VolleyBar123# : Wednesday November 4, 2026
6 min read
On this day…
Amarcord and volleyball birthdays, Italy, Poland and transfers rumors, Nikola Grbic, Coupe de France, Philippines and Korea.
Welcome to the 123th Episode of VolleyBar!
Every now and then, it is worth reminding our readers â especially those who have joined us more recently â that we were the first to create a daily column bringing together all the main volleyball news of the day. The Italian versions that have since emerged are nothing more than poor imitations. Even worse, they have repeatedly taken their news from our work and, in the past, have published word-for-word translations of our articles without ever crediting the original source.
On November 4, 2001, Brazilian legends Shelda Bede and Adriana Behar won the Fortaleza Open on home sand. It was the 26th of their 31 FIVB World Tour gold medals together.
The duo dominated the international beach-volleyball circuit for more than a decade, collecting Olympic silver medals in Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004, as well as two World Championship titles. Their November success in Fortaleza was another chapter in one of the most decorated partnerships in the sportâs history. ďżź
On November 4, 2007, the American pair Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings won the Phuket Open in Thailand, claiming the 31st of their 40 FIVB World Tour titles together.
The victory came during a partnership that would become synonymous with beach-volleyball excellence. May-Treanor and Walsh Jennings won three consecutive Olympic gold medals, in 2004, 2008 and 2012, and were among the most dominant teams ever seen on the sand. ďżź
On November 4, 2008, Trentino Volley made its historic debut in the CEV Champions League at the PalaTrento, facing Sloveniaâs ACH Volley Bled.
The Italian side won 3â0 (25:17, 25:18, 25:20), opening a European campaign that would culminate in the clubâs first Champions League title in Prague on April 5, 2009. Trentino defeated Iraklis Thessaloniki 3â1 in the final.
The debut was the beginning of a remarkable European journey for a team that would go on to establish itself among the continentâs elite!
Four matches were played in Serie A1 Women on November 4, 2018. Novaraâs straight-set victory over Bergamo was particularly emphatic, conceding just 42 points across three sets (25:12, 25:15, 25:15). Scandicci also produced a convincing away performance in Chieri (17:25, 16:25, 19:25).
The fifth round of the 2018/19 SuperLega featured a spectacular showdown between Cucine Lube Civitanova and Itas Trentino, with Civitanova taking the win in five sets.
The match was one of the highlights of the round, while Perugia continued its unbeaten run at the top of the standings. Modena also claimed a valuable victory away from home against Latina.
On November 4, 2025, the NORCECA Confederation announced the passing of Randy Heath, a former international referee from Suriname and former member of the CAZOVA and NORCECA Refereesâ Commissions. He had died on November 3, 2025, while the official tribute was published on November 4.
He was among the early international referees from the Caribbean region and contributed to the development of CAZOVA. NORCECA remembered him for his professionalism and his work at international events.
American setter Courtney Thompson was born on November 4, 1984.
Born in Bellevue, Washington, she was a key member of the United States womenâs national team during one of its most successful periods.
Her international honours include:
⢠2014 World Championship gold in Italy.
⢠2012 Olympic silver in London.
⢠2016 Olympic bronze in Rio de Janeiro.
⢠Gold medals at the 2012 and 2015 World Grand Prix.
At the University of Washington, she helped the Huskies win the 2005 NCAA national championship and set a collegiate record for career assists per game. She was known for her energy, leadership and ability to run the American offence. ďżź
Also Daniele Lavia celebrates his 27th birthday today!
Born in Cariati, Calabria, on November 4, 1999, the Italian outside hitter has established himself as one of the key figures of both Itas Trentino and the Italian national team. A world champion in 2022 and European champion in 2021, Lavia has played a major role in Italyâs recent international success, combining powerful attacking skills with solid reception and an outstanding all-round game.
Back to the present, five fourth-round matches of 2026/27 Superlega are scheduled for 20.30 Local Time:
⢠Cuneo Volley â Vero Volley Monza
⢠Cucine Lube Civitanova â Valsa Group Modena
⢠Sir Susa Scai Perugia â Cisterna Volley
⢠Itas Trentino â Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza
⢠Rana Verona â Allianz Milano
The CivitanovaâModena match is particularly noteworthy: it is the 114th meeting between the two clubs. Civitanova leads the all-time series 65â48, but Modena won the last three encounters!
Staying in Italy, we are only four rounds into the championship, yet the SuperLega teams are already having to turn their attention to next season. Rumours surrounding Sir Susa Vim Perugia have begun circulating, putting the spotlight firmly on the club, particularly regarding outside hitter Kamil Semeniuk, who is reportedly expected to leave the Block Devils at the end of the season and accept an offer from Resovia, which would take him back to his home country.
The speculation has caught the attention of those following the market, prompting discussions about potential replacements. The most closely watched option so far is Japanâs 25-year-old outside hitter Ran Takahashi, currently playing for Lublin in Poland alongside familiar face Wilfredo LeĂłn, with whom he recently celebrated winning the Polish Super Cup.
About Poland, Bogdanka LUK Lublin vice-president Maciej Krzaczek has declined to comment directly on rumours linking Wilfredo LeĂłn with a move to Turkey at the end of the season. He nevertheless stressed that the reigning Polish champions are determined to build another strong team for next year, while acknowledging that the financial power of leading Turkish clubs makes competition on the transfer market difficult. Rumours have also linked Cuban outside hitter Angel LĂłpez, currently with Japanâs Osaka Bluteon, to a possible move to Ankara. Krzaczek added that the club will announce several contract extensions in the coming weeks, without revealing the players involved.
Meanwhile, the Polish national team coach Nikola Grbic has no intention of walking away from his current role, yet a future comeback to the Serbian bench is not out of the question. His remarkable record with Poland speaks for itself: ten medals in ten major international tournaments…
In Coupe de France, yesterday evening eleven teams book their places in the last 16, with dramatic tie-breaks, narrow escapes and several convincing performances marking the opening round. And Chaumont who eliminated defending champions Paris!
In The Philippines, the clash of the undefeated belongs to the defending champions! The Criss Cross King Crunchers maintained their flawless record today, handing the NU Archipelago Builders their first defeat of the season in a four-set battle: 23:25, 25:16, 25:20, 25:20.
NU came out firing, successfully edging out a tight opening set to put the champions on their heels. However, Criss Cross quickly regrouped and showcased their championship pedigree. They completely dominated the second frame to shift the momentum, maintaining control through the third and fourth sets to secure the 3-1 victory. Criss Cross climbs to a perfect 4-0, while NU drops to a respectable 3-1.
Meanwhile, the Alpha Insurance Protectors secured a straight-sets victory over the AEP Cabstars, 25:19, 25:22, 25:20, to improve their record to 2-2.
AEP Cabstars, meanwhile, dropped to 1-3 after the defeat.
The Savogue Spin Doctors are back in the win column! They secured their second victory of the season today, taking down the FEU-DN Steel Tamaraws in a straight-sets sweep to even out both teams’ standings at 2-2: 25:23, 25:18, 25:19.
In Korea, OK Savings Bank has captured their first victory of the 2026-2027 V-League season, handing KB Insurance another defeat to push them into a losing streak with a 3-1 win: 25:21, 25:18, 22:25, 25:23.
The story of the match was the impenetrable net defense from OK Savings Bank, as they tallied an impressive 16 points only through blocks. Iranian middle blocker Mehran Feyzemamdoust was an absolute wall, setting a new V-League record for the most block points in a single match by a foreign player with 9 blocks on his way to a 20-point performance. American Kyle Russell matched his offensive production with 20 points of his own to secure the victory.
For KB Stars, German opposite Linus Weber dropped a match-high 28 points.
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