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Imoco’s players upon winning the Club World Championship final

In a remake of the 2021 final, Prosecco Doc Imoco Conegliano got back at VakifBank Spor Kulubu to win the Volleyball Women’s Club World Champs 2022 and regain the global crown. Swedish star opposite Isabelle Haak, who had claimed the 2021 title and Most Valuable Player award as a player of the Istanbul club, did it again in 2022 as a player of the Italian team.

Rivalità tra due Top Player

La rivalità sportiva tra Haak e l'italiana Paola Egonu, che si è trasferita nella direzione esattamente opposta, scambiandosi il posto con la svedese, è stata uno dei momenti salienti della finale dei Campionati Mondiali per Club 2022 tra Imoco e VakifBank. Haak e le sue nuove compagne di squadra hanno rovinato i festeggiamenti per il 24° compleanno di Egonu il giorno della partita. Altra rappresentante di una generazione di grandi opposti femminili, la stella serba dell'Eczacibasi Dynavit Istanbul Tijana Boskovic si è classificata seconda alla Haak nella classifica delle migliori realizzatrici del torneo.

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A high-flying Egonu during the final on her 24th birthday

The three players dominated the event. Haak scored a total of 99 points, Boskovic 95 and Egonu 93, almost double that of the next best scorer of the tournament, Brazilian outside hitter Gabriela Guimaraes of VakifBank, who finished fourth on 49 points.

The four players occupied the top of the best attackers’ ranking in the same order. Boskovic emerged as the best server with eight aces. Three players, Americans Chiaka Ogbogu of VakifBank and Kelsey Robinson of Imoco, and Brazilian Thaisa Menezes of fourth-placed Gerdau Minas of Belo Horizonte shared the top of the best blockers’ chart with eight stuffs each. VakifBank’s Russian outside Irina Voronkova, Imoco’s Italian libero Monica De Gennaro and Eczacibasi’s Serbian playmaker Maja Ognjenovic topped the charts for best receiver, best digger and best setter, respectively.

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MVP Haak spikes against her previous team in the 2022 final

A 23-year-old Isabelle Haak became the second player in the history of the competition to claim the MVP award twice, after Chinese standout Zhu Ting earned the nomination in 2017 and 2018. Haak also headlined the Club World Champs 2022 Dream Team, which included seven athletes, all from the two finalist teams:

Best Setter: Joanna Wolosz (Prosecco Doc Imoco Conegliano)

Best Opposite: Isabelle Haak (Prosecco Doc Imoco Conegliano)

Best Outside Hitters: Kelsey Robinson (Prosecco Doc Imoco Conegliano) and Gabriela Guimaraes (VakifBank Spor Kulubu)

Best Middle Blockers: Chiaka Ogbogu (VakifBank Spor Kulubu) and Zehra Gunes (VakifBank Spor Kulubu)

Best Libero: Monica De Gennaro (Prosecco Doc Imoco Conegliano)

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The Volleyball Women’s Club World Champs 2022 Dream Team

Con il secondo titolo e la terza medaglia complessiva (dopo l'oro del 2019 e l'argento del 2021), il club di Conegliano si è qualificato per l'edizione 2022 dei Campionati Mondiali per Club come secondo classificato della CEV Champions League. Ha vinto la Pool A dopo aver eliminato il Dentil Praia Clube di Uberlandia, in Brasile, e superato i padroni di casa del torneo Eczacibasi in quattro set. Hanno poi spazzato via il Minas in semifinale e hanno ottenuto una vittoria per 3-1 (25-18, 23-25, 25-21, 25-21) sul VakifBank nella grande finale. Nella sola partita per la medaglia d'oro, Isabelle Haak ha impressionato con ben 34 punti.

“We played a fantastic match and I'm really happy! I love my team. We didn't know how it would go, but we knew we had a great team and we couldn't wait to confront these great opponents. We went forward step by step and did a great job.” Isabelle Haak, opposite of Prosecco Doc Imoco Conegliano, Club World Championship 2022 gold medallist and MVP
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Coach Santarelli during the final

Imoco’s Italian head coach Daniele Santarelli, who also led the Serbian national team to the title at the FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship earlier in 2022, became the first coach in history simultaneously in charge of the world champions at both club and national team levels.

“I am overjoyed for this club, which has allowed me to coach an incredible team. I think this trophy is well deserved. We had a tough journey, but we did everything we had to do. It's a wonderful group! I'm happy to have given great joy to the fans of Conegliano.” Daniele Santarelli, head coach of Prosecco Doc Imoco Conegliano, Club World Championship 2022 gold medallist

Defending club world champions VakifBank qualified for the 2022 edition as European continental champions after defeating Imoco in May’s Champions League gold medal game. Their journey to the world final consisted of straight-set wins over Kuanysh Club of Petropavl, Kazakhstan and Gerdau Minas in Pool B, and Eczacibasi in an all-Turkish semifinal. By claiming the silver medals, they kept alive the tradition of making it to the podium every time they participate in the Club World Championships. The competition’s most decorated club has now collected four golds, two silvers and two bronze medals.

Their city rivals Eczacibasi added the 2022 bronze to the world titles they conquered in 2015 and 2016, the silver medals they won in 2019 and the bronze medals from 2018.

Il Campionato mondiale di pallavolo femminile per club 2022 si è svolto dal 14 al 18 dicembre nella città mediterranea turca di Antalya con la partecipazione di sei squadre. Si è trattato della 15ª edizione della competizione.