2018 Volleyball Nations League (VNL)

  • Sander's young brother doesn't reach this level...
    He made 5 passing errors during this 10 minutes :gone:


    I was just about to comment on this. Poor guy couldn't even pass seemingly simple serves.
    ETA: having Holt, Langlois and Ensing on court at the same time is so odd lmao they all look alike

  • Sander's young brother doesn't reach this level...
    He made 5 passing errors during this 10 minutes :gone:

    I don't know why he got invited. He's not even considered a class A OH even in college.


    It's good to see that the newly grads are getting court time but I don't see any of them getting any success in the pro league and National Team with the exception of DeFalco and Jendryk. I'm tired of waiting for Patch to be consistent but he has the tools if he wants to.


    There's so much potential in the youngsters of Russia.

  • I wouldn't sleep on Ensing.


    In the last game against France, when he was sent in to replace Anderson, USA played better and he is also doing a great job against Russia.


    He's a generic opposite but he doesn't commit a lot of mistakes for a rookie.

    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

  • I'm wondering who takes 4th OH positon at world championship.
    Russell,Sander,and Defalco obviously secure their spots, but Langlois & B.Sander are quite weak on this level (Jaeschke ;( ).

  • Philippov had 6 aces in three sets! I think he has just secured the 4th MB spot/serving specialist for WCH: Muserskiy, Volvich, Vlasov, Philippov


    Poletaev played better against USA today. I hope Russia and USA will be in different group and face each other in the semis so we can see Mikhaylov x Anderson matchup :cheesy:

  • This schedule for the Australian leg is messing with my head. lol Given the discrepancy in timezones, Brazil is effectively playing two games today in our timezone (against Poland at 7AM earlier and later today at 11PM against Argentina).

  • Cant believe how Argentina won the first set. Zanotti'serves were really good. But also Murilo helped a lot! So many mistakes in reception. It is sad to see such a legend playing poorly at the end of his career.


    Btw, why Renan Buniatti isnt in the roster? He is young, talented...Evandro is almost 40 :whistle:

  • Cant believe how Argentina won the first set. Zanotti'serves were really good. But also Murilo helped a lot! So many mistakes in reception. It is sad to see such a legend playing poorly at the end of his career.


    Btw, why Renan Buniatti isnt in the roster? He is young, talented...Evandro is almost 40 :whistle:


    It's like watching Giba all over again. lol
    Also Renan Buiatti is not that great. He's super inconsistent and unreliable, even on club level. I wish Alan would've been used more instead of Evandro, but that's the Brazilian NT way of dealing with things...

  • I know this match isn't exactly the definitive proof of anything because both teams weren't with their best players and the game didn't decide anything, but it's another symptom of a recent trend: every year, little by little, the difference between Argentina and Brazil in volleyball is narrowing. First it was a couple of wins at youth/junior level in men's volleyball, then some argentinian clubs winning south american championship, then a few unprecedented youth/junior wins for Argentina in women's volleyball, now some consecutive argentinian victories in world league.


    I do not know however whether this is good work from FEVA or just a brazilian decline.

  • I do not know however whether this is good work from FEVA or just a brazilian decline.


    Probably both. But then Argentina goes and loses to freaking Venezuela in the South American Championship...


    But yes, Brazil is declining in both youth and senior level. I know the gold in Rio came, but the team is old and tired and not much is done to change that. They're too accomodated.
    As for Argentina, I'm curious as to how they'll perform with Marcelo Mendez soon.

  • think the pools in Final 6 will be:





    France-Brazil-Serbia


    Russia-USA-Poland





    France and Russia/USA are guaranteed to advance in their pools unless a major upset happens, so that leaves Brazil and Serbia to fight for the last SF spot.





    Only Russia/USA are capable to beat France and I hope either can beat the French in semis so we could have a Russia x USA gold medal match and my wish for a matchup between Mikhaylov x Anderson will be granted :dance6:

  • They might not bring a 4th OH and might rather bring Ensing. Speraw can always use Anderson as OH if he wants to(He's been doing that since WGCC).


    I also think Anderson as OH would be the best solution in needed ^^



    Now Poland secured F6.