VolleyBar52# : Tuesday July 28, 2026
3 min read
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!
Welcome to the first and original daily column bringing together all the biggest volleyball stories of the day!
In Episode 52, Paris Volley has announced another new signing: Maksim Shkredau, a 28-year-old Belarusian opposite hitter (2.08 m), who will join the club for the 2026/27 season.
A Belarus international, he arrives in Paris with extensive experience gained across some of Europeās and Asiaās top leagues. During his career, he has represented Shakhtior Soligorsk, PAOK Thessaloniki, Beijing BAIC Motor, Orion Stars (Netherlands), and most recently MGTU Moscow, bringing both power and experience to the Parisian squad.
His trophy cabinet reflects his consistency at the highest level:
ā¢ Dutch Champion (2025)
ā¢ Dutch Cup winner (2025)
ā¢ Chinese Champion (2024)
ā¢ Greek Champion (2023) & Greek Cup winner (2023)
ā¢ Three-time Belarusian Champion (2019, 2020, 2021)
Individually, Shkredau has also collected several prestigious awards:
ā¢ Top Scorer of the Dutch League (2024/25)
ā¢ Best Attacker of the Belarusian League (2020/21)
Mexico defeated hosts the Dominican Republic 3-1 (25:20, 22:25, 25:16, 25:18) at the Juegos Centroamericanos y del Caribe Santo Domingo 2026 (2026 Central American and Caribbean Games) in Santo Domingo, securing second place in Pool B, while the Dominican Republic finished third. Both teams advanced to the quarterfinals. Diego Gonzalez led Mexico with 18 points, while Hector Cruz scored a team-high 15 points for the hosts.
Meanwhile, Cuba swept Venezuela 3-0 (25:18, 25:20, 25:19) to finish second in Pool A, with Venezuela placing third. Both sides also progressed to the quarterfinals. Daniel Martinez was the matchās top scorer with 15 points.
Quarterfinals:
ā¢ Mexico vs. Venezuela
ā¢ Cuba vs. Dominican Republic
Puerto Rico topped Pool A to qualify directly for the semifinals alongside Colombia, who finished first in Pool B.
The countdown to the 2026 Menās Volleyball Nations League Finals continues as we head to Ningbo Beilun, where our colleague Danilo will be covering every match on site.
There youāll find all the protagonists, the complete tournament schedule, and a collection of interesting facts you should read before diving into the Finals.
We would also like to take this opportunity to thank Danilo for the outstanding work he has done so far and for everything he will bring us directly from China over the coming days.
We also wonder whether a certain particularly āprofessionalā and āethicalā Italian colleague will once again translate these articles and pass them off as their own without giving credit to the original sourceā¦
The battle for the VNL title for defending champions Poland is about to begin, and the statistics give Polish fans every reason to be optimistic:
ā¢ 20 matches played in VNL Final Rounds
ā¢ Qualification for all eight Final Rounds
ā¢ 3 appearances in the final, with 2 titles
ā¢ 3 bronze medals
The only time Poland failed to win a medal was during the inaugural edition of the Volleyball Nations League in 2018āa truly remarkable statistic!
We wrap up todayās episode with Micah Christenson and Matt Anderson, both of whom are planning to compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games on home soil, with both indicating that the tournament will likely mark the final chapter of their international careers.
Christenson confirmed that he is 100% committed to playing in Los Angeles if selected, hoping to finish his national team career in front of family, friends, and home fans before potentially retiring from international volleyball.
Anderson has likewise revealed that the 2028 Olympics are expected to be the final act of his legendary career. After taking a break following the Paris Olympics to focus on his family, the American star is now aiming for one last Olympic run before bringing an extraordinary international journey to a close.
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