Former Italian Volleyball Player Stefania Corna Dies at 35 After Illness

Stefania Corna, a former Italian volleyball player who competed across Serie A1 and Serie A2 during a versatile professional career, has died at the age of 35 following an illness. Her death brings widespread mourning to the Italian volleyball community, touching clubs across the country where she played from her youth development years through her senior career.

Born into the sport within the youth sector of Foppapedretti Bergamo, Corna developed as a setter in one of Italy’s most prominent club nurseries. Her foundational years led to a stint with Club Italia before she reached the top-flight Serie A1 division during the 2007-08 season. Standing at 1.92 meters tall, Corna later transitioned from her traditional setter role to play as a middle blocker, utilizing her height and physical attributes to adapt across different divisions.

Over more than a decade of competitive play, Corna represented a wide array of clubs across Italy. Her career path included stops at Milano, Parma, Pavia, Giaveno, Casalmaggiore, Montichiari, and Scandicci, spanning both Serie A1 and Serie A2. Beyond domestic leagues, she also took her career abroad with spells at Carthage in Tunisia and Kanti Schaffhausen in Switzerland.

At the international level, Corna represented Italy across youth national teams ranging from Under-18 to Under-20. Her tenure in the Azzurre youth setup peaked in 2006, when she won the Under-19 European Championship.

In the 2022-23 season, Corna returned to her home province to join CBL Costa Volpino, helping the club secure promotion from Serie B1 to Serie A2. Roberto Dell’Orto, general manager of CBL Costa Volpino, recalled her impact in the team’s final months of that promotion campaign. She was with us for only a few months, in the final part of the season, because one of our middle blockers had sustained an injury, Dell’Orto said, noting that she contributed significant experience and integrated smoothly into the squad despite battling minor physical ailments of her own.

After stepping away from competitive volleyball, Corna pursued a career as an English teacher, returning to her passion for foreign languages. She is survived by her husband, Alejandro Rizo Gonzales, an Italian-Cuban opposite hitter who previously trialed with Bergamo-based Serie A2 clubs Olimpia Agnelli and Tipiesse Cisano, as well as her mother Claudia, father Stefano, and brother Attilio.

Funeral services have been scheduled for Friday, October 9, at 10:00 a.m. at the Church of San Giorgio Martire in Boltiere, where family, former teammates, and members of the Italian volleyball community will gather for her final farewell.