not finished.
Haak continued to attack relentlessly, while Hanna Hellvig also contributed important points. Sweden reduced the deficit and eventually turned the set around.
Suddenly, Italy were behind 20-22.
The match appeared to be heading towards another dramatic finish.
Instead of panicking, Italy stayed together.
Egonu scored, Sweden made a crucial mistake, and the Azzurre levelled the score at 22-22. Then came one of the decisive plays of the entire evening: Myriam Sylla blocked Haak, giving Italy renewed momentum.
Italy earned match point and finally closed the set 25-23, with Sylla delivering the final point.
The comeback was complete.
Italy had won 3-1 and secured a place in the semifinals.

The numbers behind Italy’s victory
Italy’s victory was built around several outstanding individual performances.
Paola Egonu finished with 27 points, while Ekaterina Antropova scored 22. Myriam Sylla added 14 and Sarah Fahr finished with nine. Alessia Orro contributed four points, while Denise Meli added one after entering the match.
But Sweden’s Isabelle Haak produced an even larger individual total.
The Swedish opposite finished with 43 points, an extraordinary number in a European Championship quarter-final. The CEV also highlighted the performance as a new record for the most points scored by an individual player in a single EuroVolley edition since 2011.
That statistic explains just how difficult Italy’s task was.
Sweden were not eliminated because Haak had a quiet night. Quite the opposite. Italy won despite facing an opponent who received an extraordinary contribution from its star player.
The Azzurre had to find different ways to score and, equally importantly, different ways to survive.

Defence becomes the hidden key
The headline numbers naturally belong to Egonu and Antropova, but Italy’s defensive work deserves equal attention.
Fersino was repeatedly involved in long rallies, giving Italy extra opportunities to rebuild attacks. Giovannini also played an important role after entering to strengthen the backcourt.
The defensive battle was particularly important because Haak was capable of scoring from multiple positions.
Velasco later acknowledged that Italy needed to improve in reading some of Haak’s variations, particularly when she changed direction, used the block or placed the ball rather than hitting with full power.
That is one of the main lessons Italy can take into the semifinal.
Winning against a player like Haak is not simply about trying to block harder.
It is about reading the attacker earlier, defending the spaces behind the block and remaining disciplined after the first contact.
Italy did that better as the match progressed.

Orro’s difficult night and an important response
Alessia Orro did not have her easiest match.
The Gazzetta’s post-match ratings gave the Italian setter 5.5, pointing to difficulties in distribution and in finding the best offensive solution, particularly with the middle blockers.
Yet the story of Orro’s night cannot be reduced to one rating.
She remained part of the Italian response and, as the match developed, contributed to the defensive effort as well. Velasco himself highlighted the improvement in defence during the later stages of the game.
That is an important characteristic of a team aiming to win a major tournament.
Not every player has to be at their absolute best in every phase of every match.
What matters is that the team can compensate, adjust and continue competing.

Velasco demands more before Istanbul
The Italian coach was satisfied with the qualification but did not hide the areas that need improvement.
Velasco stressed the importance of lucidity.
In his view, Italy sometimes became too nervous and rigid when Sweden managed to put pressure on them. The coach believes the Azzurre need to maintain their determination while also staying calm enough to make better decisions.
That message is particularly relevant now.
At the semifinal stage, there will be no room for long periods of hesitation. One poor rotation, one sequence of missed serves or one defensive breakdown can change an entire set.
Italy have shown that they can recover.
The next step is to avoid putting themselves in such difficult situations too often.

Seven wins and an unbeaten journey
The quarter-final victory means Italy have now won seven matches in a row at EuroVolley 2026.
The Azzurre went through the group stage unbeaten, finishing first in Pool D.
They defeated Croatia, Montenegro, Sweden, Slovakia and France before continuing their knockout campaign against Bulgaria.
Italy then defeated Bulgaria 3-0 in the round of 16.
The quarter-final against Sweden was the first time in the knockout stage that the team had to fight through a genuine four-set battle.
The response was encouraging.
Italy lost the first set, found themselves under pressure in the second and allowed Sweden to fight back again in the fourth. Yet the team never collapsed.
Instead, the Azzurre repeatedly found the next point.
That ability could prove extremely valuable in Istanbul.

Istanbul is next
Italy will now move to Istanbul for the final stage of the tournament.
The semifinal will take place on September 5 at the Sinan Erdem Sports Hall.
Italy’s opponent will come from the quarter-final between Poland and the Netherlands, scheduled for September 3 at 15:00 Italian time.
Poland reached the quarter-finals after finishing first in Pool A and defeating Portugal 3-0 in the round of 16. The Netherlands had a much more demanding route through the knockout stage, beating Slovenia 3-2 after five sets.
The other side of the semifinal bracket is already partly decided.
Serbia have reached the final four after defeating Greece 3-0. They will face the winner of Germany-Türkiye, whose quarter-final is scheduled for September 3 at 18:00 Italian time.
The semifinal schedule is set for September 5, while the bronze-medal match and the EuroVolley final will be played in Istanbul on September 6.

Italy are two wins away from the European title
The Azzurre now find themselves only two victories away from becoming European champions.
That possibility gives the semifinal a completely different weight.
Italy entered the tournament as one of the leading favourites, but the knockout stage has already demonstrated that reputation alone is not enough.
Sweden showed how quickly a match can become complicated.
Haak produced 43 points.
Italy still won.
That is perhaps the most important message from Brno.
The Azzurre do not need every match to be perfect. They need to be able to respond when perfection disappears.
Against Sweden, they did exactly that.
They recovered from 21-25 in the opening set, won the second 26-24, took control of the third 25-21 and survived a final Swedish push to close the fourth 25-23.
Now the challenge becomes even bigger.
Istanbul will bring a new opponent, a different atmosphere and the pressure of a semifinal.
Italy have already shown their character.
Now they must turn that character into another victory.
The Azzurre are in the final four.
And they are not travelling to Istanbul simply to participate.

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