International
Joel Despaigne was inducted into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame but could not attend the ceremony in Holyoke, Massachusetts, after his US visa application was refused. The former Cuba international, who has lived in Italy since 1999 and also holds an Italian passport, joined the 2026 class in the Indoor Player category. He won the 1989 World Cup, took silver at the 1990 World Championship and competed at the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games.
Former Italy head coach and current MP Mauro Berruto said he had submitted a parliamentary question to Italy's foreign affairs and sports ministries. He also plans to ask the Italian Volleyball Federation to present Despaigne with the honour in Rome. The available sources confirm the visa refusal but do not establish the precise legal reason for it.
SuperLega
Cucine Lube Civitanova, Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza and Itas Trentino all retained perfect nine-point records after three rounds. Civitanova won 3-1 at Cuneo, with MVP Alex Nikolov scoring 20 points in a 59 per cent attacking performance by the visitors. Piacenza also won 3-1 at Cisterna as MVP Alessandro Bovolenta led the match with 23 points.
Trento remain the only side yet to drop a set, beating Prata di Pordenone 3-0. Brazilian outside hitter Adriano Cavalcante marked his first SuperLega start with a match-high 15 points, 71 per cent in attack, two blocks and an ace. Allianz Milano recorded their first straight-set win of the season, defeating Padova 25-15, 25-21, 25-18 behind Basil Dermaux's 17 points.
The debate over the proposed FIVB calendar for 2029-32 continued as Polish federation president Sebastian Świderski defended the reform in response to Perugia president Gino Sirci. Świderski argued that the plan could expand the club calendar from 29-30 to 35 weeks and distribute national-team activity more evenly across the year. He acknowledged that details still need work, particularly the timing of the Club World Championship, and said player welfare must remain the priority.
Women's Serie A1
Igor Gorgonzola Novara closed the sixth round with a 3-0 home win over Banca Valsabbina Millenium Brescia, taking the sets 25-13, 25-19 and 25-20. Kaja Grobelna scored a match-high 15 points, Tatiana Tolok added 13 and MVP Sara Bartolini contributed 11. Novara held a 10-3 advantage in blocks and completed the match in 72 minutes.
Beach Volleyball
Italy's Margherita Coretti and Micol Lafuenti reached the Youth Olympic quarter-finals in Dakar with a 2-0 win over Paraguay's Martinez and Gomez, taking both sets 21-17. The Italians have now won four matches without defeat and will face Argentina's Frascaroli and Garcia on 3 November.
The FIVB also confirmed the hosts for the 2027 age-group beach volleyball world championships. Puebla, Mexico, will stage the Under-19 event from 13 to 17 October, before the Under-21 competition is held in Roi Et, Thailand, from 26 to 31 October.
Abroad
VakıfBank made it six wins from six in the Turkish league with a 3-1 victory at Afyon. Tijana Bošković and Zehra Güneş scored 18 points each. Fenerbahçe swept Galatasaray in the Istanbul derby, while Ekaterina Antropova scored 18 in Eczacıbaşı's 3-0 win over Manisa. In Germany, Wiesbaden recovered from two sets down and saved a match point to hand Stuttgart their first defeat of the season.
