Paola Egonu and her Italian teammates are preparing to showcase their dominance at the upcoming FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship, which begins this Friday in Thailand. The prestigious tournament marks a significant shift in international volleyball, introducing a new biennial format and expanding to 32 participating nations.
"This is a massive opportunity for our golden generation," said Italian head coach Julio Velasco, who will rely heavily on his Olympic and VNL championship core of players.
The 20th edition of the world championship will unfold across four Thai cities - Bangkok, Nakhon Ratchasima, Phuket, and Chiang Mai - from August 22 to September 7. Tournament organizers have restructured the competition into eight pools of four teams, with the top two from each group advancing to the elimination rounds.
Italy, currently sitting at the top of the FIVB World Ranking, enters as one of the favorites with star players including Egonu, middle blockers Anna Danesi and Sarah Fahr, setter Alessia Orro, outside hitter Myriam Sylla, and veteran libero Monica De Gennaro, who might retire after this event.
In Pool B, the Italians will face stiff competition from Belgium, who secured their spot through the FIVB World Ranking and will count on the scoring prowess of star outside hitter Britt Heborts. The Belgian attacker made history at the 2022 championship by becoming just the third player to score 40+ points in a single match.
Cuba returns to the tournament after missing the 2022 edition - their first absence in over 50 years. The Caribbean team, now ranked 28th globally and coached by Brazilian Luizomar de Moura, hopes to recapture some of their former glory that included three gold medals (1978, 1994, 1998).
Interestingly, Slovakia will make history with their first-ever World Championship appearance after qualifying through the FIVB rankings. The team, ranked 29th worldwide, will rely on setter Barbora Koseková and opposite Karin Šunderlíková to make their mark.
The tournament's pool play phase will feature 48 matches between August 22-27 before all action shifts to Bangkok for the elimination rounds. Can Egonu lead Italy to complete their collection of major titles, or will we see a surprise challenger emerge from the expanded field?
The FIVB's decision to expand the tournament certainly creates more development opportunities for emerging volleyball nations. With more participants and a new biennial schedule, this championship represents a fresh chapter for women's international volleyball.
