VolleyBar114# : Thursday October 22, 2026

On this day…
Amarcord and volleyball birthdays, france, Italy, Berlin Recycling Volleys, KOVO Cup and 2027 U19 World Championship

Welcome to the 114th Episode of VolleyBar!
And, as always, just 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, including Champions League and BVA Men’s Cup, published yesterday.
Journalism? No. Absolutely ridiculous.

On October 22, 2016 the men’s FIVB Club World Championship in Betim, Brazil, delivered two high-profile semi-finals: Zenit Kazan defeated Trentino Diatec 3-0 (25:18, 25:23, 25:18), while Sada Cruzeiro down Personal Bolívar 3-1 (21:25, 25:15, 25:15, 25:19).
Trentino, one of Europe’s most decorated club sides, could not get past the Russian champions. Hosts Sada Cruzeiro recovered after losing the opening set against Argentina’s Bolívar to reach the final. The following day, Cruzeiro defeated Zenit 3–0 to claim the world title. 

On the same day, women’s Club World Championship semi-finals in the Philippines produced an all-Turkish derby and a battle between Italy and Switzerland.
Eczacıbaşı VitrA Istanbul defeated VakıfBank Istanbul 3-1 (25:23, 19:25, 25:17, 25:23), while Pomi Casalmaggiore beat Voléro Zürich with the same result (27:25, 23:25, 25:17, 25:23).
Eczacıbaşı eliminated fellow Turkish powerhouse VakıfBank, while Casalmaggiore overcame Voléro. The two winners met in the final on October 23, when Eczacıbaşı won a five-set contest to take the world title. 

October 22, 1975: Women’s European Championship. On this day, Yugoslavia down Belgium in straight sets, like Romania against West Germany, Netherlands beat Italy 3-1, Hungary and Bulgaria did the same against Czechoslovakia and Poland, respectively, and Soviet Union down East Germany 3-0.
The Netherlands–Italy result is a particularly useful lead for a historical Italian volleyball audience, while Bulgaria’s win over Poland provides another match involving two established European volleyball nations. 

On October 22, 2022, in the Italian men’s SuperLega, Gioiella Prisma Taranto earned a valuable away victory over WithU Verona, winning 3–2 (25:17, 17:25, 25:23, 22:25, 15:13).
Verona started strongly, with opposite hitter Maksim Sapozhkov among its leading scorers, but Taranto repeatedly fought back. The visitors levelled the match twice before edging the deciding set 15–13. Taranto’s top scorer was Tommaso Stefani, with 21 points, while Eric Loeppky added 20.
Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza also enjoyed a successful away trip that day, sweeping Emma Villas Aubay Siena 3–0 (25:12, 25:19, 25:22).

German middle blocker Tobias Krick was born in Bingen am Rhein on October 22, 1998. Standing 2.13 m tall, he became a member of Germany’s senior national team and won silver at the 2017 European Championship. His professional career has included Italian club volleyball, making him a particularly relevant name for a European audience. He turns 28 today. 

Jules Samonte was also born October 22, 1998.
Filipino outside hitter, she rose to prominence with the Ateneo Lady Eagles. She won the UAAP Season 79 Rookie of the Year award and helped Ateneo capture the Season 81 women’s volleyball championship. Her career also included university beach volleyball. She turns 28 today.

French beach volleyball player who represented France at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games alongside Youssef Krou, Arnaud Gauthier-Rat was born on October 22, 1996. He has also collected international medals on the Beach Pro Tour, including gold at the 2024 European Nations Cup with Krou. He turns 30 today.

Back to the present, today Arago de Sète will welcome Chaumont in advance of 2026/27 Alterna Volstar Round 3. Chaumont boast two wins in as many games so far after Plessis Robinson and Paris, while Sète suffered two losses against undefeated Toulouse and Cannes. The game will start at 20pm local time.

In Italy, Pallavolo Padova has been defeated by Slovenia’s ACH Volley Ljubljana at their Kioene Arena. The visiting side won 1-2 (21:25, 28:30 and 25:23). Padova will travel to Civitanova in the weekend for Round 2 of 2026/27 Superlega CredemBanca.
The opening round of the 2026/27 season attracted 18,737 spectators across six matches, with Verona leading the attendance rankings ahead of Cuneo and Modena. A record-equalling tie-break and the top-flight debut of Tinet Prata di Pordenone added to an eventful opening weekend.

The Bundesliga season got off to the perfect start for Berlin Recycling Volleys, who claimed a 3-0 victory (25:14, 25:17, 25:18) over FT 1844 Freiburg in front of nearly 6,000 spectators at the Max-Schmeling-Halle. The defending champions dominated from the opening exchanges, showcasing fluid play and impressive blocking to underline their ambitions of retaining the title.
After the match, setter Joshua Tuaniga commented: “We wanted to make a good start to the season, and we succeeded in every department. For me, the most important thing was to put the coach’s ideas into practice. Everything worked perfectly, and that makes me happy. On top of that, there was the incredible atmosphere, the fans and the energy — everything came together brilliantly. I had only seen the Max-Schmeling-Halle in Instagram videos, and now I’m part of what happens here. It simply makes you want to do even more.”

KOVO Cup Men’s Semifinals Are Officially Set!
The men’s semifinal matchups for the 2026 Yeosu-NH Nonghyup Cup Professional Volleyball Tournament (KOVO Cup) are officially confirmed!
Group A winners Korean Air will face Group B runners-up Woori Card in the first semifinal, while Group B winners KEPCO will take on Group A runners-up Hyundai Capital in the second matchup.
Both semifinal matches are scheduled to begin on October 24, with the teams battling for a place in the tournament final.

The FIVB has officially confirmed that Pune, India, will host the 2027 Boys’ U19 World Championship.
Scheduled to take place from August 19 to 29, 2027, the prestigious youth tournament will feature 24 national teams competing for the world title, showcasing the next generation of international men’s volleyball talent on the global stage.
Meanwhile Astana, Kazakhstan, will welcome the world’s top young volleyball talents for the 2027 FIVB Girls’ U19 World Championship, scheduled for August 5–15, 2027.
A total of 24 national teams will compete for the world title, showcasing the next generation of international volleyball stars on the global stage.

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