Alan Nine
Volleyball.it moved through July 27, 2026 with a mixed news cycle built around the men’s national team, fresh SuperLega storylines and an important injury update in beach volleyball. The lead item was the official definition of Italy’s squad for the upcoming VNL Finals in Ningbo, where the Azzurri will open the knockout phase against the United States. Around that international headline, the site also followed the growing attention around Moni Nikolov at Civitanova, the ambitions of new Allianz Milano middle blocker Davi Tenorio, and the physical setback suffered by Claudia Scampoli.
International
Italy officially set its 14-man roster for the VNL Finals 2026, scheduled in Ningbo, China from July 29 to August 2. Volleyball.it reported that the team coached by Ferdinando De Giorgi, runner-up in the previous edition also played in Ningbo, will face the United States in the quarterfinals on Thursday, July 30 at 9 a.m. Italian time. The match will be shown live on DAZN and VBTV, and the winner will meet either China or Japan in the semifinals.
The article also confirmed one important absence: Alessandro Michieletto will not be part of the Finals group. According to Volleyball.it, the outside hitter will remain in Italy from July 29 to August 4 at the Viola Park in Bagno a Ripoli to continue his recovery program under the supervision of medical coordinator Piero Benelli and physiotherapist Sebastiano Cencini. The selected squad includes setters Simone Giannelli and Riccardo Sbertoli, opposites Yuri Romanò and Alessandro Bovolenta, liberos Gabriele Laurenzano and Fabio Balaso, plus a group of hitters and middle blockers led by Daniele Lavia, Mattia Bottolo, Roberto Russo and Gianluca Galassi. Volleyball.it added that preliminary procedures are scheduled for Tuesday, July 28, with Yuri Romanò attending the official press conference.
Italian Transfer News
On the club side, Volleyball.it followed two SuperLega stories from different angles. At Civitanova Marche, the focus was on the imminent arrival of new Cucine Lube Civitanova setter Simeon “Moni” Nikolov. The Bulgarian international, younger brother of outside hitter Alex Nikolov, is expected to meet supporters and media on Wednesday, July 29 at 7 p.m. at Arturo Mare. The report described growing enthusiasm around the event, with fans expected not only from the Marche area but also from Campania, Lombardy and Tuscany. Volleyball.it also cited club chief executive and vice president Albino Massaccesi, who said the season-ticket campaign is going very well both at the ticket office and online through Vivaticket.
The other club feature came from Milano, where Allianz Milano introduced middle blocker Davi Tenorio. Volleyball.it described him as a 21-year-old, 213-centimeter player born in Sao Paulo and holding Spanish nationality, arriving after two seasons with Cucine Lube Civitanova. The site retraced his development from Club Volei Andorra to the federal center Get Blume and then to Grupo Herce Soria Voleibol, where he won the 2022/23 Copa del Rey and collected several domestic runner-up finishes. In his first comments as a Milano player, Tenorio said he chose the move because he expects more space and more responsibility, while still aiming to compete for trophies. He also stressed the chance to learn from coach Guillermo Falasca and from veteran middle blocker Robertlandy Simon.
Beach Volley
The most delicate update of the day concerned Claudia Scampoli. Volleyball.it reported that the Italian beach-volley player suffered a fracture of the fifth metacarpal in her right hand. The article stated that she will now have to observe a period of rest and that no precise timetable for her return has yet been announced, because her condition and the evolution of the injury will be monitored progressively by the national team medical staff.
The site added that her participation in the European Championships in Stare Jablonki, scheduled from August 12 to 16, is now in doubt. That injury note gave July 27 a very different closing tone on Volleyball.it: alongside the planning for Italy’s next international test and the optimism of the transfer market, the day also brought a setback for one of the country’s beach-volley athletes ahead of a major event.
