Alan Nine
Volleyball.it closed the July 30-31, 2026 news cycle with a mix of governance debate, national-team planning and one significant moment of mourning for Italian volleyball. The most recent developments came on Friday, July 31, when the site published official updates on Italy’s road to the Mediterranean Games and the women’s build-up to the European Championship. Alongside those national-team items, Volleyball.it also gave space to the concerns raised by the Italian leagues over the proposed international calendar from 2028 and to the death of former Italy middle blocker Michela Monari.
International Governance
One of the main editorial topics was the reaction of the Lega Pallavolo Serie A and the Lega Volley Femminile to the proposed international calendar that could come into force in 2028. According to Volleyball.it, the two leagues oppose the idea of staging the World Championships in December and January, which would interrupt the domestic season in its central phase. The article reported that the issue was being discussed while FIVB commissions were meeting in Ningbo, China.
Volleyball.it wrote that the scenario circulating from Poland points to a season with the Volleyball Nations League concentrated between July and August, national leagues from September to December, the women’s world championship in December, the men’s event in January, and a restart of club volleyball from February to June. The site described the leagues’ concern as both competitive and economic: an interruption of that kind, in their view, would damage the regularity of national championships and reduce the space available to competitions that sustain much of the sport’s annual activity.
National Teams
The freshest update of the day came from Taranto, where the CONI formalized the athletes selected for the Italy Team at the 2026 Mediterranean Games, scheduled from August 21 to September 3. Volleyball.it reported that Italy’s volleyball delegation will include a men’s roster of 13 players and a women’s list of 15 athletes, with the women’s group due to be reduced by two names in the coming days. The men’s list includes players such as Alessandro Fanizza, Federico Crosato, Damiano Catania, Giulio Magalini and Leandro Ausibio Mosca, while the women’s group features Ilenia Moro, Josephine Obossa, Bintu Diop, Beatrice Gardini, Linda Manfredini and Yasmina Akrari.
Volleyball.it also reported that the Italy Men B team will continue its preparation in Camigliatello Silano from August 2 to August 12 under technical director and head coach Vincenzo Fanizza. The site listed 15 called-up players for that training block, including Alessandro Benacchio, Damiano Catania, Davide Boschini, Francesco D’Amico, Tim Held and Andrea Truocchio. On the women’s senior side, head coach Julio Velasco confirmed for the camp in Cavalese, from August 1 to August 7, the same 14 players who were at the VNL Finals in Macao. The group includes Carlotta Cambi, Alessia Orro, Myriam Sylla, Anna Danesi, Paola Egonu and Ekaterina Antropova.
VNL Men
The late-night roundup published on Thursday, July 30, also completed the international picture from the men’s VNL Finals. After Italy was eliminated by the United States in the quarterfinals with a 3-0 defeat, Volleyball.it reported that Poland joined the semifinals by beating Ukraine 3-1. That result set the final four as United States vs Japan and Slovenia vs Poland.
Volleyball.it linked that result to another relevant development: Jakub Kochanowski will miss the rest of the summer after announcing knee surgery, which also rules him out of the European Championship. In the same international package, the site also noted the retirement of Celeste Plak, who closes her career with a Champions League title, two Olympic appearances and more than 400 matches for the Netherlands.
In Memoriam
Volleyball.it also published a tribute to Michela Monari, who died at the age of 53. The former middle blocker was part of Italy’s bronze-medal team at the 1992 Under 19 European Championship and later represented the senior national team at the 1994 World Championship and the 1997 European Championship. At club level, Volleyball.it recalled that she won three Cup Winners’ Cups with Anthesis Modena and played extensively in Serie A with Modena, Rubiera and Reggio Emilia.
After her playing career, Monari remained involved in volleyball as a coach working with younger players. Volleyball.it also remembered her in recent years as the mother of Lisa Monari Gamba, an outside hitter with the Italy Under 18 national team. The article closed with condolences to her family, and especially to her daughter.
