ErmGroup Altotevere has been confirmed in the White Group (the central-northern group, plus Sardinia) of the 2026/27 Credem Banca Serie A3 championship. This is the fourth time in five appearances and the third consecutive after a stint in the Blue Group in 2023/24. The Lega Volleyball League’s decision was made on Friday, July 3, with all 49 registrations accepted across the three categories. A3 once again sees its number of teams increase from 21 to 23, and ErmGroup Altotevere was the one that, geographically, occupied the central position, thus acting as a sort of swing vote, twelfth in a group that could have ended up in either category. With 12 teams, the White Group’s standings will therefore not be affected by rotating bye-hours until the very end. Regarding the geographical distribution, Piedmont increases its representation from two to three teams, with newly promoted Ciriè joining Acqui Terme and Savigliano; Lombardy also jumps from one to three teams: along with Mantua, there are now Cantù, relegated from Serie A2, and Brugherio, returning from Serie B. The other new addition is newcomer Sassuolo, representing a city that once enjoyed a top-flight volleyball career. Veneto and Sardinia remain with San Donà di Piave and Trebaseleghe on one side and Cus Cagliari and Sarroch on the other, then there’s Altotevere, who completes the group and will once again miss the Umbrian derby against Terni, remaining in the Blue group. “Meanwhile, the full approval given to the 49 registration requests is a good sign for the movement,” commented the white-and-blue sports director Valdemaro Gustinelli (pictured), “and we already knew about the inclusion in the White group after the last League consultation; all that was missing was the official confirmation. Everyone is satisfied with having remained in this group: it’s very important, as it allows us to run a much more “conservative” championship from a logistical standpoint, both in managing away games and, consequently, in managing the athletes’ recovery times.
