Seasonal debut of the women’s national volleyball team tomorrow in Novara in a test match against Sweden. The challenge will officially open 2024 for the Italians who, since the beginning of April, under the guidance of Julio Velasco, have been preparing the Nations Legue, a tournament that will have a decisive role in qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The group stage matches will award the final points useful for the world ranking which will decide the remaining passes for the Games. The matches against Sweden, tomorrow in Novara and Thursday in Piacenza will serve coach Velasco to test the conditions of the Italian group on the pitch which will leave for Antalya on Sunday 12 May for the first week of the tournament. In Turkey, Italdonne will face Poland (14 May), Germany (16 May), Bulgaria (17 May) and in the last match against the hosts Turkey (18 May). “In this period we are working a lot – explains Eleonora Fersino – both from a physical and technical point of view.
Tomorrow’s match is a good test to understand where we are at.
It will take time to bring out all our potential. We all know the importance of the Nations League, it is decisive for Olympic qualification, we will have to start strong immediately.”
Tomorrow’s match will mark the return to the Italian bench not only of Julio Velasco, but also of Massimo Barbolini (2nd coach) and Lorenzo Bernardi, Italian assistant and current coach of Igor Gorgonzola Novara.
On the other side of the net, however, Sweden will be led by coach Giulio Bregoli, second coach of the women’s national team for four seasons from 2017 to 2021, under the management of Davide Mazzanti.
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