Italian Women NT 2021

    Quote from avid

    Wisconsin. She used to play for a smaller school, Wichita State.

    Well i found some info

    Civita is no stranger to competition, and earned high accolades since her time in Italy. Twice named the best libero in Italy, Civita competed with the U18 Italian National team in 2013 and 2014


    Since this she was the same generation with guerra,nicoletti,danesi and malinov,i remember that wch well and i don't remember her

    That year libero was de bortoli i think

    My fav MB from Italy is Danesi. IMO Cristina and Folie will be at starting 6. Danesi will be benched. Fahr is still young and can wait Paris 2024.

    How tall is Sylla? FIVB says 184 but she doesn't look that tall. Maybe 181?

    Quote from sloth

    Imoco's website says 181

    Thanks for answer, that sounds more realistic

    Quote from zhutingfan

    I thought she was way taller than that, like 190

    nooo, haven't you see her next to Egonu, Sylla is as tall as Egonu's shoulders:lol:

    A little offtopic here, but do you think that this short interview with Katerina Antropova from December is some sort of a confirmation that she's willing to choose Italy over Russia in her international eligibility as soon as she gets 'full' Italian citizenship and possibility of being called-up by Italy Senior NT?


    https://www.targatocn.it/2020/…te-ekaterina-antropo.html


    I've searched for an information with Antropova publicly speaking about her feelings about potential senior career in one of National Teams she'll be able to represent, because she gets some notion as a great volleyball prospect in Italian press, but I found only this short interview. From a context I guess this was a question about Italian National Team, so her saying it would be very kind and nice to being called-up would suggest she's positive about representing Italy.


    It's a long way to go for her being good enough to represent Italy, but I don't think she's any worse prospect than Stysiak considering her production in A2 (25pts per game with amazing block and offensive serve) and height, so it would be huge for Italian volleyblal to get another prospect with some international potential.

    Imo

    I would love that,she's so good and seems to have a bright future

    She has signed with savino so she spend a oot of time in Italy


    Only thing Imo that comolicates her is paper process...in Italy it takes too long to get the papers and to participate in NT

    So if russia call her and she want,she could go


    While in countries like Turkey,Serbia it's so easy

    one question for you

    Who would you think is more likely to be Egonu's back up in NT


    Imo now it seems that Mingardi and Nwakalor are the big candidates


    Mingardi has proven this season that she can bright not only in Italy but also in Europe and against strong teams....I have my doubts

    Nwakalor is like mazzanti's girl and this season she was quite astonishing with big scores.....I think she had the best performance in one match of this season


    Behind them I see piani that I always loved since she was opp in Italy when Egonu was OH,she had a big talent and prove when go out of bench in Busto and then rocks in A2 and now in A1 proves herself


    Also Enweonwu is on the run but I didn't like her this season...nwakalor was good but also with some bad moments and when she enters she never did something to take the starting position besides few good moments.


    Other players that I like is Frosini and Antropova

    Both are ruling in serie A2

    Frosini was the best in her position in last U18 wch and now carrying Club Italia


    Antropova is leading in best scorers and even is she's russian she said that she want to play for NT soo


    I really don't know who will it be but the one chosen should help

    In 2018 any opp help Italy:ortolani,nwakalor and mingardi floppef

    In 2019 it was better:Sorokaite was amazing and even Nicoletti did a decent job

    Frosini is nothing special unfortunately, she's not dominant on A2 level, and she'll be 19yo already this year. She can become a solid player, but I wouldn't perceive her as any potential difference maker, with Egonu, Nwakalor, solid players like Mingardi and Piani, and then Antropova, and maybe Enweonwu. She can develop into Piani-like type of player, but with this number of solid opposites, will she be a factor here? I don't think so. Antropova is much better, their stats in A2 are incomparable, and it can't be explained only by the level of their teams, Antropova is scoring like 10 points per game more on better efficiency, and she's even younger.


    If you ask about Tokyo, it may be Sorokaite, because of 12-people rosters, her versatility may be very useful, and then IMHO Mingardi, because she got a lot of experience in Busto this year.


    In longer perspective of time, it will be one of Antropova and Nwakalor. Mingardi and Piani are okay for a second opposite spot, but Nwakalor is physically suited for a big volleyball while the other two, especially Mingardi, have its limitations. Curve of the development of Nwakalor is also very interesting: she's been pretty average even one year ago, while this season she's been among very best opposites in Serie A. If she continues to grow, she may be even better next year, not to mention her prime. Antropova is even more talented, she's probably among the most talented teenage opposites in the world, she's probably A1 material already while being only 18yo, but until I see a confirmation about her citizenship status, it's only a theory to talk about her in context of Italian NT.


    The only position where Italy is lacking a group of really solid talents is defensive/allround OH position: there's Cate who's 27yo and theoretically can play through Paris Olympics, but in fact you have to have some solid substitute for VNL/Euros/alternative for some injury factor (and Bosetti has her history with those) - and I don't think Italy has any, Perinelli is solid, but she's not tested on international level and she got severely injured lately, Populini hasn't been defensive OH when she used to play, Sara Bellia is too young (although I liked her in junior competitions), Gardini is rather offensive OH.


    And that might be an Achilles heel of Italy in next years to come, because on other positions they have quality and depth to really dominate in female volleyball: Egonu, awesome middles, good setters and several talented offensive OHs (Pietrini, Sylla, Omoruyi, Gardini) and liberos to replace De Gennaro. But there's only one Cate to fill a spot of more defensive OH.


    On the other hand, with Bosetti they can build a dream team without any weakness.

    About frosini I disagree

    She was best scorer in almost all club italia matches in this season and she performs well almost with all teams

    Frosini is a solid talent, but she's not dominant on A2 level, IMHO she needs at least one more season in A2 to be ready for bigger role in A1. She's averaging 14.7 points per game in one of the weaker teams in A2, it's not like she's above a level of A2, at least for now, in some matches Gardini was a first option on offense for Club Italia.


    She (Frosini) may develop into really nice player, but I don't think she'll be any difference maker for a country that has Egonu, Mingardi, Nwakalor, Piani, Enweonwu or perhaps Antropova. Antropova is an example of a player that is clearly much, much better than A2 level already, she's like heads and shoulders over any other player there, it's pity that she decided to go to play for Scandicci, but maybe she gets her chances in some matches if Scandicci is finally good, like Omoruyi this year.

    I agree on Frosini, she's a good player but even in A2 she's not dominant I don't see her becoming NT team material, I honestly think Ituma is more promising. Last year in Volleyrò I really liked Diop, but she was totally wasted this year in Roma. Adelusi is good, but she should go back to play as OH full time and not opposite IMO. This year in A2 there were some interesting players that I would like to see tested on A1, also Piva (OH from Ravenna) was surprisingly good.

    Quote from voulter

    I agree on Frosini, she's a good player but even in A2 she's not dominant I don't see her becoming NT team material, I honestly think Ituma is more promising. Last year in Volleyrò I really liked Diop, but she was totally wasted this year in Roma. Adelusi is good, but she should go back to play as OH full time and not opposite IMO. This year in A2 there were some interesting players that I would like to see tested on A1, also Piva (OH from Ravenna) was surprisingly good.

    If I'm not wrong besides Egonu any player of club Italia lately was so good in A2

    Not even nwakalor or omoruyi

    I has hope on her


    I forget adelusi,she has stunnibg this year

    I agree with you about defensive OH position. I had high hopes from Perinelli because her attacking also improved in last two seasons. It is very unfortunate that she got injured. She could definitely play in VNL this summer to get some international experience.


    Also L. bosetti is playing as a second libero nowadays. Her contribution at offense is not existent, which wasn't the case before her injury.


    I think second Opp should be sorokaite since she can play both oh and opp.


    Who do you think will be libero after de gennaro retires?

    I also think the second Opp will be Sorokaite (even though she didn't have a good season in Japan).

    I would try in VNL both Nwakalor and Mingardi (and possibly Piani) but I think Nicoletti also will be called, even though I don't really like her.


    To be honest, in Tokyo I would take Cate Bosetti, Lucia Bosetti, Sylla and Pietrini as OHs and only De Gennaro as Libero (given that eventually Lucia can play as libero/enter in back row and Sorokaite con play as OH). I'm not really sure this will happen since L. Bosetti has been on the bench the entire season but I still think that would be the best choice.


    For liberos I think il will be Parrocchiale, since she has been the back up in NT all along. I really like De Bortoli though, I hope she will be given a chance in VNL. (it is a bit too early for her, but I think also Moro showed nice things this season)