Antropova Leads Italy to Straight-Set Sweep of Japan, Caps Week 2 Strongly

Italy bounced back in impressive fashion, sweeping Japan 25-21, 25-23, 25-18 on Sunday to conclude its Week 2 campaign in the 2026 FIVB Women’s Volleyball Nations League at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

Coming off a straight-set loss to the United States the previous day, the reigning Olympic champions responded with a disciplined and composed performance against a Japanese team that had dropped its second straight match after winning its first six games of the tournament.

The victory left Italy with a 6-2 record for the week, matching Japan’s mark but carrying fresh momentum into the final stretch of the preliminaries.

Japan tested the world No. 1 side throughout, particularly in a tight second set. The Japanese mounted a strong late rally, with Yamada Nichika delivering a block on Kate Antropova and a quick attack to close the gap. Wada Yukiko eventually tied the score at 23-all, but Italy stayed poised. Sarah Fahr produced a crucial attack for set point, and Antropova sealed the set with a powerful kill.

That momentum carried into the third set, where Italy built an early lead and prevented any further Japanese comeback. The match was completed in just one hour and 16 minutes.

Antropova led the Azzurre with 17 points, delivering key attacks in the second and third sets.

“It feels amazing, especially that we got this amazing win against Japan. We know that they’re a really hard team to play against, and we always suffer in their game because it's very different from everything that we’ve seen. So, we’re really happy to finish this game,” said Antropova.

Stella Nervini contributed 10 points along with six digs and nine excellent receptions, while Linda Nwakalor added eight points, including three blocks.

Italy will now prepare for Week 3 in Hong Kong, opening against Ukraine on July 8 at 5 p.m.

For Japan, captain Ishikawa Mayu topped the scoring with 12 points (all attacks), plus five digs and 12 excellent receptions. Sato Yoshino finished with nine points but struggled defensively in the third set. The Japanese will look to rebound in Week 3 when they face Brazil in Osaka on July 8 at 7:20 p.m.