Lube vs Modena: a 114th chapter in Italian volleyball’s great rivalry!

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One of Italian volleyball’s most enduring rivalries returns to the spotlight on Wednesday evening as Cucine Lube Civitanova host Valsa Group Modena at the Eurosuole Forum.
The fourth round of the 2026/27 SuperLega Credem Banca will bring the two historic clubs together for the 114th time, with both sides having plenty to play for, albeit for very different reasons.

Civitanova are enjoying an excellent start to the campaign.
Giampaolo Medei’s team have won all three of their opening matches, collecting nine points alongside Trentino and Piacenza, and remain firmly among the early contenders near the top of the standings. Their latest success came away from home against Cuneo, where the Lube secured a 3-1 victory after dropping their first set of the season.
Modena, meanwhile, finally got their campaign moving in the right direction last weekend. After suffering straight-set defeats against Trentino and Piacenza, Lorenzo Tubertini’s team claimed their first three points with a 3-1 home victory over Verona. More than the result itself, however, the win appears to have provided the confidence that the young and internationally diverse squad needed.

Nik Mujanović believes that the psychological impact could prove particularly important as Modena prepare for one of their toughest away assignments of the season.
“I hope the victory will help us above all in terms of confidence. That was probably what we were missing most in our first two matches,” the Slovenian opposite explained.
“We knew we were a good team and had already shown plenty of quality during the pre-season friendlies. At least from my perspective, we were a little nervous in our first two matches and failed to show the fighting spirit we had demonstrated on several occasions during preparation.
I think that first win gave us a real confidence boost for the rest of the season. Now we have a better understanding of what we are capable of, and we need to build on that.”

Mujanović is also fully aware of the challenge awaiting his team in Civitanova.
He expects a difficult encounter against a side renowned for its blocking strength, but insists that Modena must focus on imposing their own style rather than simply reacting to their opponents.

“We know we are facing a strong team, particularly at the net, but not only there. We will try to impose our game with courage and determination, building on the important victory we achieved against Verona.”

The Slovenian opposite is part of a significantly renewed Modena squad.
The team is led by head coach Lorenzo Tubertini and features French setter Amir Tizi-Oualou, alongside Leonardo Barbanti, while Mujanović and Dutch opposite Sil Meijs provide two options in the attacking position. In the middle, experienced Italian internationals Roberto Russo and Gabriele Di Martino are joined by Luca Tauletta and Pardo Mati.
On the wings, Luca Porro remains one of the team’s most important attacking references, supported by American Thomas Jaeschke, Brazilian Arthur Bento and young Nicolò Garello. Australian Luke Perry has taken over as captain and will lead the defensive organisation from the libero position.
Porro was particularly impressive in Modena’s victory over Verona, recording nine service aces in a single match and entering the top ten of the SuperLega’s all-time single-game ace performances. His serve could once again be a decisive weapon against a Civitanova side that has also made aggressive serving one of its strengths during the opening weeks of the season.

Medei, however, is not taking Modena’s difficult start to the campaign as an indication of their actual potential. The Lube coach expects the visitors to improve considerably as the season progresses and has warned his players against any sense of complacency.
“Modena are a team with considerable potential, and I expect them to improve significantly as the season goes on. They have no obvious weaknesses, which makes them particularly dangerous because they can create problems for us in several areas. I am certain Wednesday’s home match will be a tough one.”
The coach also wants to see a more precise performance from his team than the one delivered in Cuneo.
“From a technical standpoint, we need to be more accurate than we were in Cuneo, where we secured the three points through character and determination. We want to improve our consistency and play the way Civitanova should at the Eurosuole Forum. We have made a good start to the championship, but it is only the beginning. We must continue to develop our game, match after match.”

There is another important motivation for the home side.
Despite their impressive overall record against Modena, Civitanova have lost their last three encounters with the Emilia-based club.
The most recent league victory for Civitanova dates back to November 17, 2024, when they dominated the visitors 3-0 on home soil. Modena subsequently won both league meetings during the previous season, including a 3-1 victory at the PalaPanini and a dramatic five-set success at the Eurosuole Forum.

The historical numbers nevertheless favour the hosts.
Across 113 previous encounters, Civitanova have recorded 65 victories compared with Modena’s 48. The difference is also reflected in the sets won, with the Lube leading 242-201. The rivalry brings together two of Italy’s most successful volleyball institutions, with 19 national league titles between them, 12 of which belong to Modena.
Their story began on October 14, 1993, when the teams first met in the round of 16 of the 1993/94 Italian Cup.
At that time, Lube were still competing in the second division, while Modena were already an established force in the top tier. The Emilia-based side won that first encounter in straight sets. Civitanova had to wait until the 1996/97 Serie A1 season to celebrate their first victory over Modena at the highest level, eventually prevailing in five sets during the second half of the campaign.

Some of the encounters between these clubs have produced extraordinary volleyball.
The record for the highest combined points total belongs to Game 3 of their 2017/18 Scudetto semi-final series, when Civitanova defeated Modena 3-2 in a remarkable 248-point battle.
The scoreline was 27:25, 33:35, 25:16, 22:25, 21:19, with the second set going to Modena after an extended battle and the deciding tie-break lasting until 21-19. The match, played on April 8, 2018, lasted 152 minutes and remains one of the most memorable encounters in the history of this rivalry. Bulgarian fans may also remember the extraordinary performance of Lube opposite Tsvetan Sokolov, who scored 34 points on that occasion!
There have also been some remarkable differences in individual sets. Modena have twice won a set 35-33 against Civitanova, including the second set of that unforgettable 2018 semi-final. The Lube’s own standout achievement came in Game 3 of the 2013/14 Scudetto semi-finals, when they closed the third set 34-32 to complete a 3-0 victory.

The largest overall points difference in a match belongs to Civitanova, who recorded a 3-0 win on November 17, 2024, with set scores of 25-11, 25-17 and 25-20. Modena’s biggest points-margin victory came much earlier, in the 1995/96 season, when they won by a 24-point aggregate difference under the scoring system used at the time.

Beyond the team rivalry, Wednesday’s match also offers several individual milestones. For Civitanova, Davide Gardini is four service aces away from reaching 100 in the regular season, while Eric Loeppky needs 26 points to reach 1,500. Aleksandar Nikolov is also approaching an important landmark, requiring 26 successful attacks to reach 1,000, while setter Francesco Zoppellari is just three blocks away from 100.
Across their careers, Gardini needs another 23 points to reach 1,500.
On the Modena side, Gabriele Di Martino is 12 successful attacks away from 1,000, Jaeschke needs three aces to reach 100, and Pardo Mati is eight attacks away from the 500 mark. Luca Porro, meanwhile, is 12 successful attacks short of 1,500 career kills. In SuperLega competition, Loeppky is also approaching the 2,000-point milestone, needing 37 more points.

One coaching connection adds a little extra history to the occasion.
Medei previously worked at Modena as an assistant coach during the 2011/12 season, making him the only former member of either organisation’s current setup with a direct connection to the opposing club.
The match will be officiated by Andrea Pozzato and Vincenzo Carcione, with first serve scheduled for 20:30 local time at the Eurosuole Forum.

For Civitanova, the objective is clear: extend their winning streak to four matches, maintain their position among the early leaders and finally end their recent run of defeats against Modena. For the visitors, the challenge is to demonstrate that the victory over Verona was more than just a temporary breakthrough and that their considerable potential can translate into consistent performances against the championship’s strongest opponents.
With such a rich history, a favourable recent record for Modena and two teams looking to establish their identity in the new season, the 114th meeting between these Italian giants has all the ingredients for another memorable night of SuperLega volleyball.

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