Paola Egonu

Paola Egonu is an Italian professional volleyball player who plays as an opposite, born on 18 December 1998 in Cittadella, Veneto, to Nigerian parents. She received Italian citizenship at fourteen and debuted for the Italian national team in 2015, the year she was named most valuable player of the U18 World Championship. She played at the 2016, 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games, carrying the flag at the opening ceremony in Tokyo and winning Italy's first Olympic gold in Paris in 2024, where she was named most valuable player. She also led Italy to its first Volleyball Nations League gold in 2022. At club level she has played for Novara, Conegliano, VakıfBank and Vero Volley Milano, and she holds women's volleyball records for highest jump, fastest serve and fastest spike. She has also worked as a television presenter.