Alan Nine
Across the last 24 hours covered by Volleyball.it, the news agenda shifted away from the men’s VNL Finals and toward club planning, international business decisions and a serious safeguarding issue in Italian beach volleyball. The most unusual roster move came from Verona, where Rana Verona completed its 2026-27 squad with the arrival of beach-volley star Anders Mol. On the international side, Athletes Unlimited announced that it will suspend AU Pro Volleyball in 2026 while it rethinks the competition’s future. The day also brought formal confirmation of two more teams for the Trofeo McDonald’s in Imola, and a strong official reaction from FIPAV after televised scenes involving coach James Martins during the women’s Coppa Italia di Beach Volley final at Montesilvano.
Italian Transfer News
Rana Verona used August 3 to close its roster for the 2026-27 season with one of the day’s most striking signings. The club announced the arrival of Norwegian opposite Anders Mol, already one of the most decorated players in world beach volleyball and now preparing for a new indoor challenge. Volleyball.it noted that Mol, born in Stord in 1997, arrives with an elite international resume that includes Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020, Olympic bronze at Paris 2024 and the world title at Rome 2022.
The same article also recalled Mol’s run of four straight European titles from 2018 to 2021 and his world bronze in Hamburg 2019. With his signing, the group available to coach Fabio Soli is now complete. Mol described the move as an exciting opportunity in a completely new environment, one that will allow him to keep testing himself at the highest level. For Verona, the operation gives the club a player used to global-level pressure and adds a name certain to draw attention well beyond the usual transfer market.
International
In the United States, Athletes Unlimited announced the suspension of AU Pro Volleyball for the 2026 season. Volleyball.it reported that the decision is part of a broader strategic review that will also affect AU Pro Basketball, whose competition will pause in 2027. The organization linked the choice to a plan to focus resources and long-term development on the areas where it believes it can generate the strongest impact for athletes, fans and partners.
According to the statement cited by Volleyball.it, the move is being framed as a pause rather than a definitive closure. Athletes Unlimited also said it remains committed to building innovative and sustainable professional sports experiences for women in the future. The timing follows what the organization described as the successful second season of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League, which it presented as the start of a new phase in its broader project.
A1 Women
The field for the 5th Trofeo McDonald’s in Imola is now complete. Volleyball.it reported that Il Bisonte Firenze and CDA Volley Talmassons FVG have officially joined Megabox Ondulati del Savio Vallefoglia and Consolini Volley OMAG San Giovanni in Marignano for the women’s event scheduled on September 26 and 27 at the Pala Ruggi.
For Firenze, the tournament marks a return to Imola as the Tuscan side prepares for its thirteenth consecutive Serie A1 season, this time with Alessandro Orefice making his debut on the bench. CDA Volley Talmassons FVG, meanwhile, returns to the Trofeo McDonald’s after securing promotion last season. Volleyball.it said the club will approach top-flight play with much of the group confirmed and with additions including Liset Herrera Blanco, Julie Lengweiler and Dana Schmit under coach Fabio Parazzoli.
Beach Volley
The most sensitive item of the day came from Montesilvano, where FIPAV condemned the behavior of coach James Martins during the women’s final of the Coppa Italia di Beach Volley. Volleyball.it reported that Martins, coach of the pair formed by Chiara They and Sara Breidenbach, was shown on Rai Sport cameras during a second-set timeout in a heated exchange with his athletes, including contact in which he took first one player and then the other by the arm.
Volleyball.it said FIPAV announced on August 3, 2026 that it had already activated its competent bodies to hear the people involved and reconstruct the exact sequence of events. Federation president Giuseppe Manfredi called the images unacceptable and said conduct of that kind cannot be justified. The federation also linked the case to its safeguarding policies, reiterating that every athlete must be able to work in a safe environment and that any responsibilities will be assessed through the procedures provided by the federal system.
