Marta Menegatti facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Marta Menegatti

Menegatti in 2012
Personal information
Born	(1990-08-16) 16 August 1990 (age 35) Rovigo, Italy
Years active	2006–present
Height	1.80 m
Sport
Sport	Beach volleyball
Position	Left side/defender
Partner	Valentina Gottardi (2023–)
Former partner(s)	Greta Cicolari (2009–13) Laura Giombini (2016, 2018) Rebecca Perry (2017) Viktoria Orsi Toth (2013–16, 2018–)
Coached by	Lissandro Carvalho (2009–13, 2015–17) Paulo Moreira Da Costa (2014) Terenzio Feroleto (2018–)
Achievements and titles
Highest world ranking	No. 4 (20 August 2012)
Medal record Women's beach volleyball Representing  Italy Event 1st 2nd 3rd World Tour 2 7 7 European Championships 1 1 0 Mediterranean Games 1 0 0 U21 World Championships 0 1 0 U19 World Championships 0 1 0 U23 European Championships 0 1 0 U20 European Championships 1 0 0 Total 5 11 7 World Tour Gold 2015 Sochi Open Gold 2018 Agadir 2-star Silver 2010 Phuket Open Silver 2011 Myslowice Open Silver 2012 Beijing Grand Slam Silver 2012 Stare Jablonki Grand Slam Silver 2014 Klagenfurt Grand Slam Silver 2015 Antalya Open Silver 2018 Qinzhou 3-star Bronze 2011 Gstaad Grand Slam Bronze 2011 Phuket Open Bronze 2012 Brasília Open Bronze 2012 Berlin Grand Slam Bronze 2015 Moscow Grand Slam Bronze 2015 Puerto Vallarta Open Bronze 2018 Shepparton 1-star European Championships Gold 2011 Kristiansand Team Silver 2024 Netherlands Women's Mediterranean Games Gold 2013 Mersin Team U21 World Championships Silver 2010 Alanya Team U19 World Championships Silver 2007 Mysłowice Team U23 European Championships Silver 2010 Kos Team U20 European Championships Gold 2009 Kos Team
Updated on 30 December 2018.

Marta Menegatti (born August 16, 1990) is a famous Italian beach volleyball player. She plays as a defender on the left side of the court. Marta has achieved a lot in her career. She won two gold medals, seven silver medals, and seven bronze medals on the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour.

Marta also became the European champion in 2011. In 2013, she won the Mediterranean Games. She represented Italy at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics. She finished fifth in 2012 and ninth in 2016.

Marta comes from a family that loves sports. She started playing indoor volleyball when she was nine. A few years later, she switched to beach volleyball. She played in her first international game in 2006. As a young player, she won medals at four World and European Championships for her age group.

Marta is known as a very skilled player. She is especially good at defense. In 2011, she was named the FIVB Most Improved Player.

Marta's Early Life and Start in Sports

Marta Menegatti was born in Rovigo, Italy. She grew up in Ariano nel Polesine. Her family was very sporty. Her dad, Maurizio, played amateur football. Her mom, Cinzia, played indoor volleyball. Marta's younger brother, Pietro, is a football goalkeeper.

Marta tried different sports like synchronised swimming and dance. When she was nine, she started playing indoor volleyball. She played for youth teams in Taglio di Po and Jolanda di Savoia. In 2004, before she turned 14, Marta joined the indoor volleyball club ASD Teodora Ravenna. She moved to Ravenna and played there for five years.

While in Ravenna, Marta's club often practiced on a beach. This is how she started playing beach volleyball. She began in 2005 or 2006. At first, she found it hard to play on sand. But she saw it as a challenge to get better. This challenge made her love beach volleyball even more than indoor volleyball.

Soon after, she played in her first beach tournament. It was a national youth competition. She finished second and was chosen for the junior national team. For a few years, Marta played both beach and indoor volleyball. She played beach tournaments during the summer when indoor volleyball was off.

Marta's Junior Beach Volleyball Career (2006–2008)

Marta Menegatti played her first international beach volleyball game in August 2006. She and her partner, Debora Pini, finished ninth at a tournament in Eboli. From 2006 to 2008, Marta played for Italy in many junior championships. These included the U20 European, U19 World, and U21 World Championships.

She won her first international medal as a junior in 2007. She and Gilda Lombardo were runners-up at the U19 World Championships.

Joining the National Team and World Tour Debut (2009)

In the summer of 2009, when Marta was 19, she got a spot on the Italian beach volleyball national team. She stopped playing indoor volleyball to focus only on beach volleyball. The national team coach, Lissandro Carvalho, introduced her to Greta Cicolari. They started playing together. In 2009, they won one silver and three bronze medals in smaller tournaments.

Marta and Greta played their first FIVB World Tour event in September. They won their way into the main part of the tournament. They finished 13th. A month later, they reached the semifinals at another World Tour event. They were the first Italian women's team to reach a World Tour semifinal since 2001. By the end of their first year, they were ranked 43rd in the world.

Marta also continued to play in junior events. In August, she played with Laura Giombini at the U23 European Championships. Later that month, Marta and Debora Allegretti won the U20 European Championships.

First World Tour Medal (2010)

In May 2010, Marta and Greta played in a big World Tour event in Rome. They finished ninth. They also played in four more big tournaments. Towards the end of the season, Marta played with Valeria Rosso. Greta was recovering from an injury.

Marta and Valeria became the first Italian pair to reach a World Tour final. This happened at the Phuket Open in November. They beat several top teams. In the final match, they lost to American players Nicole Branagh and Kerri Walsh Jennings. Even with Greta's absence, Marta and Greta ended the year ranked 23rd in the world.

Marta also won two more medals in junior events. She won a silver medal at the U23 European Championships with Laura Giombini. The next month, Marta teamed up with Viktoria Orsi Toth for a short time. They won another silver medal at the U21 World Championships.

Becoming European Champions (2011)

Menegatti (right) receives a serve at the 2011 Moscow Grand Slam as Cicloari watches

Marta and Greta won three medals on the World Tour in 2011. They won a silver medal in May. In July, they won a bronze medal at the Gstaad Grand Slam. They even beat famous players Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings. Marta said it was "unbelievable" and "the most important victory of our career." Marta finished the year with another bronze medal in Phuket.

Marta and Greta played in their first World Championships in Rome. They won their group and their first knockout match. But they lost in the Round of 16. They ended the year ranked sixth in the world. Marta was named the FIVB Most Improved Player.

In August, the pair played in the European Championships for the first time. They reached the final and won the gold medal. They became the new European champions.

The London Olympics (2012)

Menegatti in the quarterfinals at the 2012 Summer Olympics

Before the 2012 Summer Olympics, Marta and Greta played in seven World Tour events. They won three medals. They got a bronze in Brasília, a silver in Beijing, and another bronze in Berlin. They beat many top teams from Brazil and the United States. Marta skipped the European Championships in May due to a shoulder injury.

Marta and Greta qualified for the London Olympics in June 2012. They were ranked fifth in the world. They won all their matches in the group stage. They beat teams from Russia, Great Britain, and Canada. They won their first knockout match against Spain. Then, they faced May-Treanor and Walsh Jennings in the quarterfinals. The American team won, ending Marta and Greta's Olympic journey. Marta was very sad to lose, especially to her hero, May-Treanor.

A few days after the Olympics, they played in their last tournament of the year. They finished second, losing to a Brazilian team in the final. After this, Marta and Greta reached their highest world ranking of fourth.

New Partner: Viktoria Orsi Toth (2013–2015)

Marta and Greta played for Italy at the 2013 Mediterranean Games in June. They won the tournament without losing a single set. They also played in the World Championships in July. They reached the quarterfinals but were defeated by a Brazilian team.

After this, Marta and Greta decided to play with different partners. Marta teamed up with Viktoria Orsi Toth. They had played together briefly in 2010. Their results improved after a slow start. They finished fourth in two Grand Slams.

In 2014, Marta and Viktoria had a slow start. Viktoria sprained her ankle, which made them miss a tournament. They finally won their first World Tour medal together in September. They won a silver medal in São Paulo. They were unable to win the final match. They ended 2014 ranked tenth in the world.

In 2015, Marta and Viktoria started the year with a bronze medal in Moscow. Marta had some injuries in the first half of the season. In September, they won their first World Tour title in Sochi. They became the first Italian women's team to win a World Tour event. They then won a bronze medal and a silver medal in their next two tournaments. They were ranked eighth in the world at the end of 2015.

The Rio Olympics and Challenges (2016–2018)

Marta and Viktoria did not win any medals on the World Tour in 2016. They qualified for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. They were ranked seventh in the world.

However, just before the Olympics, Viktoria Orsi Toth could not play. Another player, Rebecca Perry, was first chosen to replace her. But she was not allowed to play by the FIVB. So, Laura Giombini, who Marta had played with before, joined the team. Laura arrived in Rio just three days before their first match.

Marta and Laura both usually played as right-side defenders. They had to change their positions for the Olympics. Laura became the blocker, and Marta moved to the left side. They had only three practices together. They had trouble working together in their first match. They lost two matches in the group stage but still made it to the knockout stage. They lost to an American team in the next round, ending their Olympic journey.

After 2016, Marta played with different partners. She teamed up with Rebecca Perry in 2017. Marta wanted to go back to her usual position as a right-side defender. But they struggled and did not get good results. Marta's ranking dropped.

In 2018, Marta played with Laura Giombini again. This was until Viktoria Orsi Toth could return to playing. Marta and Laura won a bronze medal in Shepparton. They also upset a top German team at the European Championships. Before Viktoria returned, Marta and Laura were ranked 81st in the world.

Viktoria Orsi Toth's Return (2018–Present)

Viktoria Orsi Toth returned to playing in July 2018. She and Marta started playing together again. They won their first tournament back, the Agadir Open. The next week, they played in a major tournament in Vienna. They beat two top teams in their group. They reached the Round of 16.

Viktoria's return helped Marta's results a lot. They finished in the top ten in all seven World Tour events they played. This included a second-place finish in October. They ended 2018 ranked 25th in the world.

Marta's Playing Style

Marta Menegatti is a defender. She plays on the left side of the court. She used to play on the right side. But she switched to the left when she played with Laura Giombini at the 2016 Olympics. She has continued to play on the left side since then.

Experts have praised Marta as one of the best technical players. She is known as a very complete player. She is great at defense and can turn defensive plays into attacks. She is also known for her strong serves. In 2015 and 2016, she was one of the top players for how well she served.

When Marta plays with Viktoria Orsi Toth, opponents often serve to Viktoria. This is because they are afraid of Marta's skills. Marta has taken on a leadership role with Viktoria. She is more experienced. Marta says she enjoys being a leader. She describes herself as an "explosive" player.

Marta's Personal Life

Marta Menegatti finished secondary school with a diploma in accounting and foreign languages. She then studied at the University of L'Aquila. Since December 2009, she has been a member of the Centro Sportivo Aeronautica Militare. This means she is part of the Italian Air Force. She receives a monthly payment from them. As members of the Air Force, Marta and Greta Cicolari took part in the 2011 Military World Games.

Marta has sponsors like Mikasa Sports (sports equipment), Oakley, Inc. (eyewear), and Adidas (sportswear). She has also been a brand ambassador for Shiseido (beauty products).

Since she was young, Marta admired Misty May-Treanor. She liked her playing style and how she acted on the court. During matches, Marta wears pearl earrings. They were a gift from her parents. It's a way for her to feel like they are with her.

Images for kids

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  Cicolari (left) and Menegatti in 2011

See also

In Spanish: Marta Menegatti para niños