Cucine Lube Civitanova secured a spot in the Del Monte® Supercoppa final on Saturday after a decisive 3-0 victory over Rana Verona at the PalaRaschi in Parma.
The match, which finished with set scores of 25-18, 25-13, and 25-19, saw Civitanova dominate a Verona side hampered by the absences of key players, including Rok Mozic and setter Micah Christenson. While Civitanova entered the tournament as the only undefeated team in the current regular season, the win shows the club's ability to beat Verona, a team it has defeated in several major matches, including the last playoff semifinals.
Aleksandar Nikolov led the scoring for the victors with 16 points and a 56% success rate in attack, while teammate Mattia Bottolo contributed 12 points with a 62% efficiency. The match, which was the second semifinal of the day following Sir Susa Scai Perugia’s win over Itas Trentino, saw Civitanova maintain control throughout the proceedings. “Verona è un’ottima squadra, indipendentemente dalla presenza o meno di un campione come Micah Christenson.”
The 31st edition of the Supercoppa features a Final Four format, matching the structure used for the Coppa Italia. The team, which reached the 2025/26 Scudetto finals, arrived in Parma with a roster adjustment: Diego Gatto, a 198 cm player from the Academy Volley Lube, joined the squad while Davide Gardini remained sidelined following a recent tachyarrhythmia event.
The semifinal served as a rematch of the previous season’s Supercoppa, held in Trieste between February and March 2026, where Rana Verona had advanced over Civitanova before falling to Perugia in the final.
This year, the outcome shifted decisively in favor of the Marche-based club. Ahead of the event, players from both teams and their respective fan bases displayed a banner featuring the slogan #NoClubsNoPlayersNoVolley, protesting the 2028-2032 international calendar proposed by the FIVB.
The victory sets up a final showdown on Sunday, November 15, 2026, at 18:00, where Civitanova will face Sir Susa Scai Perugia for the season’s first major trophy. Perugia, the defending Italian champion and current title holder, earned their place by defeating Itas Trentino 3-1 (22-25, 25-20, 25-18, 30-28) in the earlier semifinal.
The final will be broadcast on Rai 2 and available on VBTV. Fans unable to watch live can access a television summary of the match scheduled for Monday at 22:00 on TVRS Canale 13, or via the station’s website and app.
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