Redazione Volleyball.it
Editorial – by Luca Muzzioli
Velasco… with Antropova in position 4, like Keita?
At the early-February Final Four of the Del Monte Coppa Italia SuperLega at the Unipol Arena in Casalecchio di Reno, one familiar face in the stands was Julio Velasco, head coach of Italy’s women’s national team.
Not just a ceremonial appearance. Velasco has lived in Bologna for years, and—more importantly—his history is deeply tied to men’s volleyball, where he has left lasting chapters. But his presence also offers a natural bridge: watching two SuperLega semifinals in that environment can spark ideas that travel beyond the men’s game.
That’s where one thought becomes hard to ignore. If the summer of 2026 turns into a managed season—at least in part—for some of the “senators,” with Paola Egonu and others potentially starting with an initial rest window, the VNL could become a broader laboratory than usual. In that scenario, the starting opposite role would naturally belong to Ekaterina Antropova—not merely as continuity, but as a central axis around which to build the game.
But the real point may be different—and it comes from what Velasco could have observed in Bologna by watching Verona. In the attacking re-balance first set in motion last season under Radostin Stoytchev and then carried forward effectively by Fabio Soli, Verona have built a clear offensive identity: Darlan as the natural opposite, and Noumory Keita shifted permanently to position 4, in diagonal with Rock Mozic, increasing the weight of their outside attack—even at the cost of reception stability.
Translate that logic to the women’s game and the suggestion appears immediately: a VNL where Antropova isn’t used only as an opposite (or, down the line, in the classic “double sub”), but is developed as an outside hitter—expanding Italy’s options ahead of the European Championship and the choices that follow. Not a revolution, but a pathway: more flexibility, more combinations, and more real solutions when the matches start to matter.
In that theoretical framework, Italy could imagine an even heavier attacking setup: Antropova in position 4 and—once back—Egonu again as opposite. It’s the kind of reasoning that fits neatly with a phrase often linked to Velasco: the team that wins still gets changed.
Of course, for an idea like this to stand up, the technical “fits” have to be precise. If you increase the offensive load from the pins, you also increase the demand for a setter who can run the team even off imperfect reception. From that point of view, the men’s Coppa Italia was a constant showcase of out-of-system solutions: side-out efficiency often depends on the setter’s ability to keep options alive when the ball doesn’t arrive clean.
So Velasco may have left Bologna with more than a note or two—not to copy individuals, but to capture a principle. If the VNL truly becomes a building phase (or a partial rebuild), then every match is an opportunity to add one more concrete option. And in a summer where roles might be reshaped—even temporarily—Antropova in position 4 could become one of the key levers in Italy’s work.
SuperLega
Perugia: successful surgery for Agustín Loser
Agustín Loser underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee for a meniscal lesion suffered in recent days. The procedure was performed at the Orthopedics and Traumatology unit of the Perugia hospital by Prof. Auro Caraffa and Dr. Marco Pellegrino, supported by the medical team. The operation was successful, and the club’s medical staff, led by Dr. Giuseppe Sabatino, will evaluate recovery timelines in the coming days.
Transfer market
Giulia Gennari moves to Poland
Setter Giulia Gennari leaves Italy for her first experience abroad. After starting the season with Savino del Bene Scandicci and continuing with Bartoccini MC Restauri Perugia, she is set to join BKS Bielsko-Biała in the Tauron Liga, likely after the end of the Italian regular season.
Cisterna: Filippo Lanza leaves for Shanghai after securing safety
After Cisterna’s mathematical survival, Filippo Lanza will travel to China to finish the season with Shanghai Brightman Volleyball Team in the China Super League playoffs. The move was included in the initial agreement, conditional on achieving the club’s objective.
Filippo Lanza: "I thank the club for giving me the chance to take on this new adventure. The agreement at the start of the season allowed a possible transfer only once the objective was reached… Now that we’re mathematically safe, the club gave me the ok to go to China. I’d already been in Shanghai (2021–22), but Covid stopped everything. Now I’m trying again."
Coach Daniele Morato also underlined the importance of securing safety on the court before looking at other results, while DG Candido Grande described the season as demanding but coherent with a young group starting a new cycle.
Germany: Mannheim bids farewell to the DVV-Pokal with 12,000 fans—double final sold out at SAP Arena
For the 11th and final time, the SAP Arena in Mannheim will host the German Cup finals, with more than 12,000 spectators expected for a sold-out double-header.
Women’s final (Feb 28, 16:00): VfB Suhl LOTTO Thüringen – Allianz MTV Stuttgart
Men’s final (19:00): SVG Lüneburg – VfB Friedrichshafen
DVV board member René Beck highlighted the growth signal of a full arena: "A sold-out SAP Arena with more than 12,000 spectators shows the enthusiasm for volleyball in Germany and the strong growth of our sport in recent years."
VBL managing director Kim Oszvald-Renkema also framed the sellout as a meaningful farewell to Mannheim, ahead of the event’s move to Cologne: starting in 2027, the finals will be staged at the LANXESS Arena.
Broadcast notes: live coverage on Dyn (starting 30 minutes before first serve); SPORT1 will air the women’s final free-to-air from 15:45.
