Italy Sweeps Czechia to Bounce Back in VNL Week 2

Reigning champions Italy bounced back from a five-set loss to Brazil by defeating Czechia in straight sets, 25-17, 25-21, 25-22, on Wednesday at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City to open its Week 2 campaign in the 2026 FIVB Women’s Volleyball Nations League.

Italy delivered a composed and dominant performance, controlling the match from start to finish against a resilient Czechia side. Ekaterina Antropova was the standout for the Azzurre, finishing with a match-high 21 points, including 14 attacks and a tournament-highlighting six service aces.

Antropova’s powerful serving proved decisive in the third set, where she recorded back-to-back aces to help Italy pull away and seal the sweep. Sarah Fahr added 13 points with efficient attacking at the net, while setter Carlotta Cambi orchestrated the offense with 15 excellent sets.

Italy built momentum early, pulling away in the first set after a competitive start. They maintained control in the second set behind consistent scoring and strong defense, preventing Czechia from mounting a serious comeback despite a late rally sparked by Eva Svobodova.

“We’re happy to start a new week. It was not fun losing, but it’s a good match to learn from. Today, we had a good start and stayed together as a team,” said Antropova.

The victory improved Italy’s record to 4-1. They will look to extend their winning streak when they face Serbia on Thursday at 8 p.m.

Czechia, which dropped to 3-2, received 16 points from Monika Brancuska and 11 from Michaela Mlejnkova but struggled to match Italy’s offensive firepower and serving pressure. The loss pushed them just outside the top eight in the standings.

Czechia will aim to bounce back when they take on the United States later in the day.