The numbers behind Modena’s 2026 October SuperLega start
Modena sits in 10th place with 0 points following a 0-3 home defeat against Itas Trentino. The club seeks to stabilize its championship pursuit through the return of veteran Matt Anderson to a roster featuring Mika Christenson and Maxwell Holt.
Modena’s 2026/27 SuperLega campaign began with a 0-3 defeat against Itas Trentino. This loss at the PalaPanini leaves the club in 10th place with 0 points. I find this straight-set loss at home to be a miserable start for a team aiming for the title. While 4,081 fans watched the contest, Trentino moved to 3rd place with 3 points. The current standings show a significant gap between the top of the table and the bottom. The opening round results placed several teams at the top with 3 points, while Modena and Pallavolo Padova both remain at 0 points. The club’s pursuit of the championship arrives at a time of significant roster shifts, as Matt Anderson signed a two-year contract to return to the squad.
| Rank | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cisterna Volley | 3 |
| 2 | Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza | 3 |
| 3 | Itas Trentino | 3 |
| 4 | Cucine Lube Civitanova | 3 |
| 5 | Tinet Prata di Pordenone | 3 |
A busy opening weekend for the league
The opening round of the 2026/27 SuperLega season drew 18,737 fans across six matches, with the average attendance per game reaching 3,100 and three different venues attracting more than 4,000 spectators to see the action. In Verona, 4,755 fans watched Cucine Lube Civitanova defeat Rana Verona 3-0. Aleksandar Nikolov scored five aces during that match. In Cuneo, 4,302 fans saw Sir Susa Scai Perugia win a five-set match against Acqua Sant’Anna Cuneo. Perugia won the final set 25-23 after a second set score of 25-7. This match equaled the lowest combined points total in a regular set and set a record for the highest-scoring fifth set. Tinet Prata di Pordenone also made a debut, winning 3-1 against Vero Volley Monza in front of 1,956 fans. Meanwhile, Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza beat Pallavolo Padova 3-0 in front of 2,341 spectators, and Cisterna Volley defeated Allianz Milano 3-0 before 1,302 fans.
Roster changes and player scoring
The club aims to stabilize the roster with Matt Anderson, who joins Mika Christenson and Maxwell Holt. Anderson brings significant experience to the squad after winning four consecutive CEV Champions Leagues and five Russian championships. The team’s success depends on whether individual players can replicate their high-scoring performances from previous seasons. Looking at the statistics from a 2024 match against Vero Volley Monza, the scoring output of the roster shows high variance. Buchegger scored 17 points with 40.00% efficiency, while Rinaldi contributed 13 points at 33.33% efficiency. J. Gutierrez produced 8 points with 71.43% efficiency, and Anzani added 7 points with 66.67% efficiency. Sanguinetti finished with 6 points at 80.00% efficiency, while De Cecco recorded 2 points with 0.00% efficiency. In that match, the team scored 75 total points compared to Monza’s 54. The squad also recorded 10 blocks and 5 serves against Monza’s 4 blocks and 2 serves. You should watch how these veterans integrate with the new arrivals. Can the squad find the consistency required to move from 10th place into the top four?
