Italy women's volleyball team prepares for 2026 European Championships

The Italian women's national volleyball team is preparing in Sweden for the 2026 European Championships. Under coach Julio Velasco, the team is competing in Pool D alongside Croatia, Montenegro, Sweden, Slovakia, and France.

Italy is scheduled to make its tournament debut against Croatia on Friday, August 21, in Göteborg. This will be followed by a match against Montenegro on Saturday, August 22, and a game against host nation Sweden on Sunday, August 23. The group stage will conclude with matches against Slovakia on August 25 and France on August 26.

Coach Velasco may use the Montenegro match as an opportunity to test player rotations and experiment with different lineups, such as utilizing Ekaterina Antropova in zone 4. Montenegro enters the tournament following a balanced performance in the 2026 European League, where they secured three wins and three losses.