By the way...
Netherlands v Japan - 2016 Women's World Olympic Qualification Tournament
https://youtu.be/YiFuT3HzXpA
Uploader: FIVB Volleyball
COMMENTS ARE DISABLED FOR THIS VIDEO.
Ha ha ha I wonder whether they lately treated all videos on Japan's matches in this way 
Plak's volleyball is way too wild and rough, I don't see how can she become a good consistent OH in the future. Same as Egonu..
That's a good comparison and I understand your point of view, BUT: on court there is one OPP but there are two OHs. And I think there are way too many players out there who were turned into OPP too early just because their reception was not on the same level as their attack. As a consequence, there are also way too many OHs who start in their teams even though they're weak attackers just because they can receive on a decent level. Following your arguments, Grothues would be the only Dutch player who could really play as OH because Buijs and Pietersen also aren't good receivers.
As for Italy, turning Egonu into an OPP would be the easiest way to quick success. But who will play as OH when Del Core is gone? I really like Bonitta's way to not give up early on teaching Egonu to become a more allround player, including reception, although she will never be a great receiver. But that's not necessary, she only needs to become a "good enough" receiver. Kosheleva is an example for what I mean...
Really feel sorry for the Thai girls. The generation of players that put Thailand among the elite teams could have been a great addition to the teams in Rio. Do they have a new generation of players that could surpass or at least in the level of Nootsara, Onuma, Pleumjit, etc? I remember Chaisri Tapaphaipun as a promising player for Thailand years ago and I was wondering why she was not with the squad in Japan. Was she injured?
Really feel sorry for the Thai girls. The generation of players that put Thailand among the elite teams could have been a great addition to the teams in Rio. Do they have a new generation of players that could surpass or at least in the level of Nootsara, Onuma, Pleumjit, etc? I remember Chaisri Tapaphaipun as a promising player for Thailand years ago and I was wondering why she was not with the squad in Japan. Was she injured?
I don't think Chaisri was that promising...As for new players, Pornpun took over the starting setter position from Tomkom in this tournament and did very well. In MB position Thatdao displayed a great performance. For wing hitters, Kongyot and Moksri can play an important role in the future. Time will tell if they can continue what the current team has built up.
(Sorry for the names, I have no clue which are first names and which are family names in Thailand, so I just chose the ones easiest to spell 
)
Here you go, they are on FACEBOOK live. Korea and Thailand's party ( haha very funny 
) and I really like their friendship.
>> https://www.facebook.com/Bamru…a/videos/805500676218564/
You guys need to see the video above, really feel sad and happy for them at the same time. I can't stop laughing haha , enjoy your party both team.
PLEUMJIT gave KIM the tablet and asked for the challenge. Her answer was .. F**K Good luck girls in RIO
Ha ha ha what a very lovely sign by Kim... so deep its meaning... 
I checked the FB link but it's just a video of Thai team's small party, dancing and so on among themselves... but didn't see they're partying with the KOR team
yeah they should feel very sad when their dream nearly came into realization but then it's snatched away at one moment... they will have to wait 4 more years till Tokyo 2020 when their main stopping block exempt themselves.
Best Setter: Miyashita (JPN)
Best Opposite: Sloetjes (NED)
Best Outside Spiker: Kim (KOR)
Best Outside Spiker; Del Core (ITA)
Best Middle Blocker: Chiricella (ITA)
Best Middle Blocker: Yang-Hyo Jin (KOR)
Best Libero: Castillo (DOM)
For the first time, nothing scandalous in the awards but all deserved.
I really don't think Miyashita was the best setter 
Her game was really boring. The Korean and the Thai setters did a better job IMO. But other than that the awards are good.
FIVB just had to select leastwise one Japanese player and there was no one specific to choose, that's why Miyashita was picked.
God, now I can't even believe in anything FIVB does...even if it comes out with reasonable consequences I start to doubt.
Congrats to Italy, Holland, Korea and Japan anyways.
So there is no MVP? I didn't find it
As I see now the awards were chosen strictly according to the statistics. Sloetjes was best scorer and best spiker, Kim and Del Core 2nd and 4th best spikers (Nagaoka 3rd), Chirichella and Yang the two top blockers, Castillo best digger and Miyashita best setter. By the way, 2nd and 3rd best setter according to those stats were Marte and Munoz. So much about setter stats 
As I see now the awards were chosen strictly according to the statistics. Sloetjes was best scorer and best spiker, Kim and Del Core 2nd and 4th best spikers (Nagaoka 3rd), Chirichella and Yang the two top blockers, Castillo best digger and Miyashita best setter. By the way, 2nd and 3rd best setter according to those stats were Marte and Munoz. So much about setter stats
That actually should be part of a longer discussion. Simply the formula they use for setter's never worked well, I think they need come up with different measures than what they use today or never keep those stats for setters.
Coming back to awards, I think Miyashita was best. Closest ones to her were Thai setters. Good choices FIVB!
Congratulations to Italy, Netherlands, Japan and Korea! 
Welcome to Brazil! It'll be very nice (nice nice) have you all here. 
I expect all the teams bringing out the best in them. It'll be amazing!
On the tournament, I guess we had no surprises. Korea is tough in this kind of tournament, Japan was the host and Italy and Netherlands just got their deserved spot.
Netherlands was good at serving and especially at digging (really impressed!), though the way some players were reading on blocking was no good, what makes me not to say they were great at defence at all. The team are getting better and after China and USA they have the best young players in volleyball. They have what it takes to be one of the best teams in the world from 2017 to 2020.
Japan dropped their level big time this quad. Don't like those thousands changes Manabe do. Most of them I don't even get.
On Brazilian pool, I totally dislike it. It's not good to be on the weaker side, when you want to win the competition. You don't know the level of this until you play the best teams out there. In London, we were on the good side, playing very good teams, we were drawn with the first of the other pool in the quarterfinals and we nailed it. I'm sure Zé Roberto would like to refuse this 'help' if he could. 
well, i was very upset about the end of the JPN x THA match, but in the end, i think the better teams won. look at the differential in sets ratio, there's no comparison. as much as i like the THA team, maybe JPN was a better overall team, although they are certainly at a lower level than before.
yes, the intercontinental tournament is a joke, but PUR at least is not such a joke. they beat both POL and GER in the WGP and they are still far above ARG and CMR and all other african teams. remember at the panamerican games, they had BRA on the ropes twice (up 2-0 in both matches) before losing. and if you think this tournament is a joke, you should see it in the men's side (CHI, MEX, TUN and ALG).
PUR just needs more consistency, and maybe a better coach. they have great athletes like karina ocasio, lynda morales, enright, and even aurea cruz can be a factor (although she's getting old).
also, very sad DOM didn't qualify but at least they were not as dishonest as fivb. they could have easily lost to PUR at NORCECA in order to go to the easier tournament.
in the end, i wish maybe we had a bigger tournament (16 teams?) at the olympics, with THA, DOM and TUR (and maybe BUL, POL or BEL).
Display More
Group A
Brazil (host/3.)
Russia (4.)
Japan (5.)
South Korea (9.)
Argentina (12.)
Cameroon (21.)
Group B
USA (1.)
China (2.)
Serbia (6.)
Italy (8.)
Netherlands (14.)
Puerto Rico (16.)
why do they always have the weakest 2 teams in the same group (ARG and CMR)? last time it was ALG and GBR, and that group was also the weakest, making it easier for JPN and DOM to go to QF. the other group's two losers (that did not advance to QF) were SRB and TUR, remember?
matthias, i think THA names are always written with prenom (first name) first, then family (last name), 2nd. but i think it's easier sometimes to just say the easiest, shorter name. so i myself might refer to onuma sittirak as onuma, whereas apinyapong wilavan is for me, wilavan (because it's easier). 
same with ajcharaporn kongyot. kongyot is easier...
thatdao is her first name, last name is nuekjang, (i think).
btw, thai shirt names are, like the brazilians, with their given/first/prenom.
why do people always compare black players to other black players? i really don't see how you can compare plak to egonu, they are so different. why is there always a discussion of egonu, hodge, sylla, plak etc.? i'm surprised you haven't compared them to rivero or garay, or the cubans yet.
why do they always have the weakest 2 teams in the same group (ARG and CMR)? last time it was ALG and GBR, and that group was also the weakest, making it easier for JPN and DOM to go to QF. the other group's two losers (that did not advance to QF) were SRB and TUR, remember?
They're using the serpentine system.
why do they always have the weakest 2 teams in the same group (ARG and CMR)? last time it was ALG and GBR, and that group was also the weakest, making it easier for JPN and DOM to go to QF. the other group's two losers (that did not advance to QF) were SRB and TUR, remember?
In 2012 GB was seeded as number 1 team due to hosting, that caused the uneven grouping in a "domino effect". This time it's because Argentina has a relatively high ranking, and this is because they get a lot of points from being 2nd in their continent (we have discussed this bad aspect of the ranking before in the forum).