VolleyBar128# : Wednesday November 11, 2026

On this day…
amarcord and two big volleyball birthdays, remembering A. Palanisamy and Ike Andrew Barilea, Modena Volley, Milano-Cuneo, France, Yuki Ishikawa, Hapoel Mateh Asher and Bulgarian tragedy.

Welcome to the 128th Episode of VolleyBar!
Once again today, we would like to take the opportunity to congratulate our Italian “colleagues” on their professionalism and the respect they show for other people’s work.
Of course, after copying our idea of a daily column just a few days after the first episode of VolleyBar, they continue, undeterred, to use their “Mondo Volley” substitute to rewrite in Italian the news we publish, often almost exclusively, including yesterday’s report about Vladimir Nikolov and Nikola Grbić and the transfers rumor about Daniele Lavia in Poland.
Naturally, we have never been credited as a source, not even when these same “geniuses” had a habit of publishing word-for-word Italian translations of our articles.
We will never get tired of congratulating them, especially since they proudly claim to be Italy’s number one volleyball webzine and to have been online for much longer than we have. We would like to join the chorus of “mass congratulations.” Number One with plagiarism and in copy and paste, we agree.

November 11 is a date with several genuinely significant volleyball stories: an extraordinary comeback by Bulgarian club Maritza Plovdiv in the CEV Champions League, dramatic World Cup encounters involving Brazil, China and Italy, and memorable matches in the Italian SuperLega. The date also marks the birthday of American setter Kawika Shoji and Camillo Plací.

2006: Women’s World Championship in Japan. The second-round programme on November 11 featured six matches across Tokyo and Nagoya.
In Pool E in Tokyo, Cuba defeated South Korea 3-0 while Türkiye defeated Poland with the same result.
Japan down Serbia and Montenegro 3–2 in a comeback that was the highlight of the pool. The hosts recovered from two sets down to win 18:25, 22:25, 25:18, 25:21, 15:11, turning the match around in front of their home crowd.
In Pool F in Nagoya, Brazil down Germany in straight sets, China defeated Puerto Rico 3–0 and Netherlands sweep Azerbaijan also 3-0.
China had to work hard to take the opening set against Puerto Rico.

Played on November 11, 2011, the match between China and Brazil in Sapporo was one of the most memorable encounters of the 2011 Women’s World Cup.
China – Brazil 2–3 (23:25, 27:25, 25:21, 20:25, 15:17).
China led 2–1 after winning the second and third sets, but Brazil fought back to force a tie-break. The final set was extremely close, with the South American side eventually prevailing 17–15.
The victory was a key part of Brazil’s campaign in a tournament that ultimately saw the team finish second behind Italy.
The other November 11 results from the 2011 Women’s World Cup were Italy that delivered a convincing performance against South Korea, while Serbia defeated the host nation also in straight sets.

One of the most significant club events associated with November 11 is Maritza Plovdiv’s historic qualification for the 2018 CEV Women’s Champions League group stage.
On this day in 2017, the Bulgarian champions faced Russian side Yenisei Krasnoyarsk in the third qualifying round. After losing the first leg 3–2, Maritza won the return leg in Russia:
Yenisei Krasnoyarsk – Maritza Plovdiv 2–3 (25:20, 25:19, 22:25, 25:27, 12:15).
Maritza then won the decisive Golden Set 15–11, completing an extraordinary comeback after trailing two sets to none in the return match.
The achievement was particularly remarkable because it came during only the club’s second appearance in Europe’s elite competition. Maritza became the first Bulgarian women’s club to reach the Champions League group stage.
The other November 11, 2017 Champions League qualification matches included:
VakifBank Istanbul – Minchanka Minsk 3–0 (25:21, 25:16, 25:16)
DevelopRes Rzeszów – OTP Banka Branik Maribor 3–1 (25:15, 25:20, 20:25, 27:25)
Imoco Volley Conegliano – Sliedrecht Sport 3–0 (25:10, 25:12, 25:7)
All three teams advanced to the group stage. 

On November 11, 2023, Itas Trentino defeated Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza 3–1 in the Italian SuperLega: 26:24, 25:19, 16:25 and 25:18.
The match was part of the fourth round of the 2023–24 regular season. Trentino took the opening two sets, Piacenza responded in the third, but the home side closed the match in four. 

On November 11, 2024, Cuprum Stilon Gorzów defeated GKS Katowice 3–2 (20:25, 25:22, 25:21, 21:25, 15:13) to close Round 11 of the Polish PlusLiga.
Chizoba Neves Atu scored 25 points for the winners, while Bartosz Gomułka matched that tally for Katowice. Despite stronger attacking and blocking statistics, Katowice were undone by 35 unforced errors. Maksymilian Granieczny was named MVP.
The result was particularly important for the standings: Gorzów secured its seventh seasonal win, while Katowice remained at the bottom of the table.

On November 11, 2024, British Volleyball reported a landmark achievement by brothers Javier and Joaquin Bello: they became the first British team to win an Elite16 title on the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour, the circuit’s highest tier.
The pair progressed from qualification into the main draw and ultimately claimed the gold medal in Rio de Janeiro. The victory represented a major milestone for British beach volleyball.

Camillo Placì turns 70 today.
Born in Specchia, in the province of Lecce, on November 11, 1956, he has built a coaching career that began in the volleyball community of Salento and developed through work in youth programmes, club teams and national team coaching staffs.
Among the most prestigious achievements of his career is the Olympic bronze medal won at Beijing 2008, when he served as assistant coach to Vladimir Alekno with Russia. A year later, he claimed another bronze medal, this time with Bulgaria at the European Championship.
Cuneo and Modena are among the Italian clubs where he has left his mark, representing important stages in a career shaped by a combination of player development and top-level coaching.

Kawika Shoji was born on November 11, 1987 in Honolulu, Hawaii and turns 39 today.
The brother of fellow international libero Erik Shoji, he was a member of the United States team that won bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games and bronze at the 2018 World Championship. His club career included Berlin Recycling Volleys, Arkas İzmir, Lokomotiv Novosibirsk and Asseco Resovia. He also competed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

A. Palanisamy, known as the “Black Panther” of Indian volleyball, is associated with a November 11 death anniversary in some reports.
Born in 1932 in Kallampatti, Tamil Nadu, he was considered one of India’s outstanding players in the 1950s and early 1960s. He was reportedly ranked Asia’s No. 1 player in 1962 and became the first volleyball player to receive the Arjuna Award, in 1961. He represented India at the 1962 Asian Games, where the team won silver.
There is a date discrepancy in sources: one report says he died on November 11, 2007, while other biographical records give November 12, 2007.
Either way, in a lasting memorial, the Palanisamy Ayya Volleyball Academy was inaugurated on 11 November 2019 in Madurai, coinciding with the 12th anniversary of his passing. Founded by his family and supported by the Madurai district volleyball association, the academy aims to nurture young talent from local schools, providing training and equipment to revive volleyball’s prominence in the region; it initially enrolled 40 students and the initiative serves as a key tribute to his enduring impact on Indian volleyball.

Ike Andrew Barilea, a Filipino professional volleyball player, died in a motorcycle accident on November 11, 2025, aged 21. His death was reported by GMA Regional TV on November 13.
He was a young professional player from Cadiz City, Negros Occidental.

Back to the present, in Italy, in last SuperLega’s game (Vero Volley Monza – Valsa Group Modena on Sunday evening), Luca Porro scored 506 points with Modena’s jersey.

39 Games
506 Points
73 Aces
25 Blocks
8 MVP

Staying in Modena, middle blocker Roberto Russo underwent surgery on Tuesday, November 10, to treat a herniated disc. The operation, performed by neurosurgeon Dr Luca Sacchelli, was entirely successful. No timeline has yet been set for his return to action. His recovery period and rehabilitation programme will be assessed over the coming weeks, depending on his clinical progress. Will the club return to the transfer market?

Meanwhile, Allianz Milano have announced a joint training session with Cuneo on Friday, with free admission. The session has been arranged during a week without official matches for either team, as the SuperLega Credem Banca takes a break to make way for the Del Monte® Supercoppa, which will be held this weekend at the PalaRaschi in Parma, featuring Perugia, Trento, Verona and Civitanova.
It will be an important period of intensive training for Guillermo Falasca’s side following the first five matches of the season, which have highlighted the strengths of the team’s new-look young squad, as well as areas where further improvement is needed.
With that in mind, Falasca has scheduled a joint training session between Allianz Milano and Acqua Sant’Anna Cuneo for Friday, November 13, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Centro Pavesi FIPAV, located at Via Francesco de Lemene 3 in Milan.
Admission will be free, and the club has invited supporters to come along and watch the team at work.

Meanwhile, in France, the 29-year-old Brazilian middle blocker Gabriel Bertolini joins Poitiers as Lukas Maase continues his recovery in Germany following another shoulder dislocation, while the reigning French champions Montpellier overcome Paris Volley in three hard-fought sets, with Nicolas Le Goff’s presence at the net and Simon Hirsch’s decisive finish helping Montpellier secure their first trophy of the season in Nancy.

Meanwhile, Japanese superstar Yuki Ishikawa looks back on his first experiences in Türkiye:
“Ziraat Bankkart is truly a fantastic club. However, I haven’t had enough time yet to properly discover Ankara and explore all its corners.
One thing is certain, though: Turkish people are incredibly kind and welcoming. I feel very comfortable here.
Everything is going very well. Communication with both the coaching staff and my teammates is excellent. What matters is that we understand each other not only on the court but also off it. The entire adaptation process is going as smoothly as possible.
My personal goal is to win the championship and, above all, the Champions League.”

And now a news from Israel.
After four years away from European competitions, Israeli double winners Hapoel Mateh Asher are making an exciting return to the international stage. The team will compete in the European Challenge Cup this week, with two matches scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday.
Standing in the way of the northern Israeli side is a tough opponent in the form of Croatia’s Mursa Osijek, a club with a rich tradition in both domestic and European competitions. Osijek have enjoyed several outstanding seasons: in 2024/2025, they won the domestic double in Croatia, while last season they finished as league runners-up and Croatian Cup finalists, in addition to claiming the MEVZA League title.
Due to the security situation and the ban on hosting matches in Israel, both games will be played away from home on consecutive days, presenting a significant physical and mental challenge for the Israeli club.

“We are very excited to return to the European Cup after four years. We really wanted to host the matches at home, in front of our passionate fans, and we hope that will also become possible soon. Osijek are a good team with a strong tradition in the domestic league, European competitions and the MEVZA League. We hope to be able to show our best volleyball in both matches,” said head coach Noam Katz.

Setter Noam Ariel:
“I am very excited. This is the first time I will be leading Mateh Asher in a European competition. Our opponents are a good team, and I expect two high-quality matches. We have done a lot of video analysis and made on-court adjustments to prepare for them. We have had a good preparation, and I believe we are ready.
The two matches will be played on consecutive days because we cannot host games in Israel. Playing two away matches back-to-back is not easy, but I believe we will be able to handle it. We will come out fighting, and, God willing, return with the victory.”

Two massive chain-reaction crashes on the Trakia Motorway near Yambol left at least 11 people dead and dozens injured. Sports organisations across Bulgaria have paid tribute to the victims, with a national day of mourning declared for November 11.
The entire Volleytimes team extends its heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives. We also wish strength to everyone affected and a full and speedy recovery to all those injured.
May the victims rest in peace.

Certainly an episode packed with news. Tomorrow, we’ll let you know which of these stories will later resurface in “Mondo Volley”, courtesy of our Italian friends.
Our friend and colleague was absolutely right when he said that we do such a good job that even “the best” feel the need to copy our work.
Wishing you all a fabulous evening!

___________________

👀|QUICK LINKS
• VolleyBAR 📝🏐
• Multimedia
• Facebook
• Instagram

___________________