Cucine Lube Civitanova won the 2026 Jesi Volley Cup on Sunday, defeating Allianz Milano 3–1 (25:23, 29:31, 25:21, 25:14) in front of 2,017 spectators at the PalaTriccoli in Jesi.
It was the Lube’s second title in the tournament’s four editions, while Milano finished runner-up for the second consecutive year, having lost the 2025 final to Piacenza.
For much of the match, the two sides delivered a closely contested final. Milano’s attack was particularly effective during the opening sets, and the team coached by Guillermo Falasca showed it could match Civitanova in both intensity and execution. But the balance shifted in the third set. The Lube weathered Milano’s challenge, raised its level at the right moment and gradually took control, before pulling decisively clear in the fourth.
The tournament’s Most Valuable Player award went to setter Simeon Nikolov, who scored five points in the final and played a key role in directing Civitanova’s attack. His brother Alex Nikolov finished with 16 points, while Mattia Bottolo added 10. Milano’s Basil Dermaux was the leading scorer of the final, with 20 points.
The opening set immediately established the pattern: Civitanova tried to create a gap, but Milano repeatedly found a response. Eric Loeppky helped the Lube with his serve, while Dermaux proved a difficult problem for the visitors’ defence. Neither side managed to pull decisively ahead, and the score was level at 20–20. In the closing exchanges, however, Civitanova showed greater composure.
After a tense sequence of rallies, Simeon Nikolov delivered the decisive attack to give his team the set, 25–23.
Milano responded with its strongest spell of the match. Its attack continued to operate at a high level, while the blocking of Bartolucci and Benacchio helped the team stay in contention. The second set became a prolonged battle, with both sides having opportunities to close it out. Civitanova briefly looked to have turned the momentum in its favour, but Milano refused to give in. After saving set points and surviving several dramatic exchanges, Allianz finally took the set 31–29, levelling the match and underlining the quality of its performance.
The third set proved to be the turning point. Milano moved ahead and threatened to take control, reaching an 11–8 lead. But Civitanova responded, with Simeon Nikolov’s service rotation helping to disrupt the opposition and change the rhythm of the game. The Lube recovered the deficit, moved in front and began to build pressure through its attacking options. As Milano’s reception became less reliable, Civitanova grew in confidence and took the set 25–21, moving one step away from the trophy.
Coach Falasca later acknowledged that his team had produced two excellent sets before its energy began to fade. Milano had spent the previous week at a training camp in Scheggino before travelling to Jesi, and had also played a demanding semi-final against Olympiakos Piraeus on Saturday. The coach did not use fatigue to dismiss his team’s performance, however, expressing full satisfaction with the players’ work during both the training camp and the tournament.
The fourth set offered a clear demonstration of Civitanova’s squad depth.
Both coaches made several changes, but the Lube maintained its level despite reshaping much of its line-up. Simeon Nikolov remained at setter, with Davide Gardini and Miran Kujundžić on the wings, Alberto Polo and Antonin Klimes in the middle, Maksym Tonkonoh as opposite and Francesco Bisotto at libero.
Civitanova made a fast start, opening up a substantial lead and putting Milano under immediate pressure. Nikolov’s serve helped extend the gap, while Gardini contributed a series of important plays, including a service winner. Milano attempted to change the course of the set through substitutions, bringing in players including Simone Porro, Davi Tenorio, Federico Argano and Tommaso Ichino. But the Lube’s momentum was already established. The gap continued to grow, and Klimes brought the final to a close at 25–14.
The match statistics underline Civitanova’s strength in attack and from the service line, although the precise totals differ between the clubs’ published reports.
What was unmistakable was the Lube’s ability to improve as the final progressed, particularly after Milano had pushed it hard in the first two sets. For coach Giampaolo Medei, the tournament also offered an opportunity to give playing time to a broad group of athletes and explore different combinations before the start of the competitive season.
For Milano, the result was disappointing, but the performance offered encouraging signs. The team demonstrated its attacking potential and stayed level with one of Italy’s leading sides for a substantial part of the final. Falasca said he was not worried about the team’s readiness, pointing to the quality of its work and looking ahead to another test against Modena before the league campaign begins.
Civitanova, meanwhile, left Jesi with more than a trophy.
The final provided a useful indication of the depth available to Medei, with players coming off the bench able to sustain the team’s level and help turn a difficult match into a convincing win. With the new season approaching, the Lube’s ability to find solutions across its roster may prove just as important as the individual performances that secured the Jesi Volley Cup.
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