What lies behind the Alma Mater Studiorum’s double triumph – in men’s basketball and women’s volleyball? A bit of luck is undeniable. The sort of luck that, for example, eluded Jordan Losi and his girls, who, after two consecutive continental titles, found themselves in ninth place despite a record of four wins and just one defeat.
Gold in men’s basketball following last year’s second-place finish, achieved in the shadow of the Two Towers. Gold in women’s volleyball too. Two highly prestigious achievements rooted in a journey built up over time. Of course, a touch of luck helps. But good fortune alone is not enough. The double European title – not forgetting that a year ago, at the National University Championships, the Alma Mater Studiorum topped the medal table – is the result of sound planning and a vision that has been developing for years.
No other Italian university has managed to win so much since 2017. Why 2017 in particular? Because it was in Miskolc, Hungary – with a young Pippo Ricci who was not yet a national team champion – that the first men’s basketball title was won. Over the past nine years, taking into account the two seasons lost to the pandemic, the university has secured five titles in men’s basketball, the same number in women’s volleyball, two titles in women’s basketball and numerous other podium finishes.
Giacomo Bergamini, president of the University Sports Committee, also reflects on these results. “Congratulations and thanks to all the students who took part in the European University Championships in Salerno,” says Bergamini, “representing the University of Bologna with passion and commitment. The gold medals in men’s basketball and women’s volleyball are a source of great satisfaction, as is the table tennis team’s excellent European debut. Thanks are also due to the coaches and all the staff who contributed to these significant successes.”
These results stem from consistent work involving planning, scouting and attention to detail. The Alma Mater carefully selects its student-athletes, invests wholeheartedly in the dual career model – the pathway that allows top-level athletes to balance competitive sport with their university studies – and builds a network of partnerships with local clubs. This model enables athletes to excel in both sport and their studies.
Yet even this is not enough to explain everything. It’s the details that make the difference. You only need to listen to what the champions have to say to understand what it’s all about. Anyone who has worn the Alma Mater jersey describes the same experience: being given the best possible conditions to perform to the full, feeling part of a big family, and taking pride in the responsibility of representing one of the world’s most prestigious universities. It is this sense of belonging that often enables them to go the extra mile.
Putting all these elements together, one can understand the reasons behind a success that is no accident. Behind the Alma Mater Studiorum’s achievements lies a solid organisational structure, with CUS Bologna fulfilling its role as the University’s sporting arm. People come and go, but the spirit, the vision and the ambition remain unchanged. And the results continue to bear this out. Long live the Alma Mater Studiorum.
Press Office – CUS Bologna ASD
