VolleyBar122# : Tuesday November 3, 2026
6 min read
On this day…
Amarcord and volleyball birthdays, Karch Kiraly, Korea, Philippines and Vietnam and Aleksei Karpenko
Welcome to the 122nd Episode of VolleyBar!
On November 3, 2013, China’s Chen Xue and Xinyi Xia won the women’s Phuket Open, defeating the United States’ Emily Day and Summer Ross 2–0 (21:16, 21:18) in the gold medal match. The final lasted just 36 minutes.
The victory was particularly memorable because Xinyi Xia was only 16 years old. Chen Xue, meanwhile, celebrated her third Phuket gold medal. The Chinese pair went on to become one of the successful partnerships on the international circuit, with this being their first of two FIVB World Tour titles together.
Brazil’s Maria Clara and Carolina claimed bronze, defeating compatriots Agatha Bednarczuk and Maria Antonelli 2–0 (21:18, 24:22). 
On November 3, 2015, Dynamo Moscow open their Champions League campaign in style, defeating Germany’s VfB Friedrichshafen 3–0 (25:16, 25:20, 25:16) in front of 3,500 spectators at the Dynamo Sports Palace.
The match lasted just 73 minutes, with the Russian side producing a convincing performance in Pool B.
Also Poland’s Lotos Trefl Gdańsk opened their Champions League Pool F campaign by defeating Serbia’s OK Vojvodina Novi Sad 3–0 (25:18, 25:16, 25:19).
On November 3, 2019, the FIVB World Tour stopped in Qinzhou, China, where two European teams stood on top of the podium.
In the men’s competition, Switzerland’s Adrian Heidrich and Mirco Gerson defeated Austria’s Martin Ermacora and Moritz Pristauz 2–0 (21:13, 21:16) in the final. Russia’s Valeriy Samoday and Igor Velichko took bronze.
The women’s title went to Germany’s Karla Borger and Julia Sude, who beat the American pair of Kerri Walsh Jennings and Brooke Sweat 2–0 (21:16, 21:19). China’s Wang Xinxin and Xue Chen completed the podium.
Interestingly, both victories were the first and only FIVB World Tour gold medals for the respective winning partnerships!

November 3, 2023 was a major day in the men’s volleyball tournament at the 19th Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, with the semifinalists fighting for a place in the gold medal match.
Brazil defeated Colombia 3–0 (26:24, 25:18, 25:15), booking its place in the final, reaching the gold medal match for the 11th time in the competition’s history. The team had last reached the final in Toronto 2015.
The defending champions Argentina recovered after losing the opening set against Cuba and moved one step closer to a third consecutive Pan American gold medal after winning in Toronto 2015 and Lima 2019, winning the game 3–1 (21:25, 25:22, 25:18, 25:18).
Brazil eventually claimed the 2023 gold medal the following day, defeating Argentina 3–0 in the final. Colombia made history by winning its first-ever Pan American Games volleyball medal, taking bronze.
The 2022/23 MEVZA League delivered a busy day with five men’s matches involving clubs from Austria, Croatia, Slovenia and Slovakia.
ACH Volley Ljubljana continued their perfect start, recording a third consecutive straight-set victory, this time against HAOK Mladost Zagreb, 3–0 (25:15, 25:19, 25:20).
Calcit Kamnik also impressed with 13 winning blocks in a straight sets win over OK Mladost Ribola Kaštela, while Greek opposite Anastasios Aspiotis scored 20 points for AICH/DOB in their win over Spartak Myjava.
Ljubljana led the standings at the time with nine points, followed by Calcit Kamnik on eight.
The sixth round of the 2024/25 SMS Grup Efeler Ligi featured a major Istanbul derby. On this day, Fenerbahçe Medicana defeated league leaders Galatasaray HDI Sigorta 3–2 (25:16, 25:18, 21:25, 22:25, 15:11). Despite the defeat, Galatasaray remained top of the standings. Olympic champion Jean Patry was the match’s leading scorer with 29 points, while Meisan Salehi contributed 22 for Fenerbahçe.
The standout performance elsewhere came from Georg Grozer, who scored 26 points in Arkas Spor’s victory over Spor Toto, 3–0 (26:24, 25:21, 25:20). Ziraat Bankkart remained Galatasaray’s closest challenger, one point behind.
The 2025 Asian Women’s U16 Championship was also underway on November 3, with several pool matches played.
Among the results:
Japan – Iran 3–0 (25:15, 25:19, 25:13)
China – Kazakhstan 3–0 (25:17, 25:22, 25:11)
Chinese Taipei – Thailand 3–1 (25:18, 22:25, 25:18, 25:23)
Australia – India 3–0 (25:17, 25:15, 25:18)
Japan and China both produced convincing performances in their respective pools.
Few names in volleyball history carry the weight of Charles Frederick “Karch” Kiraly. Born in Jackson, Michigan, on November 3, 1960, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest players ever to have competed in the sport.
He achieved something unique: he won Olympic gold medals in both indoor and beach volleyball!
He was part of the United States men’s team that won the indoor titles at Los Angeles 1984 and Seoul 1988, before teaming up with Kent Steffes to win the first-ever Olympic beach volleyball gold medal at Atlanta 1996.
His achievements go far beyond the Olympics:
• Three NCAA national championships with UCLA.
• World Championship gold in 1986.
• World Cup gold in 1985.
• FIVB World Player of the Year in 1986 and 1988.
• 1991 FIVB Club World Championship winner and MVP with Il Messaggero Ravenna.
• 144 victories on the American professional beach-volleyball circuit, according to the FIVB’s career retrospective.
He was inducted into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame in 2001 and named the FIVB’s greatest male volleyball player of the 20th century. He later became a successful coach, leading the United States women’s team to its first Olympic gold medal at Tokyo 2020. His career is remarkable for its success on the court, on the sand and on the sidelines. 
Dutch setter Britt Bongaerts was born on this date in 1996. A regular member of the Netherlands national team, she has competed at major international tournaments including the Volleyball Nations League and the Olympic qualification cycle.
Polish setter Łukasz Kozub was born on November 3, 1997. A product of Polish volleyball’s youth development system, he has represented Poland at international level.

Iranian opposite Mohsen Delavari was born on November 3, 2001 and also celebrates his birthday today.
Back to the present, Poland’s Volleyball Federation (PZPS), led by President Sebastian Świderski, has expressed support for the FIVB’s proposed 2028/29–2032 calendar reform, taking a different stance from leading Italian clubs opposing the changes under the #NoClubsNoVolley campaign.
In an interview, Świderski described the proposal as “a better version of the calendar,” reflecting what he says is the prevailing view within the Polish volleyball community.
The proposed reform would expand the club calendar from 29–30 weeks to approximately 35 weeks.
Under the current system, clubs can lose key players for 5–6 months during national-team commitments, while national teams are largely inactive from September through late May.
A shorter summer break could allow players to return to club competition with a stronger physical foundation.
Świderski believes individual club interests should not take precedence over the long-term development of the sport as a whole.
However, Poland’s support is not unconditional. Świderski has called for adjustments to the proposal, including reconsidering the timing of the Club World Championship, while emphasizing the importance of cooperation among clubs, leagues and national federations.
Meanwhile, Polska Liga Siatkówki (PLS) has also issued a formal statement backing urgent changes to the current calendar, arguing that the existing structure compresses domestic competitions, overloads national-team players and limits the sport’s development.
Italian clubs, led by Perugia president Gino Sirci, remain strongly opposed to the proposed winter national-team window, warning of mid-season interruptions, financial losses, reduced spectator interest and increased injury risks.
The FIVB calendar reform remains under consultation, with no final decision announced yet.
In Korea, Woori Card got their 2026–27 V-League campaign off to a winning start, delivering a dominant straight-sets victory over Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) on the road: 25:19, 25:23, 25:21.
Brazilian opposite Rafael Araújo led the charge, finishing as the match’s top scorer with 20 points to power Woori Card to their opening-day triumph.
In The Philippines, Clearskiiin UV Smashers remain perfect at 4-0 after edging out the AFP Cavaliers in a thrilling five-set battle, 25:12, 25:14, 26:24, 14:25, 15:9.
AFP fought back to take the fourth set, but Clearskiiin regrouped in the decider to secure the victory and extend its unbeaten run.
Meanwhile, the AFP Cavaliers remain winless at 0-5.
In Vietnam, reigning champions Biên Phòng MB solidified their first-place standing in the 2026 Vietnam National Volleyball Championship – Ca Mau Fertilizer Cup by overcoming Công An TP.HCM in a five-set comeback victory: 22:25, 26:24, 22:25, 25:17, 17:15.
With both teams having already qualified for the semi-finals, the fixture served as a high-stakes preview of the knockout stages. After trailing 2-1, Biên Phòng MB forced a deciding frame and executed in the clutch to secure a narrow 17-15 fifth-set win, cementing their position at the top of the leaderboard.
Russian outside hitter Aleksei Karpenko arrives in Gran Canaria from Hatta Club Dubai. Born in Barnaul on March 11, 1989, he has an extensive career spanning a dozen clubs.
Standing at 1.94 metres, he is expected to bring his attacking power to CV Guaguas Las Palmas.
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