Memorial Simonetta Avalle - 2nd edition

Top-flight volleyball returns to Rome with two days dedicated to one of the most iconic figures in Italian women’s volleyball, a pioneer in promoting women’s participation in sport. Following the success of last year’s event, the Palazzetto dello Sport on Viale Tiziano is once again opening its doors to the memorial tournament organised by the Rome Territorial Committee of the FIPAV (Italian Volleyball Federation) and the FIPAV Lazio Regional Committee, with the support of the Lazio Region and Roma Capitale.

Born in 1950, Simonetta Avalle was a highly experienced and renowned coach (the first woman to take charge of a Serie A1 team), a leading figure in youth volleyball. Her long career dedicated to the sport began in the late 1960s in the Roman suburb of Tor Sapienza and was spent largely on the court, guiding and supporting generations of female athletes and teaching them the value of teamwork, respect, commitment and passion.

The second edition of the Simonetta Avalle Memorial will officially kick off the 2026/2027 volleyball season with a much-anticipated and heartfelt four-team tournament. On court, to pay tribute to the “First Lady of Volleyball” with the best possible display, four leading teams from the Women’s Serie A are set to face off: Ferraro-SMI Roma Volley, ASD Vesuvio Oplonti Volley, Bartoccini MC-Restauri Perugia and Tenaglia Altino.