Ekaterina Antropova stepped up brilliantly for Italy, scoring a tournament-high 31 points to secure a hard-fought five-set victory over Germany in the Volleyball Nations League 2025 on Thursday in Rio de Janeiro.
The 22-year-old Olympic champion was thrust into the starting lineup after star opposite Paola Egonu was rested due to feeling unwell during pre-game training. Antropova didn't disappoint, delivering a standout performance in Italy's 3-2 (22-25, 25-10, 20-25, 25-13, 15-9) win.
"I'm incredibly happy that we were able to get this win," Antropova said after the match. "It wasn't an easy match for us, and I'm happy that we did it. We absolutely still need to get our rhythm back."
Antropova's 31-point haul (21 kills, six blocks, four aces) matched Belgian Britt Herbots' output earlier in the day, establishing them as the top scorers in the VNL 2025 so far. Outside hitter Alice Degradi also made a significant impact off the bench, contributing 16 points in just the final two sets.
For Germany, who had swept Korea in their tournament opener, outside hitter Lina Alsmeier and opposite Lena Kindermann each tallied 15 points in the losing effort.
In the day's second match at the Maracanãzinho stadium, hosts Brazil delighted home fans by sweeping the United States 3-0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-19). The victory kept Brazil perfect in the tournament, making them the only team yet to drop a set after two matches.
Olympic bronze medalist Ana Cristina Souza dominated for Brazil with 20 points (16 kills, two blocks, two aces), while teammate Tainara Santos added 12 points to the winning cause.
The Americans, fielding a young lineup in the opening week, were led by Logan Eggleston with 13 points and captain Veronica Jones-Perry with nine.
Interestingly, this match was a rematch of Olympic medalists, as Brazil (bronze) and the United States (silver) had flanked gold medalist Italy on the podium at last year's Paris Olympics.
Italy will aim for their third straight victory on Friday against Korea, while the United States will face Czechia as both teams search for their first win in the tournament. Can the defending Olympic champions maintain their perfect start without their star player? The volleyball world will be watching.
