Alan Nine
Volleyball.it spent July 22 moving between finals-week urgency and season-building news. The main headline came from Macao, where Italy powered past the Netherlands to book a place in the women’s VNL Finals semifinal. Later in the day, Brazil completed the bracket by beating Japan, setting up the next challenge for Julio Velasco’s side. Away from the national-team spotlight, SuperLega released the official 2026-27 formula and dates, while Modena, Verona and the foreign market added relevant off-season movement.
Women's VNL Finals
Italy opened the day with a clean 3-0 quarterfinal win over the Netherlands at the East Asian Games Dome in Macao. The Azzurre closed the match 25-21, 25-16, 25-16, controlling the contest with 7 aces, 10 blocks and only 11 total errors. Ekaterina Antropova led Italy with 16 points, while Miriam Sylla added 11, Sarah Fahr 10 and Anna Danesi 8. Volleyball.it described a match shaped by Italy’s fast start, especially in the second and third sets, with the team confirming the positive signs already seen at the end of the intercontinental phase.
The result sent Danesi and her teammates into Saturday’s semifinal. Later on July 22, the second quarterfinal decided the opponent: Brazil came from behind to beat Japan 3-1 after dropping the opening set, with the final scoreline reading 24-26, 25-22, 25-16, 25-20. Volleyball.it reported that Brazil finished with 63 winning attacks, 15 blocks and 6 aces, against Japan’s 56 attacks, 8 blocks and 5 aces. The site also noted that coach Zé Roberto immediately turned the focus toward the semifinal, saying Brazil would study Italy in order to play a high-level match.
Italian Leagues
One of the day’s most important domestic items was the official release of the SuperLega Credem Banca 2026-27 format and calendar. The regular season will begin on October 18, 2026 and end on February 28, 2027, again with an asymmetric calendar. The top eight teams will qualify for the Scudetto Playoffs, with quarterfinals, semifinals and final all played as best-of-five series.
The real structural novelty is the introduction of the play-out to decide the only relegated team. Volleyball.it reported that the bottom four teams after the regular season will normally enter a round-robin play-out, but that the ninth-placed team can avoid it entirely if it finishes at least 8 points clear of the last-placed side, which would reduce the fight to a three-team play-out. The site also detailed the other season milestones: Coppa Italia quarterfinals on December 30, 2026, the Final Four on February 6-7, 2027, and the Supercoppa semifinals on November 14-15, 2026 with Perugia facing Trentino and Verona meeting Civitanova.
Italian Club News
Modena used the day to present new head coach Lorenzo Tubertini at the PalaPanini, alongside sporting director Alberto Casadei and general director Andrea Sartoretti. Volleyball.it framed the event as the formal start of a new cycle for the club. Tubertini described the job as a return to an environment he knows well after experiences in France and Austria, and stressed daily work, team identity and the responsibility attached to the Modena shirt. The reference point was also clear: the atmosphere created in the playoff series against Piacenza should become the base from which the club starts again. Casadei linked Tubertini’s appointment to continuity of method and philosophy, while Sartoretti underlined the importance of the core already in place and the central role expected from the club’s younger players.
In Verona, the news was contractual rather than tactical. Matteo Staforini extended his deal with Verona Volley until 2030. Volleyball.it described the libero, born in 2003, as a player who quickly earned trust and space after arriving during last season, and reported his decision to strengthen his long-term link with both the club and the city.
Foreign Transfer News
The international market file remained active as well. Volleyball.it reported that Italian opposite Fabrizio Gironi will continue his career in the Czech league with Jihostroj České Budějovice. In Japan, Brazilian outside hitter-opposite Rosamaria Montibeller renewed with the Denso Airy Bees for the 2026-27 season. Neither move dominated the day, but together they reinforced a familiar July pattern: while national teams chase trophies, clubs across Europe and Asia keep shaping next season’s rosters in the background.
