The Italy women's national volleyball team is governed by the Federazione Italiana Pallavolo (FIPAV). The team's biggest victories were the gold medal at the 2002 FIVB Women's World Championship, being the first team to break the domination of Russia, Cuba, China and Japan, and the 2007 and the 2011 World Cup, winning 21 out of the 22 matches in both tournaments.

The 2002 FIVB Women's World Championship was the fourteenth edition of the tournament, organised by the world's governing body, the FIVB. It was held from 30 August to 15 September 2002 in Berlin, Bremen, Dresden, Münster, Schwerin, Riesa, Leipzig, and Stuttgart, Germany. The tournament saw the discontinuation of Cuba's historic eight consecutive world titles, as the team finished fifth after being eliminated by the United States in the quarterfinals.