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Modena Volley are preparing for their first away match of the new 2026/27 SuperLega season with a clear objective: take another step forward and challenge Piacenza on their own court. Following the opening defeat against Itas Trentino, head coach Lorenzo Tubertini is looking for signs of improvement rather than immediate conclusions, convinced that his team can make life difficult for even the strongest opponents if it manages to translate its work in training into consistent performances.
The challenge comes today, Sunday, October 25, 2026, when Modena travel to the PalaBanca for an 18:00 meeting with Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza. It is another demanding fixture at the beginning of a schedule that offers little time to settle, but Tubertini believes the week’s work has provided encouraging indications.
“The numbers from our training sessions tell us that we have taken a small step forward this week,” the coach explained. “But Sunday’s match will tell us whether we have managed to add something to what we showed against Trento.”
Modena’s opening match exposed the difficulty of competing against a team capable of raising its level when the pressure increases. Tubertini acknowledged that his players struggled to keep pace in the third set, but rejected the idea that the decline was primarily physical. In his assessment, Trentino’s acceleration was the decisive factor, leaving Modena unable to respond with the same intensity.
“The drop in the third set against Trento was not a physical problem,” he said. “They raised their level considerably, and we were unable to keep up.”
The distinction matters for a team still working to establish its rhythm. Tubertini believes the physical preparation is progressing well, although the players are not yet all at the same stage of conditioning. The priority now is to improve the quality and continuity of Modena’s game, particularly in the phases that determine whether the team can remain competitive against opponents with greater experience and depth.
During the week, the coaching staff focused especially on side-out situations, seeking greater stability in reception and a more effective organisation of the first attack. The training sessions offered positive responses, but Tubertini knows that those improvements will only count if they are reproduced under the pressure of a SuperLega match.
“We have worked mainly on certain aspects of side-out play, and training has given us positive answers,” he said. “I expect to see those improvements in the match as well.”
The schedule makes the task even more demanding. Modena are facing a series of high-level opponents, including Trentino, Piacenza, Verona and Civitanova, leaving little room for an easy introduction to the season. Yet Tubertini does not want the quality of the opposition to become an excuse or a distraction.
“We know there is still a gap to close, but we are working to arrive ready for this match,” he explained. “We have to focus above all on ourselves and on the growth of our game.”
That approach also shapes his view of the opening defeat. For Tubertini, losing can either undermine confidence or become an opportunity to learn, depending on how a team responds. Modena must take the lessons from Trentino without allowing the result to define its ambitions.
“We are certainly not going to Piacenza beaten,” he insisted. “We will go onto the court trying to win, and we will look to express our full potential.”
Piacenza, however, will offer a formidable test. The hosts have retained much of the core of last season’s squad and have already demonstrated their quality. Tubertini sees them as one of the strongest teams in the championship, with the stability and individual talent required to compete at the highest level.
Their early-season performances have also challenged the assumption that the departure of Efe Mandıracı would significantly weaken the team. Piacenza have continued to show considerable strength, and the emergence of Manuel Zlatanov has added another compelling dimension to their attack.
Tubertini was particularly enthusiastic when discussing the young Italian outside hitter, describing his development as an important sign for the future of Italian volleyball.
“Manuel Zlatanov is wonderful news for Italian volleyball,” he said. “His ability to adapt is incredible, and he almost seems to be more comfortable in SuperLega than in A2.”
The coach also sees similarities between the young player and his father, both in physical characteristics and technical ability. Zlatanov’s performances have been impressive enough to attract attention early in the season, and Tubertini believes his progress is helping Piacenza maintain its high level despite the changes to the squad.
“He reminds me a lot of his father, both physically and technically, and he is surprising people with the level of his performances,” he added. “Some thought Piacenza might have become weaker after Mandıracı’s departure, but that is certainly not the case.”
For Modena, the challenge is to respond with the same conviction. The team will need to withstand Piacenza’s pressure, improve its side-out efficiency and find greater consistency across the match. Tubertini is not expecting an easy afternoon, but he wants his players to approach the contest with the belief that progress can be measured not only in results, but also in the ability to compete against the best.
The opening weeks of the season will demand patience, particularly with such a difficult run of fixtures. Yet Modena’s coach remains focused on the opportunity rather than the obstacles. The defeat against Trentino has provided lessons, the training sessions have offered encouraging signs, and Sunday will be the first real chance to discover whether those improvements can make a difference.
Piacenza will start with the confidence of an established contender. Modena, meanwhile, will arrive determined to show that the gap can be reduced — and that, as Tubertini makes clear, they have no intention of surrendering before the match has even begun.
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