VolleyBar90# : Friday September 18, 2026

On this day..
Eurovolley 2026, Amarcord and volleyball birthdays, Riaz Ahmed, NORCECA men’s Olympic qualification tournament, Men’s South American Volleyball Championship, ZAKSA, Italy, injuries and Iceland

Welcome to the 90th episode of VolleyBar!
Thanks to the European Championship, we’ve gained a significant number of new readers. So, even though we’ve already reached Episode 90 today, let’s remember that VolleyBar is the first-ever daily column created to bring the day’s main volleyball news together in one place.
You’ll find our idea being brutally copied by a particular Italian website. But it remains nothing more than a poor imitation—and most of the news they publish comes from us.
Today is the last episode before a well-deserved weekend break!

Italy completes a flawless preliminary round securing a perfect 5-0 record to claim the top seed in Pool A of the Men’s European Volleyball Championship after outlasting Slovenia in five sets: 25:19, 25:22, 27:29, 19:25, 15:9.
The Round of 16 matchups are now set for both squads: Italy will face off against Denmark, while Slovenia will take on Serbia in the knockout stage.
Estonia makes a massive statement in their final match, taking down Finland in a thrilling five-set battle to secure their first victory over Finland in an official match since 2005: 22:25, 25:21, 25:22, 20:25, 15:11.
Though they narrowly miss out on the Round of 16 with a 2–3 record and 5 points, Estonia leaves the tournament with an unforgettable victory! Meanwhile, Finland takes the defeat but still finishes second in Pool C with a 4–1 record.
Recall that you can read all EuroVolley news directly here, while calendar with all games, results and gallery updated every day is here.

Either way, September 18, 2011 remains one of the most memorable dates in recent European men’s volleyball history.
In Vienna, Serbia defeated Italy 3–1 (17:25, 25:20, 25:23, 26:24) in the European Championship final to claim the continental title in front of 9,750 spectators.
Italy made the better start, taking the opening set 25–17, but Serbia gradually took control of the match. The hosts of the final tournament turned the match around and closed it in four sets, completing a remarkable run to the title.
Ivan Miljković was named tournament MVP, while Serbia’s Marko Podraščanin received the award for Best Blocker. Italy’s Dragan Travica was named Best Setter and Andrea Bari Best Libero.
For Serbia, the victory represented their second European Championship title, following their triumph in 2001 when the team was still competing as Yugoslavia.
But the story had actually been set up the previous day.
On September 17, Serbia had survived an extraordinary semifinal against Russia, winning 3–2 after a fourth set that ended 33–31. Less than 24 hours later, they were European champions.

The same day also saw the bronze-medal match in Vienna.
Poland defeated Russia 3–1 (25:23, 18:25, 25:21, 25:19) to take third place at the European Championship.
It was Poland’s second European Championship bronze medal. Bartosz Kurek was one of the important figures of the Polish campaign and was also named the tournament’s Best Server.

Going further back, September 18, 1982 saw Japan face Brazil in the second round of the Women’s World Championship.
Japan won 3–0 (15:5, 15:10, 15:9).
It was another chapter in the long history of Japanese women’s volleyball, a programme that had already established itself as one of the world’s leading forces through its Olympic and World Championship successes.
The Japanese tradition would eventually produce another Olympic gold medal at Montreal 1976 and remain a major presence on the international scene for decades.

The Japanese setter Hitomi Nakamichi, born on September 18, 1985, was part of the national team that won bronze at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
She also won bronze at the 2010 World Championship and the 2013 World Grand Champions Cup.
She spent much of her club career with Hisamitsu Springs, one of Japan’s most successful women’s clubs.

September 18 is also the anniversary of the death of Riaz Ahmed, who died on this day in 2023 at the age of 84.
He was one of India’s important volleyball players of the 1960s and 1970s. He represented the national team between 1961 and 1973 and was part of India’s squad at the 1966 Asian Games in Bangkok, where India finished fourth.
He belongs to an earlier generation of Indian volleyball, from a period when the sport was already developing a strong following across Asia.

But there is also a very current reason to mention September 18 in volleyball history this year.
The NORCECA men’s Olympic qualification tournament for Los Angeles 2028 begins today in Moncton, Canada.
The competition features Canada, Cuba, Dominican Republic and Mexico, with the tournament offering a direct Olympic qualification place.
The United States are already qualified for LA28 as hosts. That gives today’s date an interesting connection with the past: while the volleyball world looks toward the next Olympic Games, September 18 already carries the memory of one of Europe’s most dramatic championship finals!

Brazil continues their dominant run! They secured a straight-sets sweep over Colombia to remain undefeated with a perfect 3-0 record at the Men’s South American Volleyball Championship: 25:23, 25:14, 25:16.
Also defending champions Argentina continues their flawless run, securing their third consecutive victory to remain undefeated, defeating Chile in straight sets: 28:26, 25:19, 25:17.

Alas Pilipinas Men played a tune-up match against Uzbekistan as part of their preparations for the Asian Games.
The Philippines are drawn in Pool D alongside South Korea, China, and Chinese Taipei, while Uzbekistan is in Pool A with Japan, Pakistan, and Kazakhstan.
The men’s tournament will run from September 27 to October 3.

EuroVolley is still being played, but the club season is already starting behind the scenes.
In Poland, ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle are scheduled to face MKS Kluczbork today, September 18, in a closed-door pre-season friendly.
ZAKSA’s preparation programme is particularly interesting because it includes both domestic and international opposition. The club has already faced BBTS Bielsko-Biała and Jastrzębie BARKOM, while later they will play Ordu Baku in Krosno and then Ślepsk Malow Suwałki, Norwid Częstochowa, Skra Bełchatów and potentially Resovia/Berlin Recycling Volleys.
Quinn Isaacson has joined the team, while French outside hitter Thomas Pujol is arriving after winning gold at the Mediterranean Games with France U21. Dutch international Fabian Plak and Poland international Szymon Jakubiszak will join after EuroVolley.

Italy announced that Parma will welcome Italy’s SuperLega elite on November 14 and 15, 2026 as one of Italian volleyball’s historic cities returns to the spotlight.

Cooper Steele Robinson, outside hitter of Gas Sales Bluenergy Volley Piacenza, has undergone successful surgery on his right knee in Los Angeles, performed by Dr Carlos Uquillas.
The American had been sidelined by a knee problem following his national team commitments: first the Volleyball Nations League, followed by the Hubert Wagner Memorial in Poland, where he was named the tournament’s Best Outside Hitter. Subsequent medical examinations made surgery necessary.
The duration of his absence has not yet been determined. His recovery timeline will be assessed over the coming weeks, based on the progress of his post-operative recovery.
He is also expected to arrive in Piacenza in the coming weeks, where he will continue his recovery and rehabilitation under the supervision of the club’s medical and physiotherapy staff.
Meanwhile, Rana Verona have announced that Lorenzo Cortesia suffered a muscle injury while training with the Italian national team.
The middle blocker is following an individual recovery programme, although the club have not disclosed the severity of the injury or provided a timetable for his return.

Both the men’s and the women’s Iceland Super Cup trophies found their winners in Kopavogur.
The men’s contenders produced a five-set battle with Hamar Hveragerdi celebrating a narrow 3-2 (22:25, 25:21, 17:25, 25:20, 17:15) victory over KA Akureyri to pick up the super cup trophy for the third time in the club’s history.
The women’s Iceland Super Cup match that followed ended in four sets, 3-1 (27:25, 13:25, 25:17, 27:25), won by KA Akureyri against the home team of HK Kopavogur. KA raised the trophy for the fifth (third consecutive) time in history!

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