VolleyBar115# : Friday October 23, 2026

On this day…
Amarcord and volleyball birthdays, Turkey and Sultanbeyli Belediyespor, France and Laurent Tillie’s words

Welcome to the 115th Episode of VolleyBar, the last one after our usual weekend break.
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 Superlega records, news from Bulgaria, U19 World Championships and Sète – Chaumont, published yesterday.
The best volleyball website in Italy?
No. Absolutely ridiculous.

Either way, on October 23, 2016, Sada Cruzeiro and Eczacıbaşı become world champions.
In Men’s FIVB Club World Championship final, Sada Cruzeiro down Zenit Kazan 3-0 (25:21, 25:23, 25:15) on home soil in Betim, Brazil, producing their best performance of the tournament when it mattered most, defeating the Russian powerhouse in straight sets to retain the world crown. It was the Brazilian club’s third Club World Championship title and second in consecutive editions.
Opposite Evandro Guerra led the winners with 14 points, while Yoandy Leal added 13. Setter William Arjona was named tournament MVP, capping a remarkable year in which he had also won Olympic gold with Brazil at Rio 2016.
Zenit, featuring Wilfredo León, had to settle for silver. Simone Giannelli of Trentino was named the tournament’s best setter, while León earned a place in the Dream Team. 
About Women’s, Eczacıbaşı VitrA Istanbul needed five sets to prevail over Pomi Casalmaggiore (25:19, 20:25, 25:19, 22:25, 15:11).
Eczacıbaşı retained their world title in Manila after a five-set battle against the reigning European champions from Italy. The Turkish side and Casalmaggiore traded sets before Eczacıbaşı took control in the deciding set.
Russian outside hitter Tatiana Kosheleva led the winners with 23 points, while Serbian teenage star Tijana Bošković contributed 17. Neslihan Demir’s service ace helped Eczacıbaşı establish a crucial 12–10 lead in the fifth set, and another Kosheleva ace sealed the championship at 15–11.
The victory made Eczacıbaşı the first club to defend the women’s Club World Championship title since the tournament’s return in 2010. Coach Massimo Barbolini was at the helm of a team combining Turkish experience with international stars. 
Why this date matters: October 23, 2016, brought world titles to two very different volleyball powers. Sada Cruzeiro underlined Brazil’s strength in men’s club volleyball, while Eczacıbaşı demonstrated the depth of the Turkish women’s game. Both finals were decided in very different ways: Sada Cruzeiro dominated the last two sets, whereas Eczacıbaşı had to survive a five-set test.

1963 Men’s European Championship: Hungary beat Czechoslovakia in five sets.
The 1963 men’s European Championship, staged in Romania, featured a five-set encounter between Hungary and Czechoslovakia on October 23. Italy also defeated Belgium 3–1 that day.
The results are recorded in the CEV’s historical archive. They belong to the tournament’s early phase, before the final standings were decided in Bucharest. 

The women’s competition at the 1963 European Championship also included a significant fixture on October 23, when the Soviet Union swept Bulgaria in the final phase.
The Soviet women’s team was one of the dominant forces of the era. The match is a useful historical entry because it brings together two countries with long-standing traditions in European women’s volleyball. 

The CEV archive provides another substantial group of matches from the 1975 Women’s European Championship, held in Yugoslavia.
The most interesting result is Yugoslavia’s five-set victory over Italy. It was a competitive encounter between two European sides during a period when the Soviet Union was a major force in the women’s game. East Germany’s five-set win over Poland is another result worth keeping in the archive.

The 1990 Men’s World Championship in Brazil was approaching its conclusion, with teams competing for final positions. On October 23, two matches were played in the classification pool for places 13–16:
United States 3–1 Venezuela (15:5, 15:7, 14:16, 15:13).
South Korea 3–0 Cameroon (15:10, 15:2, 15:7).
The Americans recovered after dropping the third set to Venezuela, while South Korea produced a particularly emphatic performance against Cameroon, conceding only 19 points across the final two sets.
The United States ultimately finished 13th, South Korea 14th, Cameroon 15th and Venezuela 16th. The tournament itself was won by Italy, who defeated Cuba in the final.

More recently, on October 23, 2021, Grupa Azoty ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle come from behind to defeat Projekt Warszawa 3-2 (25:27, 25:18, 14:25, 25:18, 15:9).
The meeting between the two unbeaten sides in the early stages of the 2021–22 PlusLiga season lived up to its billing. Warszawa led 2–1 in sets, but ZAKSA responded with two dominant sets to preserve their perfect start.
Łukasz Kaczmarek scored 25 points and was named MVP, while Kamil Semeniuk added 24. The result was especially significant because ZAKSA were the reigning European champions, and Warszawa had finished third in the previous Polish league season.

On the same day, Cerrad Enea Czarni Radom secured first win of the seasob after defeating Trefl Gdańsk 3-1 (25:19, 20:25, 31:29, 26:24).
After the teams split the first two, Radom took the third 31–29 and the fourth 26–24.
Paweł Rusin, Aleksander Berger and Rafał Faryna each reached double figures for the winners.

One year later, on October 23, 2022,
Itas Trentino defeated Top Volley Cisterna at tie break, 20:25, 25:18, 35:33, 21:25, 15:13).
The fourth round of the 2022–23 SuperLega produced a particularly dramatic contest in Trento. Cisterna took the opening set and pushed the home side all the way, but Trentino recovered to win a third set that went to 35–33 before finally edging the deciding set 15–13.
The third-set score alone makes this match worth retaining in a historical database: 68 points were played in that set, with neither side able to establish a decisive advantage until the very end.
Milano win a five-set thriller in Modena, (26:24, 21:25, 25:21, 23:25, 14:16).
Allianz Milano came from behind twice to defeat Modena away from home. The visitors forced a tie-break after Modena took the third set, then won it 16–14 in one of the closest matches of the round.
Elsewhere that day, Vero Volley Monza swept Cucine Lube Civitanova 3–0, while Sir Safety Susa Perugia beat Pallavolo Padova 3–1.

Russian outside hitter Victoria Chaplina was born on October 23, 1988 in Sverdlovsk, now Yekaterinburg. She represented Russia at the 2013 FIVB World Grand Champions Cup and the 2013 Summer Universiade, and played for leading Russian clubs including Uralochka-NTMK and Dynamo Kazan.
She turns 38 today. Her career offers a route into the history of Russian women’s volleyball beyond the best-known national-team stars. 

Argentine volleyball and beach volleyball player who represented Argentina at the 2014 FIVB Women’s World Championship Antonela Curatola was born on October 23, 1991. Her career included indoor volleyball with Vélez Sarsfield as well as beach volleyball.
She turns 35 today.

Célestin Cardin was born on October 23, 1999. French opposite has played for several clubs in France, including Montpellier, Nice and Arago de Sète, and he turns 27 today. 

Then there is Séverin Granvorka, born on October 23, 1947.
French volleyball international and coach born in Le Lorrain, Martinique. He represented France from 1969 to 1979 and later coached the national team as well as clubs in France and Switzerland.
He died on September 16, 2025, aged 77. His career connects the French national team’s earlier generations with the development of the game in French-speaking Switzerland. 

German volleyball coach, player and sports educator who helped establish USC Münster as a major force in German volleyball Manfred Kindermann was born on October 23, 1938.
With the club, he won six consecutive German championship titles as a player between 1965 and 1970, then coached the team to national titles in 1971 and 1972. He also coached West Germany at the 1972 Munich Olympics.
He died in November 2025, aged 87. His story is a strong historical birthday entry because it spans playing, coaching and sports education.

Back to the present, the road to the AXA Sigorta Kupa Voley Final Four is now mapped out, with the quarter-final draws for the men’s and women’s competitions setting up several high-profile encounters.
The draw took place at AXA Sigorta’s headquarters in Istanbul yesterday, October 22.

Still in Türkiye, after an initial forfeit triggered by a players’ boycott over unpaid wages, Sultanbeyli Belediyespor are already fighting for their future in the Efeler Ligi. Another forfeit this Saturday would bring the Turkish club’s season to an end.
In July 2026, Bursa Büyükşehir Belediyespor withdrew from the Efeler Ligi, leaving its place to Istanbul-based Sultanbeyli Belediyespor, which acquired Bursa’s sporting rights and took over its squad.
A new club, a new project, but a start to the season that has already turned into a fiasco. Sultanbeyli were forced to forfeit their opening league match against Alanya.
The reason? Unpaid wages.
According to our official sources (are you ready to republish it, Italian friends?), two months’ salaries are reportedly overdue, despite several promises of payment that have gone unfulfilled. Faced with this situation, the players decided to boycott the season opener to protest against the management and demand payment of the amounts owed to them.
Saturday’s fixture is therefore set to be crucial. Should the players decide to boycott the match once again, Sultanbeyli Belediyespor would record a second forfeit. Under Turkish league regulations, two forfeits result in the club’s season being terminated. Sultanbeyli Belediyespor’s fate could therefore be decided this weekend.

Moving to France, Chaumont defeated Sète in straight sets yesterday in the early fixture of Round 3, recording their third victory in as many matches this season. Last season, Chaumont averaged 4.4 aces per match over the course of the 2025/26 campaign. After three matches this season, that figure has risen to nine aces per game!
Arago de Sète, meanwhile, have opened their campaign with three consecutive defeats, a start they had not experienced since 2013.

Ahead of Saturday’s match against Tours in Round 3 of the Alterna VOLSTAR league, Guillaume Recurt, head coach of newcomers Royan Atlantique Volley-Ball, shared his assessment of the Pirates’ upcoming opponents.
“It’s a team capable of winning the French championship while also having a strong Champions League campaign. There is quality in every position, with plenty of options coming off the bench. Earvin will obviously attract attention, but Vasilii Molotkov will probably be the best opposite in the league. Focusing solely on Earvin would inevitably be a mistake. Thanks to our analysis and match preparation, the players won’t make that mistake.”

Japan men’s national team head coach Laurent Tillie has reviewed his team’s 2026 international season, highlighting several achievements that he believes provide reasons for optimism.
“The performance of Japan’s men’s national team this summer is something we can be proud of for at least four reasons.
First, the title at the Asian Games, which we had been targeting for two years. It was our first major objective. This victory also secured our place at the 2028 Olympic Games two years in advance. It will allow us to prepare for the Olympics with greater peace of mind.
Second, our historic VNL campaign. The record of 13 consecutive victories gave us confidence and helped us gain a clearer understanding of our strengths and weaknesses.
Third, the two matches against the United States and Slovenia were valuable opportunities to refocus the team on the goal of Olympic qualification.
Fourth, we were able to implement a comprehensive programme for the B team just two weeks before the Asian Games began. We entrusted leadership roles to young players who had had limited playing time, across three or four key positions. As a result, the team won a closely contested semi-final against China and then played the final against Iran, earning a magnificent silver medal.
The final key factor was the constant rotation between the A and B teams throughout the summer. Players moved between the two squads to support training sessions and matches. It was a real success. Not only did we perform at a high level as a team, but we also gave these young players valuable experience and the opportunity to take on greater responsibility.”

Have a nice (volleyball and not) weekend!

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