The Scandici volleyball team made history in their first appearance at the FIVB Club World Championship, winning the 2025 edition of the tournament in Sao Paulo, for their first title and only the third Italian team to win this prestigious competition.
On Sunday, in the championship final, Skandići dethroned their main rivals, the Koneljana volleyball team, who were defending the title won in 2024, with a score of 3:1 (30:28, 25:19, 21:25, 25:23), thus becoming the new world champions.
The victory in Brazil is the biggest success in the history of Scandici. Founded in 2012–2013 as a team competing in the lower Italian leagues, Scandici had previously won trophies in the CEV Challenge Cup (in 2022) and the CEV Cup (in 2023). The team also reached two other finals – in the Italian league in the 2023/2024 season, and in the CEV Champions League in 2025, but were defeated by Conegliano.
Skandići won the title in São Paulo with a near-perfect score — defeating three continental champions and finishing the competition with five wins and only one lost set, in the final against his Italian rival.
With the defeat in Brazil, Coneljano failed to win its fourth world title (after triumphs in 2019, 2022, and 2024) and to tie with Turkish giants VakifBank as the most successful team at the FIVB Club World Championship.
Olympic and world champion Ekaterina Antropova was unstoppable in the final game, leading the Skandići with 25 points (19 from the attack, 3 blocks, 3 aces), and finished the tournament as the top scorer with a total of 99 points. American Avery Skinner also played a big role in the victory, scoring 18 points, while middle blocker Linda Nvakalor added another 14 points, along with 8 blocks and an ace.
On the Koneljan side, Swedish point guard Isabel Hak scored 20 points (17 from offense, 2 blocks, 1 ace), while Brazilian Gabi Guimaraes added 19 points — but their efforts weren't enough to turn the match around.
Antropova MVP championship
The tournament's most efficient player, Ekaterina Antropova, led the ideal team of the FIVB Club World Championship, winning the MVP award and standing out as the best corrector. She was joined on the ideal team by two teammates from Skandići, two players from Koneljani, as well as one representative each from the Brazilian clubs Osasco Sauda and Dentil Praia, who took third and fourth place, respectively.
The ideal FIVB Club World Championship team:
MVP: Ekaterina Antropova (Skandici)
Best technician: Maja Ognjenović (Skandići)
Best proofreader: Ekaterina Antropova (Skandici)
Best service receivers: Ajveri Skinner (Skandići) and Gabi Gimaraeš (Koneljano)
Best middle blockers: Marina Lubijan (Koneljano) and Adenizija Ferreira (Dentil Praja)
Best libero: Kamila Brajt (Osasko Saude)
The FIVB World Club Championship for Volleyball is already on the agenda next week, to be held in Belem, Brazil. From Tuesday to Sunday, Brazilian clubs Volej Renata, Sada Cruzeiro and Praia, Italian Perugia, Polish Zawiercie, Japanese Osaka, Qatari Al-Rayyan and Libyan Svehli will compete.
Bonus video:
