There’s a new setter at Rinascita Volley Lagonegro. Francesco Cottarelli is officially the new red-and-white setter for the 2026/2027 season: experience, personality, and plenty of SuperLega experience make for a promising addition. Along with the other new arrival, Mario Catinelli, coach Waldo Kantor can count on a pair of incredibly talented, quality, and reliable setter.
Born in Verona in 1996, Cottarelli wasn’t born with a stick in his hand. His volleyball career began in a completely different capacity, that of a spiker, a position he played in the Blu Volley youth team before moving to Isola, in Serie B2, where he stayed for two seasons. It was during that period of apprenticeship that something began to change: the coaches noticed in him an extraordinary reading of the game, a tactical intelligence that was unsuitable for someone who thrives on spikes. From there, he converted to playmaking: a role that required less physical prowess and more mental focus, a keen eye, and a keen ability to read the game. It was the beginning of the metamorphosis that would transform him into the reliable setter we know today.
