Monica De Gennaro has been named the Most Valuable Player of the 2025 Volleyball Nations League, marking the first time in her career she's received MVP honors at an international tournament. The 38-year-old Italian libero proved age is just a number as she anchored her national team to their third VNL title, with Italy winning all 15 matches they played.
"This award means everything, especially at this stage of my career," De Gennaro might say about this historic achievement that also saw her named Best Libero of the tournament.
Known by her nickname "Moki," De Gennaro has been the backbone of Italian volleyball for nearly two decades, having represented her country since 2006. Her trophy cabinet is nothing short of impressive – Olympic gold in Paris 2024, three VNL titles (2022, 2024, and now 2025), the 2011 FIVB World Cup, and the 2021 European Championship. She's also claimed silver (2018) and bronze (2022) medals at the World Championship.
Interestingly, De Gennaro becomes the first libero and just the second Italian player to receive the prestigious VNL MVP award. Her teammate Paola Egonu previously won it in both 2022 and 2024 when Italy claimed their first two VNL championships.
At club level, her success with "Conegliano" has been equally remarkable – three Champions League titles (2021, 2024, 2025) and eight Italian championships between 2016 and 2025.
Despite considering retirement from the national team after last year's Olympic triumph, De Gennaro returned with the same passion and determination. She played in 12 of Italy's 15 matches in this year's VNL, ranking third in the tournament with 160 receptions while delivering 39 perfect passes.
The veteran saved her best performance for the final against Brazil, recording a match-high 14 receptions and four perfect passes to help secure Italy's victory.
De Gennaro joins her compatriots Alessia Orro (setter), Paola Egonu (opposite), and Myriam Sylla (outside hitter) in the tournament's Dream Team, highlighting Italy's dominance. Can anyone stop this Italian volleyball machine as they continue to collect trophies across the globe?
