The longest set ever played in international volleyball history was written on Wednesday night at the PalaCalafiore in Reggio Calabria, where Italy and Germany turned a FIPAV Cup Men Elite opening match into a spectacle that will be discussed for years. Germany won the first set 66-64 after an astonishing two hours of continuous play — and the marathon was only just beginning.
A Set That Defied All Limits
The opening frame alone produced 130 points, 43 saved set points between the two sides, and moments of pure endurance that pushed the boundaries of what seemed physically possible. Germany's Tobias Brand — who scored 12 points in the set — finally ended the ordeal on his team's 15th set point, but by that time, the scoreboard had already become a curiosity.
"I've never experienced a set like this before. It was mad — in fact, we played an entire match in a single set today," said Germany head coach Massimo Botti.
The previous longest set in volleyball history was a 50-48 result between Argentina and Poland during the 2026 Volleyball Nations League, which took 62 minutes to complete. Wednesday's set was nearly double that — the CEV, European volleyball's governing body, measured it at approximately two hours, making it by far the longest set ever recorded in international competition.
For Italy's Ferdinando De Giorgi, the experience brought back memories. As a player for Cuneo, he was on the court when the previous club-level record was set in 2002 — a 54-52 result against Treviso. "When we scored the 54th point I said 'at least we made history,'" he recalled with a smile. More than two decades on, he offered a frank assessment: "They say records are made to be broken, but this longest set is a tough one. I think this one will stand for quite a while."
Italy's Comeback Seals the Night
After conceding the record-breaking first set, Italy regrouped. The Azzurri took the second set 25-22, fell in the third 23-25, then won the fourth 25-22 to force a decider. The tiebreak went Italy's way at 15-12, sealing a 3-2 comeback victory that capped a night nobody in the arena would forget.
But the match itself had already made history of its own. At three hours and 50 minutes of total playing time, it became the longest match ever recorded under the rally point scoring system. The previous benchmark — three hours and 53 minutes between Brazil and Canada in the 2026 Volleyball Nations League — was itself a recent mark, now surpassed.
"I got angry, and then I got tired. After that, I just sat there; we played two and a half sets... it was basically a match," De Giorgi said of the opening set alone, with a wry laugh that captured the absurdity of the evening.
EuroVolley on the Horizon
The FIPAV Cup Men Elite, hosted in Reggio Calabria, also features Cuba and Brazil and served as both nations' final home preparation ahead of the CEV Enel EuroVolley 2026 Men, which begins on September 8. With 13 days to go before the continental championship, the event delivered a physical and mental test that neither coaching staff had anticipated.
Germany's Botti acknowledged the intensity: "Four hours is a very, very long time." Brand, who became the unlikely hero of the opening set, framed it from a player's perspective: "Mentally, and in terms of our physical condition, today was a very good test."
De Giorgi placed the match in the broader context of Italy's rebuild. The squad is in a transitional phase, moving from heavy physical and technical training into competitive matches. "We expected a tough match, a real battle, though we certainly did not expect a first set like that," he said. "But we showed great resilience."
By the Numbers
The statistics tell their own extraordinary story. Between them, Italy and Germany saved 43 set points during the marathon first set. Brand converted Germany's 15th set point to finally close the chapter. The full five-set encounter featured margins of three points or fewer in every frame except the tiebreak. The 4,400 spectators who packed the PalaCalafiore witnessed a night that transcended sport — one that will define the phrase "volleyball marathon" for generations to come.
Sources
- https://www.cev.eu/articles/volleyball/italy-and-germany-deliver-longest-set-and-match-ever-during-fipav-cup-men-elite-fixture/
- https://www.ivolleymagazine.it/2026/08/27/pallavolo-fipav-cup-men-elite-litalia-batte-in-rimonta-la-germania-3-2-dopo-un-set-da-record-finito-64-66-per-i-tedeschi/
- https://www.volleyball.it/2026/08/26/notizie/argomenti/internazionale/articolo/fipav-cup-italia-germania-da-record-primo-set-sul-64-66-mai-cosi-tanti-punti.html
