Italy's Volleyball Team Reaches Round of 16 at EuroVolley
Listen to the story
Italy's women's volleyball team has had a strong start at EuroVolley 2026, the European championship. The team is led by well-known coach Julio Velasco.
In their final match of the group stage, Italy beat France 3-1. This result confirmed Italy as the top team in their group.
Finishing first in the group is important because it can give a team an easier path in the next rounds of the tournament.
Thanks to this win, Italy will now play in the round of 16, known in Italian as the "ottavi di finale". Their next opponent will be Bulgaria.
The match against Bulgaria will be a knockout game, meaning the losing team will be out of the competition. Only the winner will move on to the quarter-finals.
Julio Velasco is one of the most respected coaches in volleyball history. He has led national teams to major titles in the past, and his experience is seen as a key advantage for Italy.
The Italian federation has also released the full bracket and match schedule for the tournament, showing how each stage will unfold, from the current round through to the final.
With a group-stage win over France and a place in the last 16, Italy's players and fans are hopeful the team can continue its strong run at EuroVolley 2026.
Vocabulary7 words
- volleyball
- a sport where two teams hit a ball over a net
- EuroVolley
- the name of the big European volleyball competition
- group stage
- the first part of a competition when teams play in small groups
- tournament
- a series of games to find one winner
- round of 16
- the stage of a competition with 16 teams left
- knockout
- a type of match where the loser leaves the competition
- bracket
- a chart showing which teams play each other in a competition
Quiz
Answer key
1. First place 2. Italy won 3-1 3. Bulgaria
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Italy's women's volleyball team has had a strong start at EuroVolley 2026, the European _____. The team is led by well-known coach Julio Velasco.
In their final match of the group stage, Italy beat France _____. This result confirmed Italy as the top team in their group.
Finishing first in the group is important because it can give a team an easier path in the next rounds of the _____.
Thanks to this win, Italy will now play in the _____, known in Italian as the "ottavi di finale". Their next opponent will be Bulgaria.
The match against Bulgaria will be a _____ game, meaning the losing team will be out of the competition.
Julio Velasco is one of the most respected _____ in volleyball history.
The Italian federation has also released the full _____ and match schedule for the tournament.
With a group-stage win over France and a place in the last 16, Italy's players and fans are _____ the team can continue its strong run.