Alan Nine
Volleyball.it opened July 28, 2026 with a news cycle centered on the decisive week of the men’s Volleyball Nations League in Ningbo, the financial balance of the women’s VNL, and a new domestic base for Club Italia. The main line of the day remained international: Italy moved into the final phase of the men’s tournament with its official roster confirmed and with Yuri Romanò outlining the mood inside the group before the quarterfinal against the United States. Around that lead story, Volleyball.it also tracked what the bronze medal meant for the Italian women in prize money, the decision to bring Club Italia’s home matches to Parma, and a broader late-July roundup of transfer and national-team news.
International
The strongest editorial focus remained on the men’s VNL Finals 2026. Volleyball.it reported that the first official bulletin for Ningbo confirmed the eight participating national teams and the full rosters for the tournament: China, Slovenia, Turkey, Japan, Italy, the United States, Poland and Ukraine. Italy’s 14-man list includes setters Simone Giannelli and Riccardo Sbertoli, opposites Yuri Romanò and Alessandro Bovolenta, liberos Gabriele Laurenzano and Fabio Balaso, and a group of hitters and middle blockers featuring Daniele Lavia, Mattia Bottolo, Luca Porro, Gianluca Galassi, Giovanni Sanguinetti, Roberto Russo, Pardo Mati and Francesco Sani.
Volleyball.it also followed Italy’s immediate approach to the quarterfinal against the United States, scheduled for Thursday, July 30 at 9 a.m. Italian time at the Beilun Sports and Arts Centre. According to the site, this will be match number 94 between the two national teams, with the Americans holding the historical edge at 52 wins to 41. The report stressed that a victory would send Italy into a semifinal against the winner of Japan-China. In Ningbo, Romanò said the United States remain a difficult opponent, especially with their top players back in the squad, but he also described Italy as healthy, motivated and better prepared after remaining in Asia following week three of the competition. Volleyball.it framed that continuity as an important advantage in managing travel, time-zone adjustment and team rhythm before the knockout stage.
Women’s VNL
On the women’s side, Volleyball.it turned the spotlight onto the economic outcome of the competition after the end of the VNL Finals in Macao. The site reported that champion Turkey closed the tournament with total prize earnings of 1,098,250 dollars, while Italy, after winning the bronze medal match, finished with 403,500 dollars. The article explained that the VNL awarded 9,500 dollars for each preliminary-round win and 4,250 dollars for each defeat. With ten wins in twelve matches, Italy and the United States were the best earners in the first phase at 103,500 dollars each, before the final placement bonuses were added.
Volleyball.it specified that Italy’s third-place finish in Macao brought an extra 300,000 dollars, pushing the Azzurre beyond the 400,000-dollar mark. Brazil closed with 598,250 dollars as runner-up, while host nation China reached 262,500 dollars. The financial summary gave a different angle to Italy’s bronze medal, showing not only the sporting value of the result but also the scale of the reward attached to a deep run in the competition.
Italian Volleyball
Another concrete update came from Club Italia. Volleyball.it reported that the federal women’s team will play its home matches in Serie A2 2026/27 at the PalaRaschi in Parma, while continuing to train at the Centro Pavesi in Milan. That choice marks a change from last season, when Club Italia played the entire championship away from home, and places one of the federation’s development projects in a venue that has just reopened to major volleyball after renovation work.
The site’s wider late-night roundup also added several pieces around the Italian and international scene. Volleyball.it noted that the women’s national team coached by Julio Velasco will return to work on Friday, July 31 in Cavalese, staying in Val di Fiemme until August 7 before leaving for Poland on August 10 to play a preparation tournament in Koszalin against Poland, France and Ukraine. In the club market, the roundup highlighted Matteo Bussolari joining Diavoli Rosa Brugherio, the addition of Iranian middle blocker Barzan Rahmati at Canottieri Ongina, and the broader data point that the next Serie A Credem Banca season will feature 101 foreign players across SuperLega, A2 and A3. Volleyball.it also recorded the success of Italy’s sitting-volley national team at the Nerulum Cup in Rotonda and Brazil B’s title in the women’s South American Cup, closing the day with a mix of preparation, roster building and international movement.
