Ukraine vs Italy

Set 1 (25-23): The opening set was the tightest of the match. Italy, captained by Daniele Lavia, started sharper, but Ukraine gradually worked their way into the rhythm. Oleh Plotnytskyi led the charge from the outside, while Vasyl Tupchii delivered from the opposite position. Ukraine edged ahead late and closed it out 25-23 after a tense finish.

Set 2 (25-19): Ukraine grew in confidence. Their blocking structure improved markedly, disrupting Italy's setter distribution. The Azzurri struggled to find clean attacking options, and Ukraine built a comfortable lead that they never surrendered, winning 25-19.

Set 3 (25-16): Italy's resistance crumbled. Ukraine's serving pressure — a weapon that had troubled Brazil the day before — forced Italy into reception errors and predictable transitions. Ukraine raced to a commanding lead and sealed the sweep with their most emphatic set of the afternoon, 25-16.

Italy had chances in the first set. They led at various stages and had the quality to push it to deuce. But losing the opener 25-23 after leading broke their momentum. Once Ukraine's block started reading Italy's patterns in the second set — particularly shutting down the middle attacks — the match tilted decisively. The Azzurri never recovered the rhythm that had earned them a world championship in 2025.

Oleh Plotnytskyi (Ukraine): The Ukrainian captain was the dominant force on the court, leading all scorers. His attacking efficiency through the left side, combined with reliable passing in reception, anchored Ukraine's game plan.

Vasyl Tupchii (Ukraine): The opposite hitter provided a steady scoring outlet, punishing Italy's block when they over-committed to Plotnytskyi's side. His serves also contributed to the pressure that broke Italy's reception in the third set.

Giovanni Sanguinetti (Italy): One of Italy's few bright spots. The middle blocker, who scored 13 points against Bulgaria the previous day, remained active at the net but lacked sufficient support from his teammates.

Player of the Match: Oleh Plotnytskyi (Ukraine)

The straight-set scoreline (25-23, 25-19, 25-16) tells a story of growing dominance. Set 1 was genuinely competitive — Italy matched Ukraine through the first 20 points. But the margin widened by the set: from 2 points in set 1, to 6 in set 2, to 9 in set 3. Ukraine's cumulative 75-58 point advantage reflects a match that got progressively less competitive.

The VNL standings page already shows Ukraine's 11-8 set ratio before this match. Adding three set wins and zero set losses moves them to 14-8 — the best set ratio among the 4-2 teams. For Italy, who entered with 13-9 sets and leave with 13-12, the set difference took a significant hit, dropping them behind Ukraine in the tiebreak hierarchy.

Italy's struggles in attack stemmed from two factors visible in the match flow: Ukraine's serving consistently disrupted Italian reception, denying setter options; and Ukraine's block found its timing after the first set. Italy had beaten Ukraine in both previous H2H meetings since 2023, but this was a different Ukrainian side — one that had just beaten Brazil for the first time.

Ukraine improved to 4-2 with 13 points, climbing to joint-fourth in the VNL standings alongside a pack of teams chasing Japan (5-0, 14 points). Italy dropped to 3-3 with 10 points, sliding to seventh. After losing their world No. 1 ranking to Poland following the Bulgaria defeat on Wednesday, this second consecutive loss compounds the damage for the Azzurri.

Ukraine's next fixture is against Slovenia in Ljubljana (date TBC). Italy face Cuba in their next VNL outing, needing a response after back-to-back losses.

Ukraine's rise in VNL 2026 has been one of the stories of the competition. After pushing top teams to five-set losses in Week 1, they have now beaten Brazil and swept Italy in consecutive matches in Ljubljana. This is no longer a Cinderella run — it's a team playing at a level that demands respect from every contender. For Italy, the alarm bells are ringing after two defeats in two days.