Alan Nine
International
VERONA — Italy’s men collected a second consecutive pre-Volleyball Nations League win by beating Belgium 3-2 at the PalaMagis. Volleyball.it reported that the team coached by Ferdinando De Giorgi came through a five-set match in front of around 3,000 spectators, winning 20-25, 25-22, 22-25, 25-23, 15-6. The article identified Luca Porro as the top scorer with 20 points and noted that the evening also brought the senior national-team debut of Matteo Staforini, while Francesco Sani remained at rest.
According to Volleyball.it, De Giorgi started with Paolo Porro at setter, Bovolenta opposite, Bottolo and Luca Porro on the wings, Sanguinetti and Mati in the middle, and Pace as libero. Belgium, coached by Emanuele Zanini, took the first and third sets, but Italy forced the match to a tie-break thanks to late blocking work from Sanguinetti and key points by Luca Porro. The deciding set then turned one-sided, and Volleyball.it noted that Italy will now move to Bergamo for a final test against Turkey before the VNL opener.
BELGRADE — Another international update came from the women’s game, where Serbia announced its 16-player squad for the opening week of the Women’s Volleyball Nations League 2026. The main headline was the absence of Tijana Boskovic. Volleyball.it specified that Serbia will travel to Nanjing to face Thailand, Poland, China and Belgium, with the roster expected to remain largely unchanged for the following week as well.
Italian Transfer News
ISTANBUL — The most prominent transfer story on Volleyball.it concerned Ekaterina Antropova, whose move to Eczacibasi for the 2026/27 season became official. After five years with Scandicci, the Italian international opposite is set for her first experience in the Turkish league. Volleyball.it described the signing as one of the key additions in the Istanbul club’s new international roster and recalled Antropova’s major titles with Scandicci, including the Club World Championship in Sao Paulo, the Challenge Cup 2021/22 and the CEV Cup 2022/23.
The same report also traced Antropova’s international path, from her birth in Akureyri, Iceland, to her sporting development between Russia and Italy, and to the Italian citizenship that made her eligible for the national team in August 2023. Volleyball.it further recalled her major results with Italy, including Olympic gold in Paris 2024, the 2025 World Championship and two editions of the Volleyball Nations League.
SuperLega And Club Affairs
MODENA — A relevant off-court item arrived from Modena Volley. Volleyball.it reported that the club’s ownership split remains unchanged, with Atlantic Fluid Tech S.r.l. holding 60% and Giulia Gabana 40%, but that the formal governance has changed. The chamber of commerce records now show Christian Storci as president of the board, legal representative and chief executive officer, with the appointment dated May 12, 2026 and registered on May 20.
The same article noted that Gabana is now vice president, while the board is completed by Michele Storci as councillor. Volleyball.it also highlighted the role of Andrea Sartoretti as special attorney and general manager, with broad powers in sporting, administrative, fiscal and banking matters, including the authority to sign contracts for players, coaches, goods and services up to 500,000 euro with a single signature.
PRATA DI PORDENONE — Volleyball.it also followed the case involving Kristian Gamba and Simone Scopelliti after their precautionary suspension by the National Anti-Doping Tribunal. Club president Maurizio Vecchies called the news a bolt from the blue, said the club is waiting for the counter-analysis results, and stressed that Volley Prata is fully cooperating with NADO Italia and the Italian Volleyball Federation. The club has already suspended both athletes from all sporting activities as a precautionary measure.
Youth
TRICASE / AGROPOLI — The youth national finals also shaped the May 30 news cycle. In the BigMat Under 15 Boys’ National Finals, Volley Treviso and Socaf Vero Volley Monza advanced to the title match scheduled for May 31 at 10:30 in Tricase. Volleyball.it reported that Treviso beat Allianz Diavoli Rosa 3-1 in the semifinal, while Monza came through a five-set battle against Hokkaido Pallavolo Bologna 3-2 after trailing two sets to one.
In the BigMat Under 14 Girls’ National Finals, the final was set between Chions Volley Fiume and Vero Volley Monza. Volleyball.it noted that Chions reached a second consecutive final after a 3-0 semifinal win over Imoco, while Monza advanced by defeating Mondovi 3-2. The final is scheduled for May 31 at 10:30 at the Pala Di Concilio in Agropoli, closing a day in which Volleyball.it’s latest coverage stayed firmly tied to the news actually published on May 30.
