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Latest news from the world of volleyball
Vladimir Garkov and Saint-Nazaire with 13th loss in France
Vladimir Garkov and Saint-Nazaire recorded their 13th loss of the season, this time as guests against the last-placed team, Ajaccio, who prevailed after a dramatic tie-break. The match ended: Ajaccio – Saint-Nazaire 3:2 (25:22, 19:25, 25:20, 24:26, 19:17) in two hours and seven minutes of play. The visitors managed to equalize after the hosts took a 2:1 lead, and in the fourth set, Saint-Nazaire showed character and forced the match into a decisive fifth set. However, Garkov's team missed an excellent opportunity to leave with the win after the tie-break went into extended play. A key factor in the final set proved to be the block, which tipped the scales in favor of Ajaccio and brought the Corsicans valuable two points.
Nikolay Kolev with a key contribution to PAOK's victory
PAOK recorded its 11th victory and 10th consecutive in the Volley League, after winning away against AOK Kalamata with 3:1 (25:22, 22:25, 20:25, 25:27). Thus, the team from Thessaloniki moved even closer to the top positions in the standings, while the hosts remained in 13th place and are entering a difficult period. The big hero for PAOK was Fernando Hernandez, who scored 27 points with an impressive 72% attack efficiency and deservedly received the MVP award. Nikolay Kolev also made an important contribution, finishing with: The key moment came in the fourth set, when PAOK withstood the pressure in a dramatic finish and closed out the match after a block by Kolev.
Verona swept Perugia and will meet Trento in the Italian Cup final
Perugia will once again not play in the Italian Cup final. Deja vu in Bologna – just like a year ago, the "Block Devils" stumbled in the semi-final against Verona. Then the team was led by Radostin Stoychev, and now by Fabio Soli. Slovenia's head coach led "Rana" to a historic success with3:0 (25:19, 25:21, 25:19)- a second final for the trophy for the team from the city of Romeo and Juliet, and set up a match against his former team, Trentino, which he coached last season. For the European and World Club Champion, the "consolation" remained that they eliminated last year's cup holder, Lube Civitanova, in the 1/4 final.
Lokomotiv Avia defeated CSKA 3-1 and took the lead, Alexov shone with 22 points
Lokomotiv Avia (Plovdiv) achieved a valuable 3:1 (25:23, 25:18, 26:28, 25:22) victory over CSKA and showed more stability in decisive moments, especially in the first and fourth sets. The match started extremely evenly, with both teams going point for point until 11:11. After that, the hosts managed to establish a slight advantage, and a crucial attack by Julien Georgiev brought success in the first set. In the second set, Plovdiv residents completely dominated. Strong initial pressure, excellent blocking, and a convincing lead already in the middle of the part led to a comfortable 25:18.
Dea snatched a dramatic victory against Pirin after a tie-break, Nakov shone with 38 points
Deya made a partial comeback and after trailing by1:2 sets, managed to snatch the victory in the tie-break against the Bulgarian Cup finalistPirinwith3:2 (20:25, 25:20, 19:25, 25:22, 16:14). The guests might regret it, as in the decisive part they managed to force the match to extra points, but the hosts endured and with better concentration won two crucial points for the standings. Pirin led by 2:1 sets and seemed closer to victory, but Deya showed character in the most important moments, especially in the tie-break, where the hosts remained calm in the decisive rallies. This happened despite the phenomenal play of Pirin's opposite hitter Marian Nakov, who played one of his strongest matches of the season and finished with a colossal 38 points (+28), 4 aces, 2 blocks, and an impressive 62% attack efficiency. Support came from Kyosev with 14 points and Gadzhanov with 12, while Kamenov remained more modest with 9.
Trento is the first finalist for the Italian Cup after a tie-break against Piacenza
Itas Trentino became the first team to secure a place in the Del Monte Coppa Italia 2026 final after winning a dramatic semi-final 3:2 (25:21, 16:25, 23:25, 25:22, 15:11) against Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza. The success is even more impressive, as the Trento team was without its star Alessandro Michieletto, and Daniele Lavia made only a brief appearance, recording his first minutes in an official match after more than half a year off the court. The hosts started strong and took the first set, but Piacenza responded with aggressive serving and solid blocking, turning the score to 1:2. The visitors even took the lead after a hotly contested third set. Trento, however, showed character and managed to equalize after a tense fourth set, sending the semi-final into a tie-break.
Lokomotiv Novosibirsk once again defeated champions Zenit Kazan after a five-set thriller at home
Lokomotiv Novosibirsk once again proved capable of breaking the Russian champion Zenit Kazan. Plamen Konstantinov's team snatched a thrilling victory with3:2 (19:25, 28:26, 22:25, 25:23, 15:13)in front of their home crowd in a match that featured a nightmarish start, an incredible revival in the second set, a series of video challenges, and a tie-break decided by serve and nerves in the final points.Before the match, Dima Lyzik and Moni Nikolov were honored, having been named to Russia's symbolic team of the first half of the season. Lokomotiv failed to adapt to the aggressive serving and blocking of the visitors. Zenit pulled ahead early with 1:6, maintained a distance throughout the set, and the lead reached 8:15. The hosts couldn't find their rhythm, and the set went to the champion – 19:25.
Sam Deroo and Dobriana Rabadzhieva will be parents to a baby girl
Belgian volleyball star Sam Deroo and his partner – former Bulgarian national player Dobriana Rabadzhieva, are expecting the birth of their first child. Something we have already announced. The news is that the couple will become parents to a baby girl, and the happy news received new light after an Instagram post, which talks about the "birth of a daughter" as one of the biggest events Deroo looks forward to with a smile and hope. "Onward to the playoffs with Loko Volleyball, to the birth of a daughter, to the summer with the Belgian Red Dragons and... to LA2028," reads the message from a Belgian journalist who visited the volleyball player.
Final Four for the Italian Cup in Bologna: predictions and program for the semifinals
Everything is ready for the big Final Four weekend of the Italian Cup (Coppa Italia) in SuperLega, which will take place at the Unipol Arena in Bologna. Four teams will take to the taraflex in Emilia to pursue the highest step on the podium, but only one will lift the trophy. Colleagues from the Italian specialized websiteVolleyNews.itpublished their predictions and analyses for the two semifinals, with expectations of extremely close matches and potential five-set battles. Trento reaches the semifinals despite serious personnel problems. Injuries and doubts surrounding Michieletto, Lavia's long absence, and the latest difficulties concerning Giannelli shake the team's stability.
Italian volleyball stars participated in lighting the Olympic flame at "San Siro"
Stars of Italian volleyball were among the central figures during the solemn lighting of the Olympic flame at San Siro stadium in Milan – a key moment of the ceremony related to the Milan–Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games. Among the main participants in the ritual were world champions Anna Danesi, Paola Egonu, Carlotta Cambi, Simone Giannelli, Simone Anzani, and Luca Porro, who made volleyball one of the symbols of the evening. A particularly touching moment occurred when the Olympic flame was passed from two legends of Italian football – Giuseppe Bergomi and Franco Baresi – to the six national volleyball players. Olympic and world champions Egonu and Cambi were the first to take the torch, after which it passed to Giannelli, Porro, and Anzani. The entire scene unfolded to the sounds of the famous aria "Nessun dorma", which gave additional emotional power to the moment and highlighted the significance of volleyball in contemporary Italian sport.