VolleyBar48# : Wednesday July 22, 2026

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Welcome to your daily volleyball news roundup — the original one (and still the first of its kind, despite all the imitations), which today celebrates its 48th episode. Wow!

We begin in Brazil, where Bruno Almeida, a product of the club’s youth academy, has been promoted to the Sada Cruzeiro first team for the 2026/27 season. The 19-year-old middle blocker, standing 2.01m tall, is entering an exciting new chapter in his career, with the opportunity to develop every day alongside some of the biggest names in Brazilian volleyball.

In France, Arago de Sète announced the passing of former player René Caperan.
A graduate of the club’s youth system, he represented the club all the way to the senior team and was a member of the squad that won the French Second Division title in 1977, securing the club’s historic promotion to the top flight. That achievement laid the foundation for what has now become 50 consecutive seasons at the highest level of French volleyball.
After settling in Spain following his playing career, René remained deeply attached to Arago. He continued to follow the club closely and, just a few months ago, returned to Sète to attend the French league semifinal. During that visit, he was moved to discover the Halle Louis Marty and was delighted to see the club continuing its history in its new home.
Everyone at Arago de Sète extends its heartfelt condolences to his family, loved ones and former teammates, and Volleytimes did the same.

In Italy, Rana Verona has extended libero Matteo Staforini’s contract until 2030.
Meanwhile, Modena Volley officially introduced new head coach Lorenzo Tubertini and unveiled the roster that will compete during the 2026/27 season.

“I’m very happy to be back in Modena. The most exciting challenge is to transmit my vision of volleyball to the players. I want to give them the tools to improve every day and build a team that fully reflects the work we’ll do together,” Tubertini said in the club’s official statement.

Sporting Director Alberto Casadei also expressed confidence in the squad:
““We’re very satisfied with the roster we’ve built. The new arrivals are players of the highest level, and we believe they have the right qualities to strengthen our project. Modena must always aim to stay close to the strongest teams, and the club’s ambition is to compete at the highest level. Ultimately, however, our daily work and performances on the court will determine how far we can go.”

In Poland, Bartosz Kwolek has extended his contract with Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie through 2029.
Since joining the club, the outside hitter has played 201 matches, scoring 2,301 points. Last season, he helped Aluron capture its long-awaited first-ever PlusLiga title, marking not only the club’s first Polish championship but also the first league title of his own career.

On the international stage, Oman made history by winning the WAVA Men’s Volleyball Championship in Muscat.
In the final, Oman produced a stunning performance to defeat defending champions Qatar in straight sets (25:19, 25:15, 25:23), claiming the nation’s first-ever WAVA title and ending Qatar’s dominance in the competition.
The victory came as a major surprise considering the world rankings, with 69th-ranked Oman overcoming 23rd-ranked Qatar.
Congratulations to Oman on this historic achievement!

The African Volleyball Confederation (CAVB) has officially confirmed the 16 national teams qualified for the 2026 African Men’s Volleyball Championship, following the conclusion of the zonal qualification tournaments across the continent.
The championship will be held in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, from September 7 to 21, bringing together Africa’s top men’s national teams. The tournament will also serve as the continent’s qualification event for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games and the 2027 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship.

Meanwhile, Thailand claimed its first victory in Leg 2 of the 6th SEA V Cup, sweeping Myanmar in the opening match in Jakarta (25:20, 25:9, 25:18).
Hosts Indonesia also made an impressive start, defeating Leg 1 champions Cambodia in straight sets (26:24, 25:15, 25:17) in front of their home fans.

In the Women’s Volleyball Nations League, the Netherlands’ inspiring journey came to an end after a quarterfinal defeat against defending champions Italy.
Throughout the tournament, the Dutch side impressed volleyball fans with fearless attacking, disciplined blocking and aggressive serving, proving they belong among the world’s elite. Although they narrowly missed out on a semifinal place, they leave the competition with plenty to be proud of.
Italy, seeking a third consecutive VNL title, booked its place in the semifinals with a commanding straight-set victory (25:21, 25:16, 25:16) in Macao.
Brazil also advanced to the semifinals after producing an impressive comeback against Japan (24:26, 25:22, 25:16, 25:20).
After dropping a closely contested opening set, Brazil responded by winning the next three to secure a place in the final four.
The victory sets up a blockbuster semifinal against defending champions Italy—a rematch of the 2025 VNL Final with another place in the championship match on the line.
For Japan, Yukiko Wada scored 19 points, Mayu Ishikawa added 15, and Yoshino Sato contributed 12, while Rosamaria finished with 12 points for Brazil in another outstanding team performance.

We wrap up today’s edition with a fun women’s volleyball fact: Brazil, the United States, and Türkiye are the only three national teams to have qualified for every edition of the Women’s Volleyball Nations League Finals since the competition was introduced in 2018!
Year after year, these volleyball powerhouses continue to demonstrate remarkable consistency, proving why they remain among the very best teams in the world!

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