EuroVolleyM 2023: Alessandro Michieletto ready for another challenge

Silent leader of the Azzurri, 21-year-old lefty outside hitter Alessandro Michieletto, reigning European and World Champion with Italian national team, will drive Italy to the upcoming EuroVolley 2023, looking out for another gold medal

Inside the locker room, despite the young age, Alessandro Michieletto is a silent leader.

The definition of silent leader is:

“positive, present, progressive and thoughtful in his overall demeanor. Never speaks first, weighting the answers before speaking, but spreading confidence in every his behaviour”.

These words seem to be the exact portrait of 21-year-old lefty outside hitter Alessandro Michieletto, reigning European and World Champion with Italian national team, a man with strong charisma and personality mingled with enormous volleyball talent, big skills on court and hard work ethic in practice.

Michieletto’s family is a volleyball family.

His father Riccardo, Team Manager of Alessandro’s team, reigning Italian champs Itas Trentino, was a professional volleyball player in powerhouse Maxicono Parma in the Eighties, and Alessandro’s sisters are both volleyball players at Italian top level.

Alessandro grew up in Trentino Volley youth leagues, first in the role of libero then switching to outside hitter, making his debut in Italian Superleague in 2019/20 at 18, when he was already a superstar of youth Italian national teams.

With the young Italians Alessandro Michieletto won everything, Youth Olympic Festival Under 19, World Championship Under 19, World Championship Under 21, always showing leadership and mental strength, a man among boys, earning plenty of individual awards, MVP of European Championships Under 20 and World Championship Under 21

He was ready for the main stage, and his club and national team coaches gave him the chance to show his outstanding talent.

At the age of 18 he was put on the court by Itas Trentino’s head coach Angelo Lorenzetti in the delicate CEV Champions League road match versus Czech Jihostroj Ceske Budejovice, who were up 2-0 in the game, but with outsider Alessandro Michieletto on court Trento was able to comeback and win the game at tie break, with Michieletto who scored 8 points in his CEV Champions League debut on road.

He made his debut with Italian national team senior in 2021, selected for Volleyball Nations League and Olympic Games by head coach Gianlorenzo Blengini, stepping up one more time, showing his talent and his power at the top level.

In his Olympics’ debut on 24th July 2021 in first game of Tokyo 2020 Italy versus Canada, he was the unsung hero, driving the Azzurri to a tie break win over Canada, scoring 24 decisive points hand in hand with veteran spiker Osmany Juantorena, who immediately recognize him as great hammer and outstanding leader.

Every time Alessandro made a debut in an important tournament, he handled the pressure as a confident veteran.

He’s very comfortable under pressure and, as the real champions, he's able to step up and go to the next level, improving his performances and being focused and productive despite the importance of the main stage.

Later in the 2021 summer, still at the age of 19, Alessandro Michieletto had a great impact also in EuroVolley 2021, driving the Azzurri to the victory of the tournament with a bunch of outstanding performances, as in Semi-Final versus Serbia, scoring 23 points, and in the Final versus Slovenia, scoring 17 points in Italy’s tie break win, being awarded with the trophy of Best Outside Hitter of EuroVolley 2021.

One year after, in World Championship in Poland/Slovenia, Alessandro scored 14 points versus France in Quarter-Final, the real turning point for Italy in the tournament, and 14 points in the 3-1 win over home team Poland in the final, once again several strong performances for him, and once again a great display of leadership and power for the young lefty spiker.

Last July, in eleven Volleyball Nations League games, Michieletto scored 145 points with an average of 13.2 ppg, second top scorer of Italy behind opposite Yuri Romanò, confirming his good shape approaching the upcoming EuroVolley 2023.

Defending champs Italy will be the favourite team for gold in upcoming EuroVolley 2023, and Alessandro Michieletto will be one of the (several) top players on court for head coach Ferdinando De Giorgi.