Volleyball enthusiasts in Verona were celebrating on Tuesday after one of their number was voted Miss Italia 2007.
Silvia Battisti, 18, was announced the country's new beauty queen late on Monday night after her lithe figure, blue eyes and other charms won over a studio jury and TV viewers who voted from home.
"We are proud that the most beautiful girl in Italy is Veronese and plays volleyball," said Stefano Bianchini, head of the Italian volleyball federation's Verona division.
He noted that Battisti, who is 180 cm tall and has long chestnut brown hair, has been a member of her local volleyball club for 11 years.
"Volleyball fans gave their contribution to this extraordinary victory," Bianchini continued, explaining that the local federation had sent messages to all volleyball clubs in the area asking them to vote for Battisti.
The Verona Volleyball Federation, which is to host part of the 2010 world volleyball championships, said it was preparing a party for its new star when she returns home.
It is unclear whether the new Miss Italia intends to continue playing volleyball for long. In the biographical notes supplied for the beauty contest she says she intends to study medicine at university and would like to enter the world of fashion.
The volleyball federation was not alone in trying to get a share of Battisti's glory. The government of her Veneto region stressed the beauty of the winner's homeland and begged her not to forget her roots as she enjoyed the limelight.
Despite the efforts of its promoters, the Miss Italia contest continues to lose television viewers. Monday night's final was watched by an average of 6.2 million people, compared to 7.4 million the previous year and 9.2 million the year before that.
