Alan Nine
The latest Volleyball.it cycle from the last 24 hours revolved around a busy mix of international competition, national-team planning and transfer business. The biggest on-court headline came in Ljubljana, where Italy opened men’s Volleyball Nations League Pool 6 with a 3-2 defeat to Bulgaria. Away from the match floor, the women’s program confirmed its next training block before Hong Kong, the sitting-volley national team finalized its squad for the world championship in China, and several clubs across the Italian league structure completed significant roster additions.
Men's Volleyball Nations League
Ferdinando De Giorgi’s side began the Ljubljana week with a five-set loss to Bulgaria, falling 25-18, 20-25, 23-25, 25-19, 9-15. The result came after a strong Italian opening set and a fourth-set recovery that forced a tie-break, but Bulgaria proved steadier in the decisive stretch. According to the match report, Kamil Rychlicki led Italy with 18 points, while Aleksandar Nikolov finished as Bulgaria’s leading scorer with 19 points. The match also marked the return of Daniele Lavia in the blue shirt after his long absence since last summer’s VNL final in Ningbo.
The post-match reaction on Volleyball.it was consistent in tone: disappointment with the result, but no sense of panic. Lavia described the return to the national team as an important personal step and said Italy must immediately turn its attention to the next test against Ukraine. Giovanni Sanguinetti and Leandro Mosca also pointed to the team’s positive response in difficult moments, especially the way Italy rebuilt the match in the fourth set. The common line from the squad was clear: there are technical details to fix, especially around serve management and continuity, but the focus has already shifted to the next opportunity for growth.
Another men’s VNL story came from Orléans, where the French stop will go ahead under an exceptional heat protocol. Volleyball.it reported that, because of extreme temperatures and the lack of permanent air conditioning inside the CO'Met Arena, authorities authorized the matches but introduced two cooling breaks per set, triggered when the first team reaches 8 and 16 points. Each additional pause will last 60 seconds, while the normal interval between sets has been extended to five minutes. It is an unusual adjustment for elite volleyball and one of the clearest signs yet of how summer conditions are beginning to affect tournament operations.
Women's National Teams
On the women’s side, Julio Velasco now has a defined path toward the final intercontinental VNL week. Italy will work in Cervia from June 26 to July 3 before traveling to Hong Kong for Pool 8. The training group includes Carlotta Cambi, Chidera Blessing Eze, Gaia Giovannini, Stella Nervini, Loveth Omoruyi, Anna Danesi, Sarah Fahr, Ekaterina Antropova and others, while Alessia Orro, Paola Egonu and Myriam Sylla will join from June 29. The composition of the group shows that Italy is now moving from rotation management into the final build-up phase for the last VNL week.
Another official federation update concerned the women’s sitting-volley national team. Technical director and head coach Pasquale D'Aniello confirmed the Italian squad for the world championship in Hangzhou, scheduled from July 10 to 17. Italy will leave on July 4, train on site from July 6 to 9, and then begin Pool D against France before facing Brazil and Thailand. The call-up list includes Flavia Barigelli, Raffaela Battaglia, Giulia Bellandi, Eva Ceccatelli, Sara Cirelli, Silvia Biasi, Anna Ceccon, Sara Desini, Alessandra Moggio, Roberta Pedrelli and Asia Sarzi Amadè.
Italian Transfer News
The domestic market remained highly active. Sir Susa Scai Perugia completed its outside-hitter department with the arrival of Mathis Henno, the 2005-born French player who has already moved through Chaumont, Cuprum Stilon Gorzów and Paris Volley. Volleyball.it underlined Henno’s youth-level record with France, including the Under 19 world title in 2023 and the Under 22 European title in 2024, as well as his stated target at Perugia: to help a club built to compete for every trophy available.
In the women’s league, Savino Del Bene Scandicci made official the signing of libero Imma Sirressi after her three seasons in Perugia. The report recalled that she played 21 matches and 76 sets in the 2025-26 Serie A1 season and presented the move as another experienced addition for a club aiming to stay at the top level. UYBA Busto Arsizio also added international profile by signing Japanese outside hitter Miku Akimoto, a 2006-born player arriving from Dresdner SC 1898. Her arrival gives UYBA three Japanese players for the 2026-27 roster alongside Nanami Seki and Yukiko Wada. Meanwhile, Sonepar Padova introduced libero Francesco D'Amico, who arrives after three seasons in Verona and spoke openly about wanting to build something special inside the new group.
Abroad
Volleyball.it also tracked an Italian coaching move overseas, with Carlo Parisi appointed head coach of LOVB Atlanta for the 2026-27 season. The article framed the appointment as a new American chapter for a coach whose career includes a Serie A1 title, two CEV Cup trophies and major years with UYBA Busto Arsizio. After recent work with Il Bisonte Firenze and Volley Bergamo, Parisi now steps into a League One Volleyball project that has already built a 26-15 overall record across its first two seasons.
Overall, the June 24 news cycle was defined by transition and preparation: Italy’s men looking for an immediate response in VNL, the women’s programs moving into the next stage of international preparation, and clubs continuing to shape their rosters with a mix of experience, youth and international reach.
