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Italian men’s volleyball made a strong statement at the box office as the 2026/27 SuperLega season got underway, drawing 18,737 spectators across the six matches played on October 17 and 18. With more than 3,100 fans attending each game on average, the opening round offered an encouraging snapshot of the competition’s appeal, with three venues attracting more than 4,000 spectators.
The biggest crowd gathered in Verona, where 4,755 fans watched Rana Verona take on Cucine Lube Civitanova. Although the hosts fell to a 3-0 defeat, the atmosphere at the Pala Magis made it the most attended match of the opening weekend. Civitanova secured the victory in three sets, with Aleksandar Nikolov delivering a decisive performance that included five aces.
Second place in the attendance rankings went to Cuneo, where 4,302 spectators witnessed a remarkable five-set battle between Acqua Sant’Anna Cuneo and reigning Italian champions Sir Susa Scai Perugia. The visitors eventually prevailed 3-2, but not before the hosts pushed them to the limit in one of the most dramatic matches of the round.
The contest also produced a remarkable statistical milestone. After Perugia won the second set 25-7, Cuneo fought back to force a deciding fifth set, which the champions eventually claimed 25-23. The 7-25 second-set score equalled the lowest combined points total in a regular SuperLega set, while the 23-25 tie-break matched the competition’s record for the highest-scoring fifth set. The match provided a memorable illustration of the unpredictability that makes volleyball so compelling.
Modena completed the top three in the attendance rankings, welcoming 4,081 fans to the PalaPanini for the clash between Valsa Group Modena and Itas Trentino.
The visitors came away with a straight-sets victory, but the turnout once again underlined the enduring appeal of one of Italian volleyball’s most recognisable venues.
Further down the rankings, 2,341 spectators attended Pallavolo Padova’s home match against Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza at the Kioene Arena. Piacenza won 3-0, completing a successful opening weekend for the visitors and adding another straight-sets result to a round in which away teams enjoyed considerable success.
Pordenone welcomed 1,956 fans for a particularly significant occasion, as Tinet Prata di Pordenone made its historical debut in Superlega. The newly promoted side marked the occasion with a 3-1 victory over Vero Volley Monza, giving its supporters an immediate reason to celebrate and making the club’s first SuperLega appearance a winning one.
Cisterna recorded the smallest attendance of the opening round, with 1,302 spectators watching Cisterna Volley defeat Allianz Milano 3-0. Despite the lower figure compared with the other venues, the home side made the most of its opportunity, collecting three points without dropping a set.
Across the six matches, the attendance figures painted a positive picture for the new campaign.
Verona’s 4,755 spectators set the benchmark, followed by Cuneo’s 4,302 and Modena’s 4,081, while Padova, Pordenone and Cisterna completed the round with crowds ranging from 1,302 to 2,341.
The first weekend also delivered compelling stories on the court, from Civitanova’s victory in Verona to Perugia’s record-equalling escape in Cuneo and Prata di Pordenone’s successful introduction to the top division.
The season is still in its earliest stages, and one round cannot determine how attendance will develop over the coming months. Nevertheless, the opening figures offer an encouraging start for a championship whose appeal rests on both the quality of the volleyball and the atmosphere created by supporters throughout Italy.
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