The level gap was clear as Italy easily defeated Slovakia at the 2025 World Championship.

Italy showcased their status as the top-ranked women's volleyball team in the world with a commanding performance.

The Italian women's volleyball team had a very favorable start at the 2025 Women's Volleyball World Championship with a convincing 3-0 victory over Slovakia (25-20, 25-14, 25-17) in the match held on August 22 in Chiang Mai, Thailand. This result was not surprising given Italy's current position as the number one team in the world rankings.

In the first set, Italy showed early dominance with continuous attacks and effective blocks. Meanwhile, the Slovakian players defended tenaciously with several impressive saves. This allowed them to keep a 3-4 point gap behind Italy without falling too far behind. However, that was all Slovakia could manage, and they eventually lost the first set 20-25.

The second set started very differently as Italy quickly established a large lead, going up 8-0 within minutes. This had a significant psychological impact on the Slovakian players, who made several poor first-ball touches and attacks out of bounds. This one-sided match continued until the end of the second set, with Italy comfortably beating Slovakia 25-14.

After the break, Slovakia began the third set with more enthusiasm, creating a close scoreline against Italy. However, Italy’s superior quality showed at the crucial moments when they scored important points mid-set, extinguishing Slovakia’s momentum. Italy then secured the third set 25-17 and won the match 3-0 overall.

This victory gave Italy a strong start on their journey to conquer this World Championship. Egonu stood out for Italy, scoring 15 points, including 12 precise attacks, becoming a formidable offensive weapon for the team.