Volleyball, Italy's women reach Euro semifinal: Sweden beaten 3-1 in Brno

The Sports section of the morning edition was occupied by tennis from the US Open. This piece changes discipline and the tournament’s continent of reference: from the United States to the Czech Republic, where on September 2, 2026 the quarterfinals of the women’s volleyball European Championship were played.

At the BVV in Brno, Italy beat Sweden 3-1, with sets of 21-25, 26-24, 25-21, 25-23. The first set lost and the second won in extra points tell of a match that remained close almost to the end: 111 minutes of play overall, according to the report published by OA Sport. Opposite hitter Paola Egonu finished with 27 points, the highest individual tally for the team coached by Julio Velasco.

The result is confirmed by the statement from the Italian Volleyball Federation, by the account from Il Post and by the report from Sky Sport: four independent sources, spanning the federation’s statement, the official results from the continental confederation and direct match reports.

The contextual figure that carries more weight than the score itself is continuity: this is the thirteenth European semifinal in the history of the Italian women’s national team, and the last one dated back to 2023. Three years apart in a biennial competition mean that advancing to the next round was not a given, and Sweden’s resistance in the first two sets made that evident.

The bracket structure explains why the Brno match does not settle anything. Italy’s semifinal is scheduled for September 5 in Istanbul, against the winner of the quarterfinal between Poland and the Netherlands, set for September 3 at 3 p.m. Italian time: at the time this piece was published, the opponent had therefore not yet been determined. On the other side of the bracket, Serbia beat Greece 3-0 and awaits the winner of Germany-Turkey. The finals will be played on September 6, also in Istanbul.

The geography of the final stage deserves a note: the quarterfinals were held in Brno, while the semifinals and finals are being played in Turkey. This is now the customary format for continental volleyball championships, with venues spread across several host countries and a single city for the concluding stage. For the teams, this means traveling between rounds, with two days between the Brno match and the one in Istanbul.

On the competitive front, the picture of the four semifinalists — one already confirmed, Serbia — indicates that the tournament did not produce any major upsets in the quarterfinals: the top-rated teams advanced, and the scores (3-1 for Italy, 3-0 for Serbia over Greece) confirm a level gap that is limited but consistent.

The next verifiable piece of information will come from the court on September 3 at 3 p.m. Italian time, when Poland-Netherlands will determine Italy’s opponent; the semifinal will be played two days later in Istanbul, with the final set for September 6 at the same venue.