On this day…
Amarcord and volleyball birthdays, remembering Jaroslav Kozlík, current season, Balkan Cup and U20
Welcome to the 113th Episode of VolleyBar!
A reminder to beware of imitations: our Italian friends just won’t give up, continuing to put out daily features with all the news we publish ourselves here and on our site. Absolutely ridiculous.
October 21, 1963: Bulgaria defeated West Germany 3–0, while France beat Turkey 3–2. The five-set French victory stands out as the more dramatic result of the day. Both matches belong to the 1963 men’s European Championship, hosted in Romania!
On October 21, 2025, Montpellier beat Cannes 3–1 at home on the opening day of the 2025–26 season.
One year later, on October 21, 2026, Montpellier’s home record stands at 20 wins and just one defeat in 21 matches across all competitions!
Their only home defeat came on Matchday 24 of last season against Toulouse, when Montpellier fielded just one regular starter!
Doug Partie was born on October 21, 1961.
American middle blocker and a member of the United States team that won Olympic gold at Seoul 1988 and bronze at Barcelona 1992, he was also part of the US team that won the 1986 World Championship and the 1985 World Cup.

Kaori Inoue was born on October 21, 1982. Former Japanese middle blocker who won bronze with Japan at the London 2012 Olympic Games and at the 2010 World Championship. She also played for Denso Airybees and collected domestic honours, including the 2010 Empress’s Cup.
British setter Ben Pipes was also born on October 21, 1986, represented Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympic Games and captained the team. His career also included club volleyball in the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain.

Twin brothers Georgi and Valentin Bratoev were born on October 21, 1987.
Georgi is a Bulgarian setter and member of the national team that won bronze at the 2009 European Championship, while outside hitter Valentin’s honours include the 2009 European Championship bronze medal and the 2010–11 CEV Champions League title with Itas Trentino.
On October 21, 2012, Jaroslav Kozlík dies aged 105. Czech educator, volleyball pioneer and former Czechoslovak, he took part in the very first Czechoslovak national volleyball championship in 1924 and won the title three times with his team. His contribution extended well beyond the court: he devoted much of his professional life to physical education, teaching and the development of sport. He was also a long-standing member of the Sokol movement, which played an important role in the development of organised physical activity in Czechoslovakia. He was 105 years old. 
Back to the present, in Poland, Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie vs ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle is listed for October 21 in the 2026/27 Tauron Liga, following the advance played yesterday of Round 2. It is a particularly interesting early-season test: Zawiercie are the defending league champions, while ZAKSA are one of the established forces in Polish volleyball.
Turkish side Istanbul Gençlik SK survived very tight first and third sets to sweep hosts AO Kalamata 1980 of Greece, finishing undefeated at the 2026 BVA Men’s Cup. The Balkan Cup gold medal comes along with a ticket to this season’s CEV Volleyball Challenge Cup. Their opponent in the 32nd Finals will be Israel’s Maccabi Yeadim Tel-Aviv.
Rovaniemi, Finland, is ready to host the NEVZA U20 Championships from October 23 to 25, 2026. The tournament also serves as the zonal first round qualifier for the 2027 edition of the CEV Eurovolley U20 men and women. Interestingly, Rovaniemi is the northernmost place where such a qualifier has ever been played in any age group!
Women’s and men’s U20 national teams from Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and England will compete, with the winner of each competition qualifying directly for the 2027 Final Round.
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