Italy Survives Swedish Scare to Reach EuroVolley 2026 Semifinals as Haak Makes History

The Pavilion P at the Brno Exhibition Centre was supposed to be a routine stop on Italy's march to the CEV EuroVolley 2026 semifinals. Instead, Wednesday's quarterfinal turned into an absolute heavyweight title fight. The reigning Olympic and world champions survived a massive scare from a surging Swedish squad, securing a 3-1 victory (21-25, 26-24, 25-21, 25-23) to punch their ticket to Istanbul.[1][4][7]

Sweden, led by head coach Lorenzo Micelli, made it clear from the opening serve that they were not just happy to be there. Despite Italy jumping out to an 11-6 lead in the first set, the Scandinavians refused to fold. Isabelle Haak and her sister Anna Haak orchestrated a stunning turnaround, leveling the score at 14-14 before closing out the frame 25-21. It marked only the second set Italy had dropped in the entire tournament.[1][6][7]

The match hinged entirely on the final moments of the second set. Sweden built a 23-21 advantage, standing just two points away from taking a commanding 2-0 lead over the tournament favorites. But under the guidance of 74-year-old head coach Julio Velasco, Italy's superstars woke up. Paola Egonu delivered a crucial line shot to tie the score at 23-23, and Ekaterina Antropova hammered home the decisive set point on her second attempt to snatch a 26-24 win.[1][4][7]

From there, the statistical realities of Italy's depth began to take over. The Azzurre hit a blistering 51% team attack efficiency compared to Sweden's 43%, committing just eight unforced errors over four grueling sets. Egonu led the Italian charge with 27 points, while Antropova added 22.[4][5]

Sweden actually won the battle at the net, out-blocking Italy 9-4, but the Italian back row stabilized when it mattered most. Miriam Sylla chipped in 14 points, including the match-sealing kill in the fourth set after Sweden had erased a 17-12 deficit to briefly take a 22-20 lead. Libero Eleonora Fersino anchored the floor defense, keeping the Swedish attack from running away with the momentum.[4][5][7]

Even in defeat, the night belonged to Isabelle Haak. The Swedish opposite hitter delivered a performance for the ages, racking up an astonishing 42 points on 78 swings against one of the most formidable defenses in global volleyball.[2][3][4]

That staggering offensive output pushed her tournament total to 247 points, officially breaking the EuroVolley single-championship scoring record. She surpassed the previous mark of 229 points set by Serbia's Tijana Bošković during the 2023 tournament.[2][3][4]

"I can only thank the team for giving me all these opportunities, but it's not something I set as a goal to tick off," Isabelle Haak told reporters regarding the historic milestone. Her sister Anna Haak echoed the sentiment of a program that has fundamentally arrived on the world stage. "I am so proud of this team," she told SVT. "That we are challenging the Olympic champions, the world champions, to this level. I didn't think that was possible several years ago."[2][3]

Italy now packs their bags for the Sinan Erdem Sports Hall in Istanbul, where they will face the winner of the Poland-Netherlands quarterfinal on September 5. They remain unbeaten in seven matches at EuroVolley 2026. Sweden heads home, but they leave the Czech Republic having proven they possess the firepower to push the absolute elite to the brink.[1][7]