VolleyBar21# : Monday June 15, 2026

If you wish to publish an Italian translation of this article, any of our other articles, or any part of them, please cite the original source. Plagiarism is illegal!

After the now customary weekend break, we have reached the twenty-first episode of VolleyBar, the daily column promptly copied by our “Italian friends”, who have even gone as far as producing word-for-word translations in their native language.

Now apparently serving as their primary source of inspiration, we begin with international volleyball.
The first week of the 2026 Volleyball Nations League is now in the books, with Brazil and Japan sitting at the top of the standings on 11 points apiece.
You can find the full schedule, results, and updated standings here, and we’d also like to thank our contributors reporting directly from the courts: Danilo in Brazil and Ivan in China.

The second week of the 2026 Volleyball European League has also concluded, with the competition now entering its decisive stage ahead of the final week (full schedule here). The Netherlands, Estonia, and Finland remain unbeaten at the top of the standings, closely followed by Denmark and Israel, undefeated too with 11 points in the standings.

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In Poland, it is now official: middle blocker Mousse Gueye has moved from VC Barkom-Każany to BOGDANKA LUK Lublin, while outside hitter Tomasz Fornal, who spent last season in Turkey with Ziraat Bankkart Ankara, will return to Poland to wear the jersey of defending champions Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie.

After playing in Denmark, Romania, the Czech Republic, and Japan, winning the Czech championship and becoming a regular member of the Danish national team, outside hitter Oskar Kjerstein Madsen joins Norwid Częstochowa to test himself in the PlusLiga for the first time.
Standing 195 cm tall, he is one of the leaders of his national team and has steadily built his reputation on both the European and international stage over recent years.
He gained his first experience abroad in Romania, representing CSM Arcada Galați. He then moved to the Czech Republic to play for VK Lvi Praha. It was in Prague that he enjoyed one of the best periods of his career. During the 2024/25 season, he won both the Czech Championship and the Czech Cup, playing a key role for the team.
He spent last season in Japan with VC Nagano Tridents in the prestigious SV League.
Interestingly, in Częstochowa he will once again team up with fellow Danish international Mads Jensen. The two have represented Denmark together for years and will now have the opportunity to build Norwid’s strength side by side.

“I see the PlusLiga as one of the strongest and most competitive leagues in the world. Poland is home to Europe’s top teams, and the league is full of outstanding players and coaches,” said Norwid’s new outside hitter.

The Dane also made it clear that he sees this transfer to Częstochowa as another important step in his career.

“This is another step toward the highest level. From what I’ve heard and know, the club wants to build a team capable of achieving better results with each passing season,” he said.

Meanwhile, Cuprum Stilon Gorzów has announced that it has reached an agreement with Dawid Dulski. The opposite hitter will represent the club during the 2026/27 season.
Well known to PlusLiga fans, throughout his career, he has played for clubs including Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie, Exact Systems Hemarpol Częstochowa, and PSG Stal Nysa. Last season he competed for Nice Volley-Ball in France, gaining international experience and continuing his development also outside Poland.

Following the contract extension of setter Marcin Janusz, Asseco Resovia Rzeszów has also confirmed Slovenian outside hitter Klemen Čebulj, as well as middle blocker Mateusz Poręba and setter Wiktor Nowak.

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In Italy, Piacenza has confirmed middle blocker Francesco Comparoni, who will remain with the club until 2028.

“I’ve felt great in Piacenza, and I’m obviously very happy about this contract extension. It means the club has confidence in me,” he said.

However, they’ve lost Turkish outside hitter Efe Mandiraci, a new player of Galatasaray.

Meanwhile, outside hitter Federico Argano from Milano’s youth sector joins Powervolley Milano, young libero Flavio Morazzini has returned to Monza, while Stefano Cappadona, who turned 21 in February, will serve as setter Simone Giannelli’s backup in Perugia after four seasons with Castellana Grotte, two in Serie B and two in Serie A3.

“Perugia’s call brought an incredible mix of emotions, and I immediately decided to seize this opportunity. Ever since I was a child, I’ve dreamed of playing for a SuperLega team, and I grew up watching this club’s champions on television. At this stage of my volleyball journey, I believe it’s essential to keep improving by putting myself fully at the disposal of the coach and the team. It will also be wonderful to share the court with experienced teammates from whom I can learn and draw inspiration,” he said.

“My greatest ambition is to win a trophy with Sir, especially the Scudetto, which would be a dream come true. I also want to become increasingly important to the team day by day and finish the season with greater confidence and awareness in every aspect of my game. Next season will be difficult because there are so many strong teams, but I’m very confident and believe it will be crucial to start strongly from the very beginning.”

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In Brazil, Sada Cruzeiro celebrated its 20th anniversary!
Today, the most successful project in Brazilian volleyball reaches another important milestone: 20 years of history!
The team, founded in 2006 in Betim, has built a journey marked by hard work, dedication, passion, and achievements that have transformed Sada Cruzeiro into a benchmark both on and off the court.
These have been two decades of titles, challenges overcome, and an indescribable connection with our fans, who have been with us every step of the way.

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In Turkey, Halkbank Ankara officially confirmed signing of Brazilian opposite Darlan Souza for the 2026/27 season from Italian side Rana Verona, where he played last season after spending several years Brazilian powerhouse Sesi Bauru.
Speaking after the announcement, the Brazilian star expressed his excitement about the move:

“It is an honor to become part of the Halkbank family, one of the most powerful clubs in world volleyball. I am very excited to join this family, and I will give my best every day to help us achieve our goals. I know how passionate the volleyball fans in Ankara are, and I believe we will build a truly special connection together.”

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