Antonella Del Core, Nadia Centoni, Martina Giuggi and Alessia Orro welcome their teammates to Bari after arriving first
Bari, Italy, June 15, 2016 – The Italy women’s volleyball team landed in Bari on Tuesday to compete in the FIVB World Grand Prix against the Netherlands, Russia and Thailand from June 17 to 19).
After training in Milan, the first players to arrive were Alessia Orro, Antonella Del Core, Nadia Centoni and Martina Giuggi. They were followed by the group from the Brazilian phase of the competition: Ofelia Malinov, Valentina Diouf, Serena Ortolani, Paola Egonu, Miriam Sylla, Ilaria Spirito, Anna Danesi, Laura Melandri, Cristina Chirichella, Immacolata Sirressi and Monica De Gennaro.
Alessia Gennari arrived separately accompanied by the team’s doctor, Roberto Vannicelli. The spiker will focus on her recovery after undergoing an MRI on Tuesday in Rome. Fortunately, the check to not reveal any problems.
Russia arrived in Bari first on Monday followed by the Netherlands on Tuesday. Thailand were delayed by bad weather and were expected to arrive on Wednesday.
“It’s going to be a weekend of high-level volleyball, a tough one indeed,” Antonella Del Core said. “We are ready and thrilled to get back on the court. Our target is to come together as a group and I’m sure we can do that without any problem. In 2014, the crowd here were greater than having a seventh player; it’s a cherished memory for me. So, we are ready to face this World Grand Prix with the right spirit as we get ready for what’s ahead in August.”
Nadia Centoni commented: “The Azzurre did well in Brazil. Marco Bonitta rotated the players so all were given a chance to play. I believe he’s going to do the same this weekend. These matches make us grow as a team. The Netherlands, Russia and Thailand are very strong opponents, so we’re going to be seeing high-level volleyball.”