TEAM COMPOSITION

ITA / Italy - Team Composition

Team manager	Federico Cristofori
Head coach	Massimo Barbolini
Assistant coach	Marco Bracci
Doctor	Fabrizio Ferrazza
Therapist / trainer	Laura Rosi
Journalist

	No.	Name	Lastname	Shirt Name	Birthdate	Height	Weight	Spike	Block
	1	Sara	Anzanello	Anzanello	30.07.1980	193	78	316	298
	2	Cristina	Barcellini	Barcellini	20.11.1986	183	78	307	292
L	3	Paola	Croce	Croce	06.03.1978	167	52	290	265
	4	Letizia	Camera	Camera	01.10.1992	175	62	285	270
	5	Giulia	Rondon	Rondon	16.10.1987	189	74	304	280
	6	Monica	De Gennaro	De Gennaro	08.01.1987	174	67	292	270
	7	Martina	Guiggi	Guiggi	01.05.1984	183	69	315	290
	8	Jenny	Barazza	Barazza	24.07.1981	188	77	300	285
	9	Caterina	Bosetti	Bosetti	02.02.1994	179	59	299	281
	10	Paola	Cardullo	Cardullo	18.03.1982	159	56	275	268
C	11	Serena	Ortolani	Ortolani	07.01.1987	187	63	308	288
	12	Francesca	Piccinini	Piccinini	10.01.1979	184	71	304	279
	13	Valentina	Arrighetti	Arrighetti	26.01.1985	185	72	294	280
	14	Eleonora	Lo Bianco	Lo Bianco	22.12.1979	171	67	287	273
	15	Antonella	Del Core	Del Core	05.11.1980	180	70	296	279
	16	Lucia	Bosetti	Bosetti	09.07.1989	175	65	306	286
	17	Simona	Gioli	Gioli	17.09.1977	185	70	307	283
	18	Carolina del Pilar	Costagrande	Costagrande	15.10.1980	188	80	312	291
	19	Raphaela	Folie	Folie	07.03.1991	186	82	307	283
	20	Alessia	Gennari	Gennari	03.11.1991	184	68	302	284
	21	Immacolata	Sirressi	Sirressi	19.05.1990	175	62	284	260
	22	Giulia	Pisani	Pisani	04.06.1992	184	69	313	298
	23	Noemi	Signorile	Signorile	15.02.1990	182	74	284	265
	24	Valentina	Zago	Zago	21.02.1990	186	77	305	284
	25	Gilda	Lombardo	Lombardo	02.07.1989	183	61	305	293

C=Captain L=Libero

Team profile

Volleyball is the most practised women’s sport in Italy thanks to recent results, including the 2007 FIVB World Cup title. Italy gained a position among women’s volleyball elite with their first Olympic qualification in 2000 where they finished ninth. Prior to that, their best performance at international level was fifth at the 1998 FIVB World Championship.

Italy first took part in the FIVB World Grand Prix in 1994 while in 2001 they reached their first continental final and a year later they picked up the ultimate honour – the FIVB Women’s World Championship title with an outstanding performance in Germany. The year 2004 saw the side finish fifth at the Olympic Games and second at the FIVB World Grand Prix. In 2005 they took silver again at the FIVB World Grand Prix before winning bronze in 2006, and 2007 was a golden year for the side as they won the European Championship and the FIVB World Cup.

In 2008 they finished fifth again at the Olympics and picked up their third bronze medal at the FIVB World Grand Prix, a feat they repeated in 2010, and they also won the 2009 FIVB World Grand Champions Cup. They then followed this up with victory at the 2011 FIVB World Cup to book their place at the London 2012 Olympic Games later this year.

Coach profile

After a successful playing career, which included three World Championship titles (1990, 1994, 1998), Marco Bracci was appointed assistant coach of Italy’s national women’s team in 2006. As assistant to Massimo Barbolini, with the “Azzurre” he won two European Championships (2007, 2009), the FIVB World Grand Champions Cup 2009 and two FIVB World Cups (2007, 2011). He also took part in the 2008 Olympic Games. Regular coach Barbolini is expected back for the Olympics missing the World Grand Prix due to family reasons.