Azzurra Volley Firenze

Il Bisonte Firenze
Full nameAzzurra Volley Firenze
Founded1975
GroundPalazzo Wanny, Florence, Italy
(Capacity: 3,500)
ChairmanElio Sità
Head coachFederico Chiavegatti
LeagueFIPAV Women's Serie A1
WebsiteClub home page
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Azzurra Volley Firenze is an Italian women's volleyball club based in Florence and currently playing in the Serie A1.

Previous names

Due to sponsorship, the club have competed under the following names:

  • Volleyball Arci San Casciano (1975–1986)
  • Azzurra Volley San Casciano (1986–2004)
  • Il Bisonte Azzurra Volley San Casciano (2004–2013)
  • Il Bisonte San Casciano (2013–2014)
  • Il Bisonte Firenze (2014–present)

History

Founded in 1975 as Volleyball Arci San Casciano, the club originally focused on youth teams. After becoming Azzurra Volley in 1986, the club start making progress in the lower Italian leagues arriving at Serie B2 and eventually reaching the Serie B1 in 2002. With the team showing good potential, the club search for sponsorship in order to fulfil it. In 2004 with main sponsor found, the club change its name to Il Bisonte Azzurra. In the following years, strong campaigns allow the club to compete for promotion to Serie A2 which was reached in 2012. Two seasons later the club was promoted to Serie A1, as a result, the home venue is changed to the Nelson Mandela Forum in Florence.[1] In February 2022, the club changed its home venue again to the newly built Palazzo Wanny arena.[2]

Team

2025–2026 Team[3]
Number Player Position Height (m) Birth date
1 Nausica Acciarri Middle Blocker 1.86 (2004-09-25) 25 September 2004
4 Rachele Morello Setter 1.82 (2000-11-07) 7 November 2000
5 Sofia Valoppi Libero 1.67 (2003-07-25) 25 July 2003
6 Bianca Bertolino Outside Hitter 1.85 (2002-07-04) 4 July 2002
7 Agata Zuccarelli Opposite 1.80 (1995-02-27) 27 February 1995
8 Alessandra Colzi Middle Blocker 1.80 (1997-05-01) 1 May 1997
9 Francesca Villani Outside Hitter 1.87 (1995-05-30) 30 May 1995
10 Jolien Knollema Outside Hitter 1.89 (2003-01-05) 5 January 2003
12 Ana Malešević Middle Blocker 1.94 (2002-03-30) 30 March 2002
13 Vanja Bukilić Opposite 1.98 (1999-06-13) 13 June 1999
14 Alice Tanase Outside Hitter 1.83 (2000-05-25) 25 May 2000
15 Begüm Kaçmaz Middle Blocker 1.88 (2007-04-26) 26 April 2007
17 Bianca Lapini Libero 1.83 (2002-07-13) 13 July 2002
19 Beatrice Agrifoglio (c) Setter 1.78 (1994-01-01) 1 January 1994

Head coaches

Period Head coach
2012–2016 Francesca Vannini[21]
2016–2018 Marco Bracci[22]
2018–2020 Giovanni Caprara[23]
2020–2021 Marco Mencarelli[24]
2021–2022 Massimo Bellano[25]
2023–2024 Carlo Parisi[26]
2024–2025 Simone Bendandi[27]
2025– Federico Chiavegatti[28]

Notes

  1. ^ Giulia Mancini left the team on 17 December 2024.[4]
  2. ^ Manuela Ribechi left the team on 17 December 2024.[4]
  3. ^ Indy Baijens joined the team on 17 December 2024.[5]
  4. ^ Marta Bechis left the team on 1 November 2024.[4]
  5. ^ Kendall Kipp joined the team on 8 January 2024.[7]
  6. ^ Lauren Stivrins left the team on 23 February 2024.[6]
  7. ^ Carlotta Cambi left the team on 31 December 2022.[8]
  8. ^ Ofelia Malinov joined the team on 12 January 2023.[9]
  9. ^ Indre Sorokaite left the team on 17 January 2022.[10]
  10. ^ Alicia Ogoms joined the team on 15 January 2021.[12]
  11. ^ Jana Franziska Poll joined the team at the end of January 2020.[14]
  12. ^ Alice Degradi left the team on 7 January 2020.[13]
  13. ^ Tijana Malešević joined the team at the end of January 2019.[16]
  14. ^ Marta Bechis left the team on 26 January 2018.[17]
  15. ^ Chiaka Ogbogu joined the team in January 2018.[18]
  16. ^ Laura Dijkema joined the team in January 2018.[19]
  17. ^ Valeria Rosso left the team on 19 January 2017.[20]

References

  1. ^ "Storia". Azzurra Volley San Casciano (in Italian). Retrieved 14 February 2017.
  2. ^ "A Firenze apre Palazzo Wanny". sporteimpianti.it (in Italian). Archived from the original on 29 March 2023. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  3. ^ "Il Bisonte Firenze Team 2025–26". legavolleyfemminile.it (in Italian). Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d "Il Bisonte Firenze Team 2024–25". legavolleyfemminile.it (in Italian). Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  5. ^ "Benvenuta a Firenze Indy Baijens". azzurravolleyfirenze.it (in Italian). 17 December 2024. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  6. ^ a b "Il Bisonte Firenze Team 2023–24". legavolleyfemminile.it (in Italian). Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  7. ^ "Il Bisonte si rinforza con un grande colpo, dagli USA ecco l'opposto Kendall Kipp". azzurravolleyfirenze.it (in Italian). 8 January 2024. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  8. ^ a b "Il Bisonte Firenze Team 2022–23". legavolleyfemminile.it (in Italian). Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  9. ^ "Colpaccio in regia, arriva Ofelia Malinov". azzurravolleyfirenze.it (in Italian). 12 January 2023. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  10. ^ a b "Il Bisonte Firenze Team 2021–22". legavolleyfemminile.it (in Italian). Retrieved 28 June 2025.
  11. ^ "Il Bisonte Firenze Team 2020–21". legavolleyfemminile.it (in Italian). Retrieved 28 June 2025.
  12. ^ "Alicia Ogoms a Firenze". dallarivolley.com (in Italian). 15 January 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  13. ^ a b "Il Bisonte Firenze Team 2019–20". legavolleyfemminile.it (in Italian). Retrieved 28 June 2025.
  14. ^ "Ufficiale: Jana Franziska Poll al Bisonte Firenze, sarà in campo già stasera in Coppa Italia". volleynews.it (in Italian). 29 January 2020. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  15. ^ "Il Bisonte Firenze Team 2018–19". legavolleyfemminile.it (in Italian). Retrieved 28 June 2025.
  16. ^ "Volley, Il Bisonte ha un'arma in più. Dal mercato ecco la schiacciatrice Malesevic". lanazione.it (in Italian). 26 January 2019. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  17. ^ a b "Il Bisonte Firenze Team 2017–18". legavolleyfemminile.it (in Italian). Retrieved 28 June 2025.
  18. ^ "Il Bisonte ingaggia la centrale statunitense Chiaka Ogbogu". fipavfirenze.it (in Italian). 15 January 2018. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  19. ^ "Dijkema ufficiale a Firenze". dal15al25.gazzetta.it (in Italian). 17 January 2018. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  20. ^ a b "Il Bisonte Firenze Team 2016–17". legavolleyfemminile.it (in Italian). Retrieved 28 June 2025.
  21. ^ "Il Bisonte e Francesca Vannini, le strade si separano". legavolleyfemminile.it (in Italian). 14 April 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
  22. ^ "Bracci nuovo coach a Firenze. Skowronska a Bergamo". tuttosport.com (in Italian). 17 May 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
  23. ^ "Volley: A1 Femminile, Giovanni Caprara è il nuovo tecnico di Firenze". tuttosport.com (in Italian). 10 January 2018. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
  24. ^ "Marco Mencarelli è il nuovo allenatore Il Bisonte Firenze". gonews.it (in Italian). 25 February 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
  25. ^ "Massimo Bellano nuovo coach del Bisonte Firenze". volleynews.it (in Italian). 12 April 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
  26. ^ "Firenze chiama Carlo Parisi in panchina". tuttosport.com (in Italian). 4 January 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
  27. ^ "Volley Mercato: Firenze mette in panchina Simone Bendandi". tuttosport.com (in Italian). 14 May 2024. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
  28. ^ "Un giovane coach ravennate in Serie A1: Federico Chiavegatti nuovo coach di Firenze". ravennatoday.it (in Italian). 27 January 2025. Retrieved 28 June 2025.