Italian NT 2018

  • I think she said she doesn't want to play OH anymore. And her husband knows that. So either as receiving OPP or pure OPP.


    Yes, I remember. Let's say that she can help in reception, or maybe she can change her mind :whistle: anyway last year Mazzanti was waiting for Diouf in order to use her as OPP and switch Egonu to her original OH position, but this wasn't possible for Valentina's injury. Maybe this year there will be more occasions with Serena!

  • Actually I think Ortolani could be tried as receiving OPP with Egonu attacking OH and Gennari/Bosetti receiving OH.


    Otherwise I'd like to see Egonu OPP and Pietrini as attacking OH instead of Sylla, who is not a reliable player at all. Guerra had a nightmarish season, and Mingardi was not really convincing as OH unfortunately. So I would try Pietrini, she is very unexperienced but I think she is already better than those 3 mentioned above. :super:


    id like to see what Pietrini can do with Italian NT..i havent watched her a lot however i feel she can be the new Piccinini of this NT..agree with me ?
    maybe her passing isnt/may not as good as Piccinini's ??

  • Gennari said on a video (look on her fb official page) that she won't take part in the NT this summer. The reason is that her knee can't handle the NT activities all summer long and be ready for the club season, as she could already proof in the previous years. It is really a pity, we needed a balanced player like her, especially after Cate's injury.

  • The list of the 21 players for the VLN:
    S: Malinov,Orro,Cambi
    Opp: Egonu,Ortolani
    OH: Bosetti,Degradi,Guerra,Mingardi,Sylla,Pietrini
    MB: Chirichella,Bonifacio,Danesi,Olivotto,Berti,Fahr,Lubian
    L: De Gennaro,Spirito,Parrocchiale


    I'm curious about who is going to replace Folie and I'm curious to see Pietrini too.


  • i wonder also Pietrini's improvement and Malinov's shape after injury..lubian too..Italy has some good MBs

  • really? how would it work with both egonu and diouf on court? who would pass? or would they try the crazy russian 2-woman passing system?


    Egonu will pass. If she struggles, the libero and the defensive OH will cover for her. It's not crazy as you think. Italy's MBs won't be as idle as the russian mbs are. I think Italy will be fine as long as USA or Brazil's serves are not that hard to play with and their reception becomes difficult.


    China will be the hardest because of Zhu Ting. If Diouf could play maybe Zhu Ting can be denied with her block. The real question is her defense. She's slower than most opposites are and that's her biggest liability besides her inconsistency in attack.


    I guess that could be remedied with a receiving opposite but at the expense of the block.

    Favorite players: M: Maxim Mikhaylov, Murilo, Serginho, Aaron Russell, Otavio, Simone Giannelli, Ivan Zaytsev, Tsvetan Sokolov, Michał Kubiak, Mariusz Wlazly, Pawel Zagummy W: Sheilla, Zhu Ting, Natalia, Fe Garay, Fofao, Gabi, Thaisa, Foluke Akinradewo, Wei Qiuyue, Ding Xia, Carli Lloyd, Fabi, Natalia Goncharova, Yuko Sano, Saoris Kimura and Sakoda


    #FreeBritney

  • Turkish girls serve really well. Last year I remembered Italy NT against Turkey were a really hard game. Turkish players' serves almost aimed towards Sylla and they had succeeded about their homework. I think Turkey NT is a hidden favorite team because of their coach (Gui's smartness). I do hope Sylla is not considered to be a main receiver on court, she can destroy everthing if she face lack of defence.

  • Egonu is one of best Opp in the world right now, converting her position to an OH is a crazy idea in my opinion. Also it is not like Italy have many options in that position anyway :whistle:

  • Egonu is one of best Opp in the world right now, converting her position to an OH is a crazy idea in my opinion. Also it is not like Italy have many options in that position anyway :whistle:


    I think Italy has more problems in the OH than the Opp. I would trust anyone among the OHs could handle the job as an opposite(let's face it, Egonu makes a lot of mistakes at pos 2 that I believe changing the opp wouldn't have a dramatic turn) but I can't trust any of the OH to become reliable as an attacker. There's also still some players on the line that could be potentially great at that position like Enweonwu. It would be a shame to see the two fight over the same position when they can share the court together in the future.

    Favorite players: M: Maxim Mikhaylov, Murilo, Serginho, Aaron Russell, Otavio, Simone Giannelli, Ivan Zaytsev, Tsvetan Sokolov, Michał Kubiak, Mariusz Wlazly, Pawel Zagummy W: Sheilla, Zhu Ting, Natalia, Fe Garay, Fofao, Gabi, Thaisa, Foluke Akinradewo, Wei Qiuyue, Ding Xia, Carli Lloyd, Fabi, Natalia Goncharova, Yuko Sano, Saoris Kimura and Sakoda


    #FreeBritney

  • id like to see what Pietrini can do with Italian NT..i havent watched her a lot however i feel she can be the new Piccinini of this NT..agree with me ?


    I agree, but she still need to be tested on higher levels: also Cate Bosetti shined incredibly in the juniores competitions (MVP at the U20 WCCh at the age Pietrini was MVP at the U18 WCCh, I think – my doubt is jìonly about the ages, not the awards), but I don't think she could be considered the 'new Piccinini'...


    Anyway, Pietrini did seems very promising and complete, from spike to defense to serve (in reception she's good but needs to improve).


    In Italy there are speculations she might make it to the WCh, alongside Lucia, Sylla and Mingardi (a speculation as well).
    Of course this is also due to the lack of alternatives: with Cate Bosetti and Alessia Gennari out (who knows if they will be out for the WCh as well, I think yes for Gennari since it's her choice, don't know about Cate but she has a long recovery ahed), the 4th spot it's probably between Pietrini, Degradi (as inexpert as Pietrini, even if probably better in second row) and Guerra (who didn't have a good season).



    I'm surprised the 21 lists only have 2 opposites, so I wonder if Mingardi could be a jolly.


    For the rest, it's all like I expected, and I also guessed it was Gennari choice to skip the NT/the VNL.

  • Degradi has potential to be a really great receiver...and she`s already good. But I think she will be backup next season?? ( I forgot where she signed)...if she will spend a season on the bench FORGET IT as she will never get there.
    Only problem is that she `s not athletic, she`s very small and not strong. Same thing with Genarri...good receiver but when it comes to attacking she lacks athleticism to get it done.


    But this is a problem that I see with a lot of the Italians OH...they are all so small and so weak...why is that?? Why are they so afraid to spend some time in the gym and get big? I understand they want to have a supermodel body, but if they are under 1.90cm they gotta have muscle and be strong.


    I like Sylla...she`s not perfect but she`s strong (unlikely the others) she`s a fighter, she plays with passion. Only problem is that she`s a little shorter and she needs a good coach to work with her because usually she plays like Bosetti always trying to get a touch instead of hitting hard into the court ( and that is the mistake a lot of shorter players do). She`s not terrible as everyone here says she is.


    If Pietrini does not make to the WCH is hard to believe she will be ready in 2020. She must play every tournament starting now otherwise she will arrive in Tokyo with not enough experience.


    My favorite player this season in Serie A was Mingard... I had no idea who she was. But I liked her game right away. She`s athletic and plays with a lot of energy ( 2 things that we don`t see in the Italians these days). As OH she was not good as she was as OPP, but she has potential and they gotta really work on her....if the gets the right coaching she has everything to be a great OH.


    Danesi,Bonifacio,Botezat,Melandri,Nicoletti,Di lulio,Guerra all wasted a season on the bench.

  • Danesi,Bonifacio,Botezat,Melandri,Nicoletti,Di lulio,Guerra all wasted a season on the bench.


    Well, among the MBs I agree that Bonifacio wasted a season on the bench (and considering last year she won a 'Scudetto' as titular... What a waste, really), and the same applies to Melandri even if she isn't considered among the very top Italian MBs... But Botezat was just arriving from Club Ita so it was going to be almost impossible to find a team to bet on her right away (same for Mancini in Scandicci), and in this sense Busto, a paradise for young italian girls, was the right choice.
    And about Danesi... well, she knew Robin couldn't have played all the time due to the foreigns rule, so she has never been meant to stay in the bench all the time (unlike Melandri). But even if she was meant to play a lot, the fact that Folie (twice) and Robin got injured meant she was the MB that played the most in Conegliano!


    Guerra played a lot in Pomì at the beginning, and look were that brought Pomì... (of course it wasn't only her fault, but she wasn't innocent as well..)
    Last year was way better imho, for what I've seen.