Superlega 2025/26
The reigning world champions swept Cisterna Volley in a dominant road performance.
Perugia were dominant in their return to the Italian League (Photo: SuperLega)
Fresh off their 2025 FIVB Men`s Volleyball Club World Championship victory, Sir Susa Scai Perugia made a swift and powerful return to the SuperLega Credem Banca 2025-2026 circuit, closing out the calendar year with another decisive win just five days after triumphing in Brazil.
Playing away just three days after their return flight, the “Red Devils” showed no signs of fatigue, dominating Cisterna Volley with a clean 3-0 sweep (25-24, 25-20, 25-20) in the second leg of the regular season`s second round on Friday.
Standings Update
Despite this dominant performance, Perugia were unable to immediately reclaim the top spot they lost during their international travels. They remain tied on pace with Itas Trentino, as both teams boast 32 points with 11 wins and two losses. However, Trentino maintains the lead thanks to a superior set ratio after sweeping Vero Volley Monza 3-0 (25-21, 25-15, 25-22) on the same day. Cisterna currently sits in 11th place with six points (three wins, ten losses).
Ben Tara Shines as MVP
Tunisian opposite Wassim Ben Tara, recently named to the Club World Championship Dream Team, continued his exceptional form, earning the MVP award for Perugia. He led the offense with 16 points, all of which were successful kills. He was strongly supported by Japanese star outside hitter Yuki Ishikawa and middle blocker Roberto Russo, who each contributed 11 points.
For Cisterna, opposite Tommaso Barotto was their most productive player, scoring 11 points (ten kills, one block), two points ahead of veteran outside hitter Filippo Lanza.
Other Key Results
Third-placed Rana Verona also secured a Friday triumph, topping Yuasa Battery Grottazzolina 3-0 (25-21, 25-19, 25-16). This victory pushed Verona to 31 points (11 wins, two losses). Brazilian opposite Darlan de Souza led all scorers in that match with 15 points (ten kills, three blocks, two aces).
Buchegger`s Serving Masterclass
Ranked fourth, Valsa Group Modena reached 28 points (nine wins, four losses) following a decisive 3-0 victory (25-20, 25-17, 25-15) over MA Acqua S.Bernardo Cuneo. Austrian opposite Paul Buchegger put on a spectacular performance, registering 19 total points, which included an incredible nine aces, nine kills, and one block.
The highly anticipated match of the day saw Cucine Lube Civitanova defeating Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza 3-1 (25-21, 28-26, 18-25, 25-21). Lube now stands in fifth place with 25 points (eight wins, five losses). Bulgarian star outside hitter Aleksandar Nikolov led Civitanova with 21 points (17 kills, three aces, one block), though Piacenza’s opposite Alessandro Bovolenta topped all scorers in the match with 26 points (24 kills, two blocks).
Piacenza dropped two spots to seventh, having been overtaken by Allianz Milano. Milano secured a 3-1 win (25-15, 25-15, 26-28, 28-26) against Sonepar Padova, reaching 23 points (eight wins, five losses). Belgian opposite Ferre Reggers was instrumental in Milano`s victory, producing an exceptional 28 points (24 kills, three blocks, one ace).
After a brief holiday hiatus for the New Year celebrations, the SuperLega Credem Banca 2025-2026 schedule resumes on Saturday, January 3, with the first two matches of the third leg of the second round of the regular season.