Thursday 20 June 2019
Wednesday 12 June 2019
USA BEGIN VNL WEEK 4 AGAINST 2018 FINAL RIVALS TURKEY
USA take on Turkey in their first match in Women's VNL week 4
Lausanne, Switzerland, June 11, 2019 – The United States take on Turkey in a repeat of last year’s Volleyball Nations League final on Tuesday at 16:00 local time in Jiangmen.
Last year’s final in Nanjing saw USA comeback twice as they lost the first set 25-17 and the third set 28-26 to claim the inaugural title with a 3-2 scoreline.
The USA-Turkey matchup will be the first VNL fixture to have been played four times, with all three previous VNL encounters between these sides played in five sets, with the European squad always winning the first set.
USA are tied with Italy, China and Poland in number of wins after suffering their second defeat in this year’s VNL against Brazil in a four-setter, while Turkey occupies the top spot with eight victories in nine matches.
Andrea Drews is leading the charge for the USA team together with some new faces in this 2019 campaign. She is the first USA player to reach the 100-point mark – surpassing her 89-point output last year.
At the other end, young Turkish player Ebrar Karakurt is the best attacker in the 2019 VNL with a 53 per cent success rate.
In the other Pool 16 match, Chinese superstar Zhu Ting will go head-to-head with the top scorer of the tournament – Poland’s Malwina Smarzek.
After missing the first week and only coming off the bench at the start of the second week, Zhu is now picking up the pace in offence, scoring in double figures in China's last four matches, while Smarzek has been consistent with her double-digit scoring in all nine matches.
Meanwhile, the order of play in the fourth week starts with the encounter between Serbia and Thailand in Tokyo at 15:40 local time. The second match in Pool 15 is the match between hosts Japan and Brazil at 19:10.
In Pool 13, Russia take on Korea at 17:00 in Perugia, then all eyes will could be on Egonu as she spearheads the offence of Italy when they meet winless Bulgaria at 20:00.
Stuttgart will feature the match between two European teams – Belgium and the Netherlands – at 17:30 local time, and the clash between the home team and the Dominican Republic at 20:30 in Pool 14.
Last year’s final in Nanjing saw USA comeback twice as they lost the first set 25-17 and the third set 28-26 to claim the inaugural title with a 3-2 scoreline.
The USA-Turkey matchup will be the first VNL fixture to have been played four times, with all three previous VNL encounters between these sides played in five sets, with the European squad always winning the first set.
USA are tied with Italy, China and Poland in number of wins after suffering their second defeat in this year’s VNL against Brazil in a four-setter, while Turkey occupies the top spot with eight victories in nine matches.
Andrea Drews is leading the charge for the USA team together with some new faces in this 2019 campaign. She is the first USA player to reach the 100-point mark – surpassing her 89-point output last year.
At the other end, young Turkish player Ebrar Karakurt is the best attacker in the 2019 VNL with a 53 per cent success rate.
In the other Pool 16 match, Chinese superstar Zhu Ting will go head-to-head with the top scorer of the tournament – Poland’s Malwina Smarzek.
After missing the first week and only coming off the bench at the start of the second week, Zhu is now picking up the pace in offence, scoring in double figures in China's last four matches, while Smarzek has been consistent with her double-digit scoring in all nine matches.
Meanwhile, the order of play in the fourth week starts with the encounter between Serbia and Thailand in Tokyo at 15:40 local time. The second match in Pool 15 is the match between hosts Japan and Brazil at 19:10.
In Pool 13, Russia take on Korea at 17:00 in Perugia, then all eyes will could be on Egonu as she spearheads the offence of Italy when they meet winless Bulgaria at 20:00.
Stuttgart will feature the match between two European teams – Belgium and the Netherlands – at 17:30 local time, and the clash between the home team and the Dominican Republic at 20:30 in Pool 14.
All VNL matches will be available live and on-demand on Volleyball TV.
June 11 – full schedule:
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CHINA MAINTAIN WINNING WAYS AGAINST POLAND
China celebrate their win over Poland
Jiangmen, China, June 11, 2019 – China didn’t wait around to keep up their winning run in the FIVB Women’s Volleyball Nations League as they took less than two hours to defeat Poland 3-0 (25-12, 25-18, 25-22) at the Jiangmen Sports Center Gym on Tuesday.
Despite China’s dominant performance Poland saved three match points, but on the fourth Kamila Witkowska served long to give the Olympic champions victory in a match where they were fully in control.
Zhu Ting led scoring for China with 13 points, but Poland’s Malwina Smarzek led the way in the match as she continued her impressive form in the VNL with another 16 points.
The result means that China have now won eight and lost two as they chase another VNL medal to go with the bronze they won in 2018.
Poland’s defeat was their third of the tournament and they will seek to return to winning ways on Wednesday when they take on the USA. China will now face Turkey.
GROBELNA GOES 30+ IN BELGIUM COMEBACK AGAINST THE NETHERLANDS
Kaja Grobelna on the attack as she scores 32 points for Belgium in the comeback win over the Netherlands at the 2019 FIVB Volleyball Nations League.
Lausanne, Switzerland, June 11, 2019 - Kaja Grobelna scored 32 points today as she led Belgium to an amazing comeback win 3-2 (22-25, 23-25, 25-17, 25-19, 15-10) over the Netherlands in the regional classic at Stuttgart on the opening day of Week 4 of the 2019 FIVB Women's Volleyball Nations League.
The 24-year-old opposite of Belgium scored from 25 attacks (25/53 for 47%) and added 5 blocks and 2 aces, becoming the sixth player to make the list this season of players who have scored 30 points or more in a single match.
Poland's Malwina Smarzek four times (including an all-time VNL high of 41 points against Bulgaria), Italy's Paola Egonu (twice), the Dominican Republic's Brayelin Martinez, Thailand's Ajcharaporn Kongyot and Germany's have also scored 30+ points this season.
Grobelna becomes the first ever player from Belgium to make the list in the VNL.
The 24-year-old opposite of Belgium scored from 25 attacks (25/53 for 47%) and added 5 blocks and 2 aces, becoming the sixth player to make the list this season of players who have scored 30 points or more in a single match.
Poland's Malwina Smarzek four times (including an all-time VNL high of 41 points against Bulgaria), Italy's Paola Egonu (twice), the Dominican Republic's Brayelin Martinez, Thailand's Ajcharaporn Kongyot and Germany's have also scored 30+ points this season.
Grobelna becomes the first ever player from Belgium to make the list in the VNL.
POLAND, SMARZEK FACE GIANT TASK AGAINST UNITED STATES
Kaja Grobelna on the attack as she scores 32 points for Belgium in the comeback win over the Netherlands at the 2019 FIVB Volleyball Nations League.
Lausanne, Switzerland, June 11, 2019 - Kaja Grobelna scored 32 points today as she led Belgium to an amazing comeback win 3-2 (22-25, 23-25, 25-17, 25-19, 15-10) over the Netherlands in the regional classic at Stuttgart on the opening day of Week 4 of the 2019 FIVB Women's Volleyball Nations League.
The 24-year-old opposite of Belgium scored from 25 attacks (25/53 for 47%) and added 5 blocks and 2 aces, becoming the sixth player to make the list this season of players who have scored 30 points or more in a single match.
Poland's Malwina Smarzek four times (including an all-time VNL high of 41 points against Bulgaria), Italy's Paola Egonu (twice), the Dominican Republic's Brayelin Martinez, Thailand's Ajcharaporn Kongyot and Germany's have also scored 30+ points this season.
Grobelna becomes the first ever player from Belgium to make the list in the VNL.
The 24-year-old opposite of Belgium scored from 25 attacks (25/53 for 47%) and added 5 blocks and 2 aces, becoming the sixth player to make the list this season of players who have scored 30 points or more in a single match.
Poland's Malwina Smarzek four times (including an all-time VNL high of 41 points against Bulgaria), Italy's Paola Egonu (twice), the Dominican Republic's Brayelin Martinez, Thailand's Ajcharaporn Kongyot and Germany's have also scored 30+ points this season.
Grobelna becomes the first ever player from Belgium to make the list in the VNL.
Saturday 1 June 2019
NOOTSARA TOMKOM SETS EXAMPLE FOR YOUNG THAI PLAYERS
Thailand setter and captain Nootsara Tomkom
Lausanne, Switzerland, May 30, 2019 – Thailand’s Nootsara Tomkom talked to fivb.com as her team participate in week 2 of the 2019 FIVB Volleyball Nations League. Her team lost to Belgium on Thursday, but claimed their second victory of the competition on Wednesday by defeating Korea. She shares tips on setting and talks about mentoring some of the younger players in the Thailand team, to prepare them for the future.
“I always do my best to set a good example to our younger players so that when it’s their turn to play at an international level, they will all be ready to take on all the challenges,” she said.
Nootsara has a calm personality and undeniable creativity, that she can pass on to her younger teammates.
“I describe myself as always smiling, small and spirited. I wanted to add smart but I don’t think I am smart,” jested Nootsara.
Nootsara wears the number 13 on her jersey, which others think is an unlucky number – but not for her.
“It’s my lucky number,” Nootsara said. “That and smiling a lot, and creating beautiful plays makes everything positive.”
Nootsara has looked up to many inspirations as an athlete and she worked hard to reach her status as one of the best setters in the world.
“My sister was my first big inspiration,” she recounted. “We would play together when we were kids, so my interest in volleyball started from there. I also looked up to our former setter Prim Intawong, who is a legendary setter in Thailand. And then from other countries, it’s Japanese setter Yoshie Takeshita who is very skilful.”
Nootsara has undoubtedly made a name for herself and stands among the best playmakers in the world. She has a distinct style in setting and she brilliantly involves her teammates in each play, making every game exciting to watch.
“You need to understand the nature of each spiker because they are all different,” she said. “More importantly, you need to know how to deal with each situation immediately.
“You need to know how to adapt the play in each touch and make the game. Command and control of the game is also necessary to be able to give your teammates some space to display their best plays.
“I naturally go with the flow when I set for the national team. We have been playing together for years so I have very few adjustments to make, but when I am setting for my teammates in the club, I need to get myself to the standard they expect me to be at. I also have to adapt the set to each spiker.”
Nootsara has had the opportunity to work alongside the best players in the world during club competition. She admires her teammates but also has her own personal favourites.
“My dream team would have Kim Yeon-Koung and Natalia Pereira, my middles would be Foluke Akinradewo and Pleumjit Thinkaow, my opposite would be Paola Egonu and my libero would be Monika De Gennaro. The first four players I have had the chance to play with before, the other two – Egonu and De Gennaro – I like them personally.”
At the 2019 VNL, Nootsara hopes to learn more about her team's opponents, which will help her achieve her team’s ultimate dream.
“The VNL is such a big event this year. This will bring out the best and I hope I can learn something from meeting the best teams in the world and get to know their level of play, their new players and the new system that each team utilises because everything that we do here is to reach our dream of playing in the Olympic Games.”
“I always do my best to set a good example to our younger players so that when it’s their turn to play at an international level, they will all be ready to take on all the challenges,” she said.
Nootsara has a calm personality and undeniable creativity, that she can pass on to her younger teammates.
“I describe myself as always smiling, small and spirited. I wanted to add smart but I don’t think I am smart,” jested Nootsara.
Nootsara wears the number 13 on her jersey, which others think is an unlucky number – but not for her.
“It’s my lucky number,” Nootsara said. “That and smiling a lot, and creating beautiful plays makes everything positive.”
Nootsara has looked up to many inspirations as an athlete and she worked hard to reach her status as one of the best setters in the world.
“My sister was my first big inspiration,” she recounted. “We would play together when we were kids, so my interest in volleyball started from there. I also looked up to our former setter Prim Intawong, who is a legendary setter in Thailand. And then from other countries, it’s Japanese setter Yoshie Takeshita who is very skilful.”
Nootsara has undoubtedly made a name for herself and stands among the best playmakers in the world. She has a distinct style in setting and she brilliantly involves her teammates in each play, making every game exciting to watch.
“You need to understand the nature of each spiker because they are all different,” she said. “More importantly, you need to know how to deal with each situation immediately.
“You need to know how to adapt the play in each touch and make the game. Command and control of the game is also necessary to be able to give your teammates some space to display their best plays.
“I naturally go with the flow when I set for the national team. We have been playing together for years so I have very few adjustments to make, but when I am setting for my teammates in the club, I need to get myself to the standard they expect me to be at. I also have to adapt the set to each spiker.”
Nootsara has had the opportunity to work alongside the best players in the world during club competition. She admires her teammates but also has her own personal favourites.
“My dream team would have Kim Yeon-Koung and Natalia Pereira, my middles would be Foluke Akinradewo and Pleumjit Thinkaow, my opposite would be Paola Egonu and my libero would be Monika De Gennaro. The first four players I have had the chance to play with before, the other two – Egonu and De Gennaro – I like them personally.”
At the 2019 VNL, Nootsara hopes to learn more about her team's opponents, which will help her achieve her team’s ultimate dream.
“The VNL is such a big event this year. This will bring out the best and I hope I can learn something from meeting the best teams in the world and get to know their level of play, their new players and the new system that each team utilises because everything that we do here is to reach our dream of playing in the Olympic Games.”
Apart from her Olympic dream, she has also set some goals for herself in volleyball and in her private life.
“I will try to help to promote the sport by working behind the scenes in our federation. I also want to be a chef because I love to cook…and eat a lot.”
“I will try to help to promote the sport by working behind the scenes in our federation. I also want to be a chef because I love to cook…and eat a lot.”
Source : www.fivb.org
2019 MEN'S VNL - TEAM-BY-TEAM STATS PREVIEW
2018 VNL finalists Russia and France meet on the first day of men's action in this year's competition
Lausanne, Switzerland, May 31, 2019 - The 2019 men's FIVB Volleyball Nations League begins on Friday with sixteen teams taking to the courts in Jiangmen, China (Pool 1), Mendoza, Argentina (Pool 2), Katowice, Poland (Pool 3) and Novi Sad, Serbia (Pool 4). The team-by-team stats below put all the information at your fingertips in the final days ahead of the competition.
Quick links - Volleyball:
FIVB.com - Volleyball Nations League
FIVB.com - Volleyball
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Argentina
· Argentina finished in 14th place in the 2018 Volleyball Nations League.
· Argentina's best result in the Volleyball Nations League/FIVB Volleyball World League was a fourth place in 2011.
· Argentina finished on the podium of a world level major tournament twice: third at the 1982 FIVB Volleyball World Championship and the 1988 Olympic Games.
· Argentina finished either second or third at each of the last 19 South American Championships.
· Cristian Poglajen was Argentina's top scorer at the 2018 Volleyball Nations League on 163 points.
Australia
· Last year, Australia finished in 13th place in the Volleyball Nations League.
· Australia's best result in a world major level tournament was a fifth place at the 2014 World League.
· Australia reached the second round at the 2018 World Championship, ultimately finishing in 14th place (of 24 teams).
· The last time Australia finished in the top-10 of a world level major competition was in 2015: ninth at the World Cup.
· Jordan Richards was Australia's top scorer at the 2018 Volleyball Nations League on 118 points.
Brazil
· Brazil finished in fourth place at the 2018 Volleyball Nations League.
· Brazil are the reigning Olympic champions in men's volleyball and are leading the FIVB world ranking.
· Brazil (22) are the country to have won most major world level competitions, Russia (including Soviet Union and CIS) follow on 20 titles.
· The Volleyball Nations League is the only of six world level major competitions which Brazil have never won.
· Bulgaria's best result in World League/ Volleyball Nations League is a fourth place (1994, 2004, 2006, 2012, 2013).
· The last time Bulgaria claimed a medal in a world level major tournament was at the 2007 World Cup, finishing third.
· Nikolay Uchikov scored 169 points last year in the Volleyball Nations League to become Bulgaria's top scorer in the competition.
· Svetoslav Gotsev was the best blocker in the preliminary round last year with a total of 36 points of blocks (0.6 average per set).
Canada
· Canada finished seventh in the inaugural edition of the Volleyball Nations League last year, just missing out on the final round.
· Canada's best result in a world level major tournament was a third place in the 2017 World League.
· Canada finished on the podium in each of the last four NORCECA Championships, including winning the title in 2015.
· Five of Canada's eight victories at the 2018 Volleyball Nations League came in straight sets.
· Stephen Timothy Maar scored 165 points last year to become Canada's 2018 Volleyball Nations League top scorer.
China
· China finished 15th in the inaugural edition of the Volleyball Nations League last year.
· China's best result in the World League/ Volleyball Nations League came in 1996, when they finished sixth.
· China's best result in a world level major competition was a fourth place at the 1997 FIVB Volleyball World Grand Champions Cup.
· Jiang Chuan was the overall top scorer in the preliminary round last year in the Volleyball Nations League, scoring 274 points including a league-high 242 spikes.
· France have finished in the top-3 in each of the last four editions of the World League/ Volleyball Nations League, winning the competition in 2015 and 2017 (third in 2016).
· Their victories in the World League in 2015 and 2017 are the only two world level major tournament titles for France.
· Only Russia (12) claimed more straight set victories last year in the Volleyball Nations League than France (8).
· Germany's best result in the World League/Volleyball Nations League came in 2012, when they finished fifth.
· Since 1972, Germany have claimed only one podium finish in a world level major tournament: a third place at the 2014 World Championship.
· Germany finished second at the 2017 European Championship, losing in five sets against Russia in the final.
· Simon Hirsch finished as Germany's Volleyball Nations League top scorer in 2018 on 183 points.
Iran
· At the 2018 Volleyball Nations League, Iran finished in 10th place.
· Iran (8th) are the highest ranked Asian team on the FIVB World Ranking coming into the 2019 Volleyball Nations League. Japan follow in 11th place.
· Iran's only podium finish at a world level major competition was a third place at the 2017 Grand Champions Cup.
· In September 2018, Iran won the men's volleyball title at the Asian Games. They did not lose a single set in their five matches in the tournament.
· The last world level major tournament won by Italy was the 2000 World League.
· The last time Italy finished on the podium of the World League, the predecessor of the Volleyball Nations League, was in 2014 (3rd).
· Coming into the 2018 Volleyball Nations League, Italy are the highest ranked European team on the FIVB World Ranking in third place.
· Ivan Zaytsev was Italy's top scorer at the 2018 Volleyball Nations League on 172 points.
Japan
· Japan finished in 12th place at the 2018 Volleyball Nations League.
· The last time Japan finished on the podium of a world level major tournament was in 2009, when they finished in third place at the Grand Champions Cup.
· Japan's only victory at a world level major tournament came in 1972, when they won the Olympic title in Munich. They are the only Asian team to have won the Olympic title in men's volleyball.
· Japan are the reigning Asian champions in men's volleyball as they won the Asian title in both 2015 and 2017.
· Poland won the Volleyball Nations League/World League once, in 2012. Their only other podium finish in the competition was a third place in 2011.
· Poland are the two-time defending world champions, having won the world title 2014 and 2018.
· Artur Szalpuk was Poland's top scorer at the 2018 Volleyball Nations League on 126 points.
· At the 2017 World League, Portugal finished in 22th place.
· Portugal's best result in the World League was a fifth place finish in 2005.
· That fifth place was Portugal's best result in a world level major competition.
· Alexandre Ferreira was Portugal's top scorer at the 2018 Challenger Cup on 64 points.
Russia
· Russia won the inaugural edition of the Volleyball Nations League last year, beating France in the final in straight sets.
· Russia (including predecessors) have won 20 world level major tournaments, only trailing Brazil (22) for most.
· Russia also are the reigning European champions in men's volleyball. At the 2018 World Championship, they missed out on the medals (6th).
· Egor Kliuka was Russia's top scorer at last year's Volleyball Nations League on 224 points, followed by Dmitriy Muserskiy on 222 points.
· Maxim Mikhaylov was the most valuable player at the 2018 Volleyball Nations League.
Serbia
· Serbia finished in fifth place at the 2018 Volleyball Nations League, alongside Poland.
· Serbia have finished in the top-five in each of their last five participations in world level major competitions: second at the 2015 World League, first at the 2016 World League, fifth at the 2017 World League, fifth at the 2018 Volleyball Nations League and fourth at the 2018 World Championship.
· The win at the 2016 World League is one of two victories for Serbia in world level major competitions, alongside the 2000 Olympic Games (as Yugoslavia).
· Serbia won 11 of their 15 Volleyball Nations League matches in the preliminary round in 2018.
· Drazen Luburic was Serbia's top scorer in the 2018 Volleyball Nations League on 156 points.
USA
· USA finished in third place at the 2018 Volleyball Nations League, defeating Brazil in the third-place match.
· The last time United States won a world level major tournament was in 2015, when they won the World Cup.
· Next to the World Cup (1985 and 2015), USA have also won the Olympic Games (1984, 1988, 2008), World Championship (1986) and the World League (2008, 2014).
· USA also finished in third place at the 2018 World Championship, defeating Serbia in the bronze-medal match.
Quick links - Volleyball:
FIVB.com - Volleyball Nations League
FIVB.com - Volleyball
· Argentina finished in 14th place in the 2018 Volleyball Nations League.
· Argentina's best result in the Volleyball Nations League/FIVB Volleyball World League was a fourth place in 2011.
· Argentina finished on the podium of a world level major tournament twice: third at the 1982 FIVB Volleyball World Championship and the 1988 Olympic Games.
· Argentina finished either second or third at each of the last 19 South American Championships.
· Cristian Poglajen was Argentina's top scorer at the 2018 Volleyball Nations League on 163 points.
Australia
· Last year, Australia finished in 13th place in the Volleyball Nations League.
· Australia's best result in a world major level tournament was a fifth place at the 2014 World League.
· Australia reached the second round at the 2018 World Championship, ultimately finishing in 14th place (of 24 teams).
· The last time Australia finished in the top-10 of a world level major competition was in 2015: ninth at the World Cup.
· Jordan Richards was Australia's top scorer at the 2018 Volleyball Nations League on 118 points.
Brazil
· Brazil finished in fourth place at the 2018 Volleyball Nations League.
· Brazil are the reigning Olympic champions in men's volleyball and are leading the FIVB world ranking.
· Brazil (22) are the country to have won most major world level competitions, Russia (including Soviet Union and CIS) follow on 20 titles.
· The Volleyball Nations League is the only of six world level major competitions which Brazil have never won.
· Wallace De Souza finished as the overall top scorer in the 2018 Volleyball Nations League on 277 points.
Bulgaria
· Bulgaria finished 11th in the inaugural edition of the Volleyball Nations League last year.· Bulgaria's best result in World League/ Volleyball Nations League is a fourth place (1994, 2004, 2006, 2012, 2013).
· The last time Bulgaria claimed a medal in a world level major tournament was at the 2007 World Cup, finishing third.
· Nikolay Uchikov scored 169 points last year in the Volleyball Nations League to become Bulgaria's top scorer in the competition.
· Svetoslav Gotsev was the best blocker in the preliminary round last year with a total of 36 points of blocks (0.6 average per set).
Canada
· Canada finished seventh in the inaugural edition of the Volleyball Nations League last year, just missing out on the final round.
· Canada's best result in a world level major tournament was a third place in the 2017 World League.
· Canada finished on the podium in each of the last four NORCECA Championships, including winning the title in 2015.
· Five of Canada's eight victories at the 2018 Volleyball Nations League came in straight sets.
· Stephen Timothy Maar scored 165 points last year to become Canada's 2018 Volleyball Nations League top scorer.
China
· China finished 15th in the inaugural edition of the Volleyball Nations League last year.
· China's best result in the World League/ Volleyball Nations League came in 1996, when they finished sixth.
· China's best result in a world level major competition was a fourth place at the 1997 FIVB Volleyball World Grand Champions Cup.
· Jiang Chuan was the overall top scorer in the preliminary round last year in the Volleyball Nations League, scoring 274 points including a league-high 242 spikes.
· In the overall Volleyball Nations League top scorers list, Jiang Chuan was surpassed by only Brazil's Wallace De Souza (277).
France
· France finished as runners-up at the 2018 Volleyball Nations League, losing the final against Russia (3-0).· France have finished in the top-3 in each of the last four editions of the World League/ Volleyball Nations League, winning the competition in 2015 and 2017 (third in 2016).
· Their victories in the World League in 2015 and 2017 are the only two world level major tournament titles for France.
· Only Russia (12) claimed more straight set victories last year in the Volleyball Nations League than France (8).
· Stephen Boyer was France's top scorer at the 2018 Volleyball Nations League on 257 points.
Germany
· Germany finished ninth in the inaugural edition of the Volleyball Nations League last year.· Germany's best result in the World League/Volleyball Nations League came in 2012, when they finished fifth.
· Since 1972, Germany have claimed only one podium finish in a world level major tournament: a third place at the 2014 World Championship.
· Germany finished second at the 2017 European Championship, losing in five sets against Russia in the final.
· Simon Hirsch finished as Germany's Volleyball Nations League top scorer in 2018 on 183 points.
Iran
· At the 2018 Volleyball Nations League, Iran finished in 10th place.
· Iran (8th) are the highest ranked Asian team on the FIVB World Ranking coming into the 2019 Volleyball Nations League. Japan follow in 11th place.
· Iran's only podium finish at a world level major competition was a third place at the 2017 Grand Champions Cup.
· In September 2018, Iran won the men's volleyball title at the Asian Games. They did not lose a single set in their five matches in the tournament.
· Milad Ebadipour Ghara H. finished as Iran's top scorer at the 2018 Volleyball Nations League on 193 points.
Italy
· Italy finished in eighth place at the 2018 Volleyball Nations League.· The last world level major tournament won by Italy was the 2000 World League.
· The last time Italy finished on the podium of the World League, the predecessor of the Volleyball Nations League, was in 2014 (3rd).
· Coming into the 2018 Volleyball Nations League, Italy are the highest ranked European team on the FIVB World Ranking in third place.
· Ivan Zaytsev was Italy's top scorer at the 2018 Volleyball Nations League on 172 points.
Japan
· Japan finished in 12th place at the 2018 Volleyball Nations League.
· The last time Japan finished on the podium of a world level major tournament was in 2009, when they finished in third place at the Grand Champions Cup.
· Japan's only victory at a world level major tournament came in 1972, when they won the Olympic title in Munich. They are the only Asian team to have won the Olympic title in men's volleyball.
· Japan are the reigning Asian champions in men's volleyball as they won the Asian title in both 2015 and 2017.
· In the preliminary round of the 2018 Volleyball Nations League, Yuji Nishida scored 187 points, fourth-most of all players.
Poland
· Poland finished in fifth place at the 2018 Volleyball Nations League, alongside Serbia.· Poland won the Volleyball Nations League/World League once, in 2012. Their only other podium finish in the competition was a third place in 2011.
· Poland are the two-time defending world champions, having won the world title 2014 and 2018.
· Artur Szalpuk was Poland's top scorer at the 2018 Volleyball Nations League on 126 points.
· Bartosz Kurek was the most valuable player at the 2018 World Championship.
Portugal
· Portugal will make their debut at the Volleyball Nations League. They won the 2018 Challenger Cup to qualify for the tournament, replacing Republic of Korea.· At the 2017 World League, Portugal finished in 22th place.
· Portugal's best result in the World League was a fifth place finish in 2005.
· That fifth place was Portugal's best result in a world level major competition.
· Alexandre Ferreira was Portugal's top scorer at the 2018 Challenger Cup on 64 points.
Russia
· Russia won the inaugural edition of the Volleyball Nations League last year, beating France in the final in straight sets.
· Russia (including predecessors) have won 20 world level major tournaments, only trailing Brazil (22) for most.
· Russia also are the reigning European champions in men's volleyball. At the 2018 World Championship, they missed out on the medals (6th).
· Egor Kliuka was Russia's top scorer at last year's Volleyball Nations League on 224 points, followed by Dmitriy Muserskiy on 222 points.
· Maxim Mikhaylov was the most valuable player at the 2018 Volleyball Nations League.
Serbia
· Serbia finished in fifth place at the 2018 Volleyball Nations League, alongside Poland.
· Serbia have finished in the top-five in each of their last five participations in world level major competitions: second at the 2015 World League, first at the 2016 World League, fifth at the 2017 World League, fifth at the 2018 Volleyball Nations League and fourth at the 2018 World Championship.
· The win at the 2016 World League is one of two victories for Serbia in world level major competitions, alongside the 2000 Olympic Games (as Yugoslavia).
· Serbia won 11 of their 15 Volleyball Nations League matches in the preliminary round in 2018.
· Drazen Luburic was Serbia's top scorer in the 2018 Volleyball Nations League on 156 points.
USA
· USA finished in third place at the 2018 Volleyball Nations League, defeating Brazil in the third-place match.
· The last time United States won a world level major tournament was in 2015, when they won the World Cup.
· Next to the World Cup (1985 and 2015), USA have also won the Olympic Games (1984, 1988, 2008), World Championship (1986) and the World League (2008, 2014).
· USA also finished in third place at the 2018 World Championship, defeating Serbia in the bronze-medal match.
· Matthew Anderson (217 points) was top scorer for United States at the 2018 Volleyball Nations League. In the preliminary round, he was both the third-best spiker and third-best server.
KEIZER & MEPPELINK WIN ALL-DUTCH CLASH ON WAY TO OSTRAVA KNOCKOUTS
Netherlands’ Keizer & Meppelink celebrate their victory over Ukraine’s Lunina & Samoday
Ostrava, Czech Republic, May 31, 2019 – As many as four women’s teams managed to win two matches each on Friday to move successfully from the pools’ survival matches in the morning through the first direct elimination round to book their spots in Saturday’s round of 16 at the four-star J&T Banka Ostrava Beach Open 2019 main draw on the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour.
One of them was Netherlands’ duo Sanne Keizer & Madelein Meppelink, who started their day with a 2-1 (24-26, 21-11, 15-13) win in the all-Dutch clash with Joy Stubbe & Marleen Ramond-van Iersel for the third place in Pool G. The sixth-seeded pair went on to knock out bottom-seeded Ukrainian sensations Diana Lunina & Maryna Samoday with a hard-earned 2-0 (23-21, 21-17) victory.
“This morning we had the Dutch battle. It was a good game and a tough one, so we are happy we won. It was a difficult switch to the next game to keep going, but we did a good job. In the first set we made it a bit exciting, but I think in the second set we controlled the game,” said Keizer, and added, “It’s an awesome location, the organization is really good, and people are very friendly. Every time I walk around here I see new stuff and I am just amazed and grateful we can play here.”
“The Ukrainian team had many good results lately and we were excited to play against them for the first time. They did a really good job. It was not easy and we had to fight for every ball,” Meppelink commented. “At this point, I have no idea who we play next, but we are looking forward to playing any match here, hopefully through the end.”
29th-seeded Greeks Vasiliki Arvaniti & Panagiota Karagkouni faced few issues in hammering out a 2-0 (21-17, 21-13) shutout of China’s Xinyi Xia & Fan Wang for the last ticket from Pool D. They continued their good performance into the first knockout round, where they managed a 2-1 (21-16, 16-21, 17-15) victory after denying a match point for their Russian opponents Nadezda Makroguzova & Svetlana Kholomina, to remain as the lowest seeded team still in contention.
27th-seeded Chen Xue & Xinxin Wang of China delivered sensational upset of eighth-seeded Canadians Sarah Pavan & Melissa Humana-Paredes. To book a spot in the next round, Xue & Wang survived a triple match point for the opponents in the tie-breaker on the way to a spectacular comeback for a 2-1 (21-17, 18-21, 17-15) win. Earlier on Friday, the Chinese pair also upset the highest ranked German duo, Sandra Ittlinger & Chantal Laboureur, seeded first at next month’s World Championship in Hamburg, by 2-0 (21-15, 22-20) for the third place in Pool F.
Katharina Schuetzenhoefer & Lena Plesiutschnig, seeded 28th, also knocked out a strong German team in their losers match in Pool E. The Austrians claimed a 2-0 (21-16, 29-27) win over Victoria Bieneck & Isabel Schneider, and went on to master a 2-1 (17-21, 21-16, 15-13) come-from-behind victory over Russia’s Ekaterina Birlova & Evgenia Ukolova.
Having finished second in their pools on Thursday, three American teams - Sara Hughes & Summer Ross, Brooke Sweat & Kerri Walsh Jennings and Sarah Sponcil & Kelly Claes – and one Brazilian pair, Agatha Bednarczuk & Eduarda Santos Lisboa, had the luxury of needing only one win on Friday to progress to the second knockout round, and they all achieved it in straight sets.
Sponcil & Claes took a 2-0 (21-19, 21-16) victory over Switzerland’s Nina Betschart & Tanja Hueberli, the team that had upset Czech top seeds and defending Ostrava champs Barbora Hermannova & Marketa Slukova earlier in the day to knock them out of contention.
“We are so excited about this new partnership and we’ve been trying to just get a little bit better each tournament and each game we play,” Kelly Claes pointed out. “The Swiss are an amazing team. They’ve been together for a while and they’re great competitors. It’s fun to see our progress going through. We are so excited and we are ready to keep this momentum going.”
“I think we did a good job communicating throughout the game,” Sarah Sponcil added. “It’s easy to look far ahead, but we are just focusing on the next match, recovering, looking at our next opponent, and trying to get better at the things we didn’t do well in this game.”
Source : www.fivb.org
KONARSKI TO PROVIDE CREATIVE SPARK FOR POLAND IN ENCOUNTER WITH UNITED STATES
Dawid Konarski's great scoring perfromance could spark a good run for Poland against the United States
Lausanne, Switzerland, June 1, 2019 – Dawid Konarski’s 22-point performance in Poland’s 3-1 opening win against Australia could ignite a winning start on home court when his team face the United States in Pool 3 at 17.00 local time at the Spodek Arena on Saturday.
Konarski’s 22 points were built on 17 spikes, two blocks and three service winners, providing the reigning world champions with an all-around performance that could put them in a good position to record successive VNL wins for the first time since a three-match winning streak in the third weekend of the 2018 edition.
The encounter with the USA is a replay of the 2018 World Championship semifinal, where Poland prevailed in five sets that led to their second world title in a row. Poland and the USA have met 38 times in world level tournaments, each with an equal win-record of 19 triumphs.
Konarski’s 22 points were built on 17 spikes, two blocks and three service winners, providing the reigning world champions with an all-around performance that could put them in a good position to record successive VNL wins for the first time since a three-match winning streak in the third weekend of the 2018 edition.
The encounter with the USA is a replay of the 2018 World Championship semifinal, where Poland prevailed in five sets that led to their second world title in a row. Poland and the USA have met 38 times in world level tournaments, each with an equal win-record of 19 triumphs.
"Even though USA is playing a bit of an experimental squad, we will be ready for a big fight," Poland player Pawel Zatorski said.
In last year’s tournament, USA defeated Poland in straight sets in both the preliminary round and the final round.
Poland led on all fronts against Australia, including the 11 blocks and nine service winners, while USA lost in straight sets after suffering from 29 turnovers against Brazil.
“It’s never fun to lose,” USA coach John Speraw said. “There are some specific areas of the game we weren’t good at tonight. Regardless of whether we were young and inexperienced – I want them to play and compete better.”
Meanwhile, Brazil are seeking to claim back-to-back wins in Katowice, where they will play Australia at 14.00 local time.
Ricardo Lucarelli’s return in the line-up is a positive development for the South American side as he helped his squad with the opening win by scoring all his 14 points from piercing spikes on Friday.
In Pool 1, an all-European clash between Italy and Germany will take place in the second day’s opening match at 16.00 local time in Jiangmen.
The Germans are counting on balance in scoring following their 3-2 win against China on opening day, when five of their starting unit delivered double-digit outputs. The Italians, on the other hand, are banking on their young hitter Gabriele Nelli and their ace playmaker Simone Giannelli to recover from their 3-1 loss to Iran.
Hosts China will meet their Asian rivals Iran in the second match at 20.00. Like last year, Chuan Jiang is spearheading the scoring for China, while Saeid Marouf is brilliantly directing plays for the Iranian side.
Canada and Portugal are scheduled to play at 18.00 local time in Mendoza in the Pool 2 tournament. Both squads are seeking their first win, after losing their respective opening matches on Friday. In the other matchup, Argentina are facing Bulgaria at 21.10 to decide leadership in the group.
Bulgaria’s Nikolay Uchikov delivered a power-packed performance on the first day, with 27 points from 23 attacks and three blocks.
In Pool 4 at Novi Sad, Japan are looking for their second win, while Russia are seeking to bounce back after losing to France on opening day. Japan and Russia will play at 16.00 local time, and then Serbia will face France at 19.00.
Among the notable performances in Pool 4 are Jennia Grebennikov’s high-energy defensive performance as he dominates the best digger category and Yuki Ishikawa’s 19 points against Serbia that made him the third best attacker so far in the tournament.
In last year’s tournament, USA defeated Poland in straight sets in both the preliminary round and the final round.
Poland led on all fronts against Australia, including the 11 blocks and nine service winners, while USA lost in straight sets after suffering from 29 turnovers against Brazil.
“It’s never fun to lose,” USA coach John Speraw said. “There are some specific areas of the game we weren’t good at tonight. Regardless of whether we were young and inexperienced – I want them to play and compete better.”
Meanwhile, Brazil are seeking to claim back-to-back wins in Katowice, where they will play Australia at 14.00 local time.
Ricardo Lucarelli’s return in the line-up is a positive development for the South American side as he helped his squad with the opening win by scoring all his 14 points from piercing spikes on Friday.
In Pool 1, an all-European clash between Italy and Germany will take place in the second day’s opening match at 16.00 local time in Jiangmen.
The Germans are counting on balance in scoring following their 3-2 win against China on opening day, when five of their starting unit delivered double-digit outputs. The Italians, on the other hand, are banking on their young hitter Gabriele Nelli and their ace playmaker Simone Giannelli to recover from their 3-1 loss to Iran.
Hosts China will meet their Asian rivals Iran in the second match at 20.00. Like last year, Chuan Jiang is spearheading the scoring for China, while Saeid Marouf is brilliantly directing plays for the Iranian side.
Canada and Portugal are scheduled to play at 18.00 local time in Mendoza in the Pool 2 tournament. Both squads are seeking their first win, after losing their respective opening matches on Friday. In the other matchup, Argentina are facing Bulgaria at 21.10 to decide leadership in the group.
Bulgaria’s Nikolay Uchikov delivered a power-packed performance on the first day, with 27 points from 23 attacks and three blocks.
In Pool 4 at Novi Sad, Japan are looking for their second win, while Russia are seeking to bounce back after losing to France on opening day. Japan and Russia will play at 16.00 local time, and then Serbia will face France at 19.00.
Among the notable performances in Pool 4 are Jennia Grebennikov’s high-energy defensive performance as he dominates the best digger category and Yuki Ishikawa’s 19 points against Serbia that made him the third best attacker so far in the tournament.
Source: www.fivb.org
LAHTI & PARKKINEN KEEN TO UNLEASH TEAM POTENTIAL AT HAMBURG
Taru Lahti and Anniina Parkkinen at Ostrava
Ostrava, Czech Republic, June 1, 2019 – With the 2019 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship set to get underway in less than a month in Hamburg, the participating teams are keen to start getting closer and closer to their best shape as they travel the World Tour in the buildup to the big event in Germany. That’s exactly the case with Finland’s Taru Lahti-Liukkonen & Anniina Parkkinen, who spoke to fivb.com on the premises of the four-star J&T Banka Ostrava Beach Open 2019 about their own potential to do well at Hamburg 2019.
“We have a lot of potential in our team, so we believe we can go really far,” Lahti stated. “But it’s more important to stay in the moment and take it game by game.”
Taking it game by game, they have done well so far at Ostrava. In the company of top-seeded Czechs Barbora Hermannova & Marketa Slukova, Lahti & Parkkinen won their Pool А with two victories and are getting ready to battle for their spot in the quarterfinals. In their first game, the Finns shut out Switzerland’s Nina Betschart & Tanja Hueberli, and in their second, they managed a 2-1 comeback against the tournament’s sensations Diana Lunina & Maryna Samoday ogf Ukraine, while both of these opponents defeated favourites Hermannova & Slukova.
“We had a good first day. Especially the first match was pretty good from our side - a good win against the really good team of Switzerland,” Lahti commented. “Our first set against Ukraine wasn’t that good, but then we talked about going step by step, ball by ball, and that worked quite well. We made really good teamwork, we supported each other and that was really important.”
Lahti & Parkkinen played at their first international tournament together in 2013, when they finished ninth at the U22 European Championship in Varna. The next year they were already fourth at the U23 World Championship in Myslowice, but then, through 2017, there were a lot of partner switches between the Finnish players, without any actual permanent pairings.
At the 2017 World Championship in Vienna Taru Lahti played with Riikka Lehtonen and finished ninth. So for her Hamburg 2019 will be the second appearance at such a big event. “The World Championships are always very important, but this one is more special, because Olympic ranking is open,” she said.
For Anniina Parkkinen, who is only 22 years old now, this will be the rookie participation in a senior World Championship.
“I am really excited!” she exclaimed. “It’s my first time at the World Championships. We’ve heard that Hamburg is a great place to play. Our families are also going to be there to support us, so it’s going to be a special tournament.”
Obviously, Taru and Anniina have eventually found in each other the perfect partner. Since the start of 2018, they have exclusively been playing as a team and have earned their first World Tour medals as such – silver at the 2018 Tokyo three-star and bronze at the 2019 Hague four-star.
“Now I am playing with Anniina and I am really happy to go to Hamburg with her,” Lahti pointed out. “Last year we had some difficult moments, but now we know what we need during the game and how to support each other, which really improves our game. We have good technical skills and it is the mental things that we are adding to get better and better.”
“I am really happy to play with Taru too,” Parkkinen added. “We have something good here, between us. She is good at the net, a monster blocker, so it’s easy to play behind her.”
But taking it game by game, for now they have to focus on their next match at Ostrava, a round of 16 clash with Greece’s Vasiliki Arvaniti & Panagiota Karagkouni, who have also been having a great tournament so far.
“This is a really nice place here, a unique venue! We are really excited and hungry to play more and go as far as we can go.” Anniina concluded.
Source: www.fivb.com
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