It's #official: Linda Manfredini (MB) renewed with Volley Bergamo 1991
Posts by Sentenza_69
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Ok...
But now it's time to celebrate a legend of the Italian national team and world volleyball...
Francesca Piccinini definitively enters the legend.
On October 18th in Holyoke, Massachusetts, she will be officially admitted to the International Volleyball Hall of Fame with the Class of 2025.
A true symbol of Italian and world volleyball and with an exceptional career that includes a World Championship, a European Championship, a World Cup, a Grand Champions Cup, seven Champions Leagues, five national championships, dozens of MVPs won and participation in four Olympics plus many other medal placings, "la Picci" puts the icing on the cake, entering forever in the history of world volleyball.
This is her face when it was announced that she had achieved this extraordinary goal:
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Display MoreThere's a new interview with Tolok and I'm curious about this part. She's never played in France right? does anyone know the context?
- Have you had any problems in Europe because you are Russian?
TOLOK: Actually, no. The only thing is that there were problems at the bank, but we resolved the issue. Otherwise, people treated me well. Even when you go to a place and say where you are from, people are always happy that you are Russian. It's interesting, because it wasn't like that in France.
In Italy, when we see a beautiful and slender blonde girl, the passport is the last thing that interests us... We are simple people...
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Frankly, I don't understand why Giovannini's name comes up so frequently in discussions...
Giovannini (at this level) is a good tactical change, but she is not a candidate for a starter...
With the need for local OHs in Italy, Giovannini should be a prized piece on the market, but no top team (Italian or foreign) thinks (rightly) of being able to include her as a starter in their roster...
Velasco certainly thinks so and, if he were forced to play with Giovannini as a starter, he would be aware that things would get bad...
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I don't think Piva's cut will be definitive and then this is not the list that will make the first week of VNL...
Velasco is a creature of habit: as he did last year, the first week of VNL will bring players that he will then permanently cut...
Someone he wants to cut, he will make her play in an impossible situation, she will fail and he will have the reasons to send her home or to Team B...
Bosio, Mingardi, Omoruyi, they met this end in 2024...
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It's #official: Giulia Leonardi (L) to Igor Gorgonzola Novara...
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There are rumors of physical problems for Squarcini: it is not clear what kind of problem it is and how serious it is...
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With 16 y teams, are they gonna play round robin or split in two group of 8? 30 games are a lot, especially if they have to play also playoff games
The structure of the A2 and A3 championships has not been disclosed and, I believe, it will be done only at the end of the 25/26 season...
It cannot be ruled out (personally I think it is very likely) that both championships will be divided into groups...
But it must be said that it would be the most logical and intelligent thing to do, so it is not certain that it will be done...
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FIPAV (Italian Volleyball Federation) has published the new Practical Guidelines for the next sports season.
The only new feature for 2025/26 will be the return of Club Italia (the team that groups the best young athletes of national interest) to the A2 championship. The A2 championship will be made up of 20 teams divided into two groups or 21 teams (20 plus Club Italia) in the event that there are no withdrawals from the championship.
Athletes belonging to Club Italia have the option of withdrawing from this technical project. If the Federal Council accepts the withdrawal, the athlete will return to the original team and will be able to take to the field with the latter only if the withdrawal has been communicated within the terms set for the reopening of Transfers.
Starting from the 2026-2027 season, however, there will be a reform of the championships of the Lega Pallavolo Serie A Femminile, with the creation of the new Serie A3 (as in the men's) with 16 teams. Of these, 12 will be promoted from B1 and 4 will be relegated from A2.
At the same time, Serie A2 will drop from 20 to 16 teams, while Serie A1 will remain with 14 teams.
There is another important thing: the new regulation regarding the use of athletes defined as "NX" in series and category championships, that is, those players who possess:
- Italian citizenship and foreign sports nationality
or
- foreign citizenship and foreign sports nationality.
In general, all foreign children, up to 14 years old, will be able to participate in all the activities organized by Fipav. All other foreign athletes, according to the rules that govern each championship, however, will now be able to take part in the competitive season.
For example:
- NX athletes born in 2012 can participate in all series and category championships
- NX athletes born in 2007-2008-2009-2010-2011 can participate in only one championship, series or category, of their choice (example: I participate in the under 17, I cannot participate in other championships, neither series nor category).
- NX athletes born in 2006 and earlier can be registered without any limitation of number, but can participate in only one series championship (excluding Serie A and Serie B).
- All NX athletes can participate in the Serie B championships. The company can register and field only one NX athlete and only this athlete can participate in the Serie B championship.
Going to analyze a much discussed case, with these rules the situation in which Britt Herbots will find herself seems very clear to me now.
Considering that, starting from the 2025/2026 sports season, "Italian athletes" in Serie A (A1 and A2) will be understood only and exclusively as athletes eligible for the Italian National Team, Herbots, not being able to change her sports nationality (due to FIVB rules), will not be able to be fielded as an Italian even if she acquires Italian citizenship.
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So what happened with Traballi?
There will also be Traballi...
Scandicci will have five OH...
There is a problem, one of those typical of Scandicci: what do they do with Them?
Scandicci needs an opposite and Sarah Franklin is an OH so: either they also get an O or, in pure Scandicci style, they will make her play out of position...
Scandicci is always Scandicci, it never disappoints us...
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Lorenzo Bernardi extends his current agreement with Novara by one year, for the 2026/27 season...
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Maybe you didn't notice, but Il Bisonte Firenze is the first A1 team to officially close the market...
So, my dear companions in misfortune, now you'll get my long speech about Bisonte and then I'll leave you with the burden of dealing with the other "minor" teams...
The Florentine team confirms Federico Chiavegatti at its helm, who led it to safety in the last six matchdays and, for the third consecutive year, completely revolutionizes its roster, confirming only three players from the previous season, adding ten new ones, for a startinf six that will be completely renewed.
Personally, I am happy with the three confirmations, because they were truly the only ones who deserved it: good…
It is a very interesting market that Bisonte has made, despite a budget that is certainly not “abundant” (euphemism), it has made several interesting moves even if it has to settle, to close the roster, for two players who are certainly not for the category (and not even future-oriented) and to give up having a reserve opposite hitter…
Here is its roster for the 25/26 season:
Coach: Federico Chiavegatti
S: Rachele Morello, Beatrice Agrifoglio
O: Vanja Bukilic
OH: Francesca Villani, Jolien Knollema, Alice Tanase, Agata Zuccarelli
MB: Ana Malesevic, Nausica Acciarri, Begüm Kaçmaz, Alessandra Colzi
L: Sofia Valoppi, Bianca Lapini
The "best" starting six should be:
P: Morello – O: Bukilic
MB1: Malesevic – MB2: Kaçmaz
OH1: Villani – OH2: Knollema
L: Valoppi
Tanase and Acciarri will certainly find a lot of space and Lapini could also be useful, if used as a tactical change in the second line.
Agrifoglio is certainly a guarantee if there were to be a need, while Colzi and Zuccarelli will be little more than two sparring partners for training and we hope there will be no need to use them…
Morello, Villani, Knollema, Tanase and Valoppi have quality and, for different reasons (desire to prove, desire for revenge, etc.), I expect a good championship from them… The same for Acciarri, even if I still consider her a reserve...
For the other new players, the discussion is different.
Malesevic has a good physique, she is a good attacker (especially in slide/fast) and a decent blocker: she had a decent career as a junior, but as a senior she didn't break through, despite always remaining in the national team in a role in which Serbia expresses some of the best players in the world. She could do well in A1.
Bukilic and Kaçmaz on the other hand are two big bets: the probability of winning them is high, but they remain so...
The Serbian certainly has a great physique (perhaps a little slow, but powerful and quite technical) but, apart from some flashes in VNL, she has almost never measured herself with "real" volleyball. She comes from the Korean championship, where she has been a dominant player for two years: but the A1, for level and duration, is another thing…
She has all the means, but whether she will be able to express them with effectiveness and consistency is to be seen and, not having a reserve behind her, she has no appeal: for me she can do it, but let's see… Having a backup capable of holding the court at least a little, would certainly have been better…
Kaçmaz is a separate matter… Pure volleyball talent, she is, let's say, the Turkish Manfredini (obviously the Turks say that Manfredini is the Italian Kaçmaz…): the two girls, in recent years, have always competed for the prize of best middle blocker in the various junior championships and, to tell the truth, she has almost always won…
Slightly taller than Manfredini (she is almost 190cm), she has a good serve (Manfredini is better…), a good attack (Manfredini is a little better…) and is excellent at blocking (Manfredini, for now, doesn't know how to block…): has the numbers to break through, but will she? She is only 18 years old and volleyball is full of talents lost in the void and she certainly wouldn't be the first. Vakif certainly believes in it, so why shouldn't Bisonte believe in it? She still has Acciarri next to her who, even if he is not a phenomenon, can be in A1 (a bit narrow), so she could also have time to adapt…
That said: I believe that with this team the risk of relegation, even in the worst case scenario, could be quite remote. Will something more come? If the pieces fall into place YES, because the potential is there and it is quite high and most of the direct opponents do not have it at this level…
A lot will depend on two factors.
1- Chiavegatti: will he be able to bring out the potential (at least the minimum) from this team? I hope so, but I don't know: I don't know him and I don't think even those who know him can know because next year will be his first ever as head coach...
2- The Club: will the old Bisonte be able to come back? Will they be able to take the team back in hand if everything goes to pieces, something they haven't managed to do in the last two years? I hope so with all my heart as a fan...
Let's see...
In any case, always FORZA BISONTE and TATANKA...
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I personally prefer Sartori rn but I agree Munarini has showed very nice things. I think she just needs some experience and indeed I hope to see her in A1!
Munarini will join Conegliano as 4th MB of the roster...
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It's #official: Volley Bergamo 1991 renewed with Michaela Mlejnková (OH)...