The pride of Padua: the Plebiscito girls are crowned Italian junior champions.

The Italian Junior Women's Water Polo Championships have concluded, held in the pools of the Plebiscito Sports Center in Padua. This edition will go down in history for the home team, which capped an extraordinary season by winning the title of 2025 Italian Junior Champions.

The Plebiscito Padova girls performed flawlessly, finishing the tournament undefeated. After dominating their group with three wins out of three—against Sis Roma, Ekipe Orizzonte, and Roma Vis Nova Pallanuoto—their progress continued with victories in the quarterfinals against Sori Pool Beach and in the semifinals against US Locatelli Genova, securing their place in the final. In the final, Cs PLebiscito faced Bogliasco 1951 in a fiercely contested match, watched by a large and enthusiastic crowd. Balance was key from the start: the first half ended 3-2 for the home team, who maintained their lead at the end of the second set, 6-5. In the third period, Bogliasco fought back, taking a 7-6 lead. But in the final quarter, the Plebiscito girls delivered a decisive response, turning the score around and closing the match at 9-8, becoming the 2025 Italian champions.

Coach Stefano Posterivo expressed great satisfaction, declaring: "It's a wonderful victory. This group deserved an Italian title: we'd come close before, but we'd never achieved it. The fact that many of them are already regulars in Serie A1 certainly helped. I'm very happy with the atmosphere we've created: the girls from the first team, Laura Teani, who still plays, but also Elisa Queirolo and Alessia Casson, who are no longer playing and are here to support them, and the girls who have finished their youth careers, who are here crying with joy for their teammates. I really like this team spirit, and I have to thank each and every one of them, even those who played less or were unable to participate in this final for reasons unrelated to performance. They all played well, and now it's right to enjoy this moment."

At the awards ceremony, Padua City Councilor for Sport Diego Bonavina and Federal Coach Giacomo Grassi presented the medals and the Italian Champion Cup to the team from the Plebiscito Padova Sports Center. Stefano Posterivo was recognized as Italian Champion Coach. Individual awards went to the Plebiscito athletes: Emma Pozzani was named Best Goalkeeper and was presented with the award by Giacomo Grassi and Laura Teani, Olympic silver medalist at Rio 2016; and Beatrice Cassarà, who won the title of Best Player, presented by Giacomo Grassi, Arnaldo Deserti, World Champion at Shanghai 2011, and Elisa Queirolo, European Champion at Eindhoven 2012 and Olympic silver medalist at Rio 2016.

The Italian Champion team: Emma Pozzani (C), Emma Bacelle, Federica Bozzolan (C), Valentina Sgrò, Beatrice Battel, Noemi Leonardi, Margherita Alecci, Sara Sabbadin, Carlotta Breda, Carolina Sartori, Giulia Vanin, Beatrice Cassarà, Beatrice Destro, Noemi Gastaldon, Anita Sarto, Elly Pasqualin, Anna Bortolami.