Alan Nine
Volleyball.it closed the Saturday, August 1, 2026 cycle with a compact but varied package built around the decisive day of the men’s Volleyball Nations League Finals, fresh national-team planning in Italy, a major coaching question in Turkey and a new hard-line reaction from the Italian club world to the proposed international calendar from 2028/29. The strongest match news came from Ningbo, where Poland and the United States earned their places in the gold-medal match. Around that international frame, Volleyball.it also followed the next step for Italy Women B, the rehabilitation path of Cristina Chirichella, a beach-volley update from Lorca and a mourning note for former Cuba international Alexeis Argilagos Segura.
VNL Men
The VNL men’s final will be played between Poland and the United States. In the first semifinal, Poland swept Slovenia 3-0 in Ningbo, winning 25-16, 25-19, 25-17 in just over an hour. Volleyball.it reported that Wilfredo Leon led the match with 16 points, including six aces, while opposite Bartosz Bołądź added 15. The site underlined Poland’s control from the service line and at the net, with nine aces and a clear physical edge throughout the semifinal. Already champions in 2023 and 2025, the Polish team moved one win away from a third VNL title.
The second semifinal was much tighter. The United States came back from 1-2 down to beat Japan 3-2 after sets of 25-19, 23-25, 20-25, 25-19, 15-13. According to Volleyball.it, the Americans handed Japan its first defeat of the tournament after a run of 14 straight victories. Karch Kiraly’s team turned the match by raising the pressure from the service line and the block in the fourth set, then survived Japan’s late recovery in the tie-break. The decisive moment came when Ethan Champlin entered to serve and produced the ace that pushed the United States back in front at 13-12. The article listed Gabi Hanes as the top scorer with 24 points, ahead of Matt Anderson on 23, while Yuji Nishida finished with 19 for Japan.
International
On the Italian national-team side, Volleyball.it reported that Italy Women B will gather in Urbino from August 2 to August 8 as part of the preparation for the Mediterranean Games. Head coach Carlo Parisi called up 16 players and will also work through a triangular event against Greece and Sweden from August 6 to August 8. The squad includes setters Chidera Blessing Eze and Francesca Scola, hitters such as Beatrice Gardini, Alessia Bolzonetti and Alice Tanase, middles including Yasmina Akrari and Linda Manfredini, opposites Merit Adigwe, Binto Diop and Josephine Obossa, plus liberos Ilenia Moro and Federica Pelloni.
Volleyball.it also carried a mourning piece on Alexeis Argilagos Segura, the former Cuba outside hitter who died at the age of 51, just days after his birthday on July 28, 1975. The article recalled Cuba’s 1998 World Championship bronze, the 1998 World League title and the silver medal in the following edition, as well as his appearance at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. Volleyball.it also traced his Italian club career through Salerno, Isernia, Mantova, Materdomini Castellana Grotte, Sora and Segrate, while noting that his son Bryan Argilagos is due to play next season at Cuneo.
Foreign Transfer News
In the international club market, Volleyball.it described Fenerbahce as one of the big unresolved stories of the European summer. Despite building a roster featuring names such as Alessia Orro, Melissa Vargas, Arina Fedorovtseva, Ana Cristina, Eda Erdem, Chiaka Ogbogu and Gizem Orge, the Istanbul club was still without a head coach on August 1. The article noted that Marcello Abbondanza had previously received a two-year renewal before the relationship was ended after the season, and it presented Stefano Lavarini as the main target for the bench. Volleyball.it also indicated Ferhat Akbas, currently in charge of Japan, as the alternative if the attempt to move Lavarini from Vero Volley Milano does not succeed.
Italian Clubs
The calendar dispute remained another central editorial thread. After the joint position already taken by the Italian leagues, Gino Sirci, president of Sir Susa Scai Perugia, publicly attacked the FIVB proposal to stop domestic championships in December and January from 2028/29 in order to stage national-team activity, including the World Championships. Volleyball.it quoted Sirci describing the reform as “the ruin of volleyball” and warning of legal action over the economic damage that clubs could suffer. The article stressed his argument that a schedule moving league play from September to November, then February to June, with VNL in July and August, would weaken attendance, sponsorship value and the balance between club and international volleyball.
Volleyball.it also reported a personal-club story from Novara, where Cristina Chirichella has rejoined the environment of Igor Gorgonzola Novara to continue rehabilitation after the serious left-knee injury she suffered at the end of last season with Conegliano. General manager Enrico Marchioni explained that the club accepted her request because of the bond built during her 10 years with Novara and her role in some of the most important chapters in the club’s recent history.
Beach Volley
In Lorca, Volleyball.it followed the WEVZA Under 18 event. Micol Lafuenti and Marta Bozzoli reached the bronze-medal match after losing a semifinal to Switzerland’s Gahwiler-Eugster in three sets, 21-13, 16-21, 17-15. Their path had included first place in Pool D and a comeback quarterfinal win over Spain’s Aslan-Cuadrado. On the men’s side, Mattia Leghi and Nicola Koerner were stopped in the quarterfinals by Switzerland’s Koller-Bortoluzzi. Volleyball.it noted that the tournament also awards qualification places for the 2026 CEV Under 18 European Championships, scheduled from September 17 to 20 in Foca, Turkey.
