2018 FIVB World Championship - Japan

  • Cate is so weak in attack...I don't think she will ever shine in an international level.

  • What Italy did to Belgium! Egonu is on fire

  • I dont know which one is worse, Italy playing a terribly boring volleyball relying only on Egonu's shoulders or Belgium not being able to stop her? Italy has to come up with more variations than Egonu being the only option in not only crucial moments but any moment in a rally, this will turn out as a nightmare when they play against better blocking/defending teams.

  • Congrats Italy! I think BEL will have hard time to qualify.. Bulgaria and The Netherlands seems to be stronger.

  • This "new" Italy is a pleasure to watch. Great block-defense coordination and Malinov does a wonderful job in distribution, knowing Egonu is always there to do the dirty work but using her MBs extremely well. Folie and Chirichella both can hit all variations of MB attacks which of course makes the setter's life easier.


    If this team grows together for a few years and adds some more strong players, they'll be among the best in the world by 2020.

  • I dont know which one is worse, Italy playing a terribly boring volleyball relying only on Egonu's shoulders or Belgium not being able to stop her? Italy has to come up with more variations than Egonu being the only option in not only crucial moments but any moment in a rally, this will turn out as a nightmare when they play against better blocking/defending teams.

    :white: We must have watched different matches. Of course Egonu was there in difficult moments, but I think Malinov did a very good job playing around her too.

  • :white: We must have watched different matches. Of course Egonu was there in difficult moments, but I think Malinov did a very good job playing around her too.

    I think Malinov did the simplest thing, set to anywhere you like but when it matters, set to the person who can kill the ball: Egonu. I could actually tell it in advance everytime she set to Egonu. Belgium had nothing to stop her today, so I think it will be more interesting to watch Italy when someone can actually stop Egonu.

  • Yes, that's right, but Egonu just can't be stopped easily. Of course it doesn't help her to have the Bosettis on 4 who do a great job in defense but won't kill many balls...

    Exactly. Since it gets obvious that she gets all these critical balls, I wonder how she will pass a Russian block for example. She sure is a smart attacker and goes hard around the block instead of going over it, which also surprised me because Courteis got so many hits around her, same for Van de Vyver that they couldnt dig.

  • Well Egonu hits from a height and with a force that you don't encounter that often in women's volleyball, so if you're not used to it it's hard to find the right position in defense. I'm also curious to see this Italy against world class opponents but it will only make them grow. I think they have great potential.

  • Lucia Bosetti is so solid in defence. She was great tonight.
    I love also the connection between Malinov and Folie. Malinov is SO MUCH better than Orro, I think she will become one of the best and most complete setters worldwide.. even more complete than Naz and Lloyd.

  • If Malinov, Guerra, Danesi and others spend another season on the bench , it will definitely not be enough, they will never catch up, because all the NT players from the teams you mentioned play as starter full time in their clubs.

    I'm not sure this game will be enough for Italy NT to play against NT like Brazil, Usa, China and Russia :whistling:

  • The teams are not ready. As someone mentioned before, the timing of this tournement is completely wrong. After finishing the club season and starting immidiately with an important tournement like this is wrong. Any team today obviously the 2 favourites of each group can grow and become better in the ECH.
    To be honest the best example of this is the match Turkey - Bulgaria this could have ended different. I am looking forward to the ECH where Russia Bulgaria & Turkey are in the same group. For sure Russia will be the favourite but who knows?


    We could have got different scores in a different timing.

  • If Malinov, Guerra, Danesi and others spend another season on the bench , it will definitely not be enough, they will never catch up, because all the NT players from the teams you mentioned play as starter full time in their clubs.


    I'm agreed with you but I still think Italy need OH like Piccinini. I really want Mazzanti gives a chance to Guerra for playing in Grand Prix. Guerra has so problem her receive is not as good as Piccinini and also she doesnt seem fast, about her attack I think it is ok now but she is too young and I do hope Mazzanti doesnt plan to keep her bench during whole season of NT. I'm sure if Gui was a coach of Italy NT and maybe he could replace Bosetti with Sorokaite. I think Mazzanti has to check all possible variants.

  • I'm not sure this game will be enough for Italy NT to play against NT like Brazil, Usa, China, Serbia and Russia :whistling:


    Of course it's not, but Mazzanti has never claimed the team to be such strong. Not for a (long) while, at least.
    Obviously that doesn't mean it's impossible to win vs these teams sometimes, but in general we are behind.


    BTW, I think that in the future he may try others assessment: now the priority was to have a team as strong and functional as possible for the WCh qualification, so no time for experiment.
    To have more power in attack Egonu-Diouf duo in court could be an option against certain teams (but I'm afraid that with both on court the team is too weak in defense). Sorokaite as OH (or pop, with Egonu OH) may be another solution, Guerra another one (may be not in the close future). Or may be Sylla (which I don't love).
    In the GP list even Ortolani is there (but I don't think she will join the NT :()
    Guerra wasn't fine so for this tournament I don't think she was a real option at all.


    Ps Malinov and Danesi will be titular the next year, Same for Egonu, Orro, Parrocchiale. I don't know about Guerra yet.
    I'm afraid Bonifacio won't, though.

  • 2018 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship qualification (AVC)
    20–24 SEPTEMBER 2017


    The Asian section of the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship qualification acts as qualifiers for the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship, to be held in Japan, for national teams which are members of the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC). A total of 4+1 slots (4 DIRECT SLOTS and 1 host slot) in the final tournament are available for AVC teams.


    Second round
    The top seven ranked teams from FIVB World Ranking as of 1 January 2015 qualified automatically for this round. The top six ranked teams seeded by the serpentine system. The other four teams will be drawn.


    POOL A - Venue: Kazakhstan [20-24 SEP 2017]
    1. China
    2. Kazakhstan
    3. Chinese Taipei
    4. Australia
    5. Fiji

    POOL B - Venue: Thailand [20-24 SEP 2017]
    1. South Korea
    2. Thailand
    3. Vietnam
    4. Iran
    5. North Korea


    -----------


    The Asian Top-4 from this WCQT most likely [ 99% :P ] are CHN KOR THA KAZ. Don't think TPE or VIE is able to create any upset.


    “There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.”

    Edited once, last by samsara ().

  • Yes, they played at 2013 universiade. I remember the coach who was yelling:D