Women's World Grand Prix 2017


  • thx..she was fast and technically a good left-handed player


    She was captain for a while, had great energy, and I thought she was very good. Is this more Chinese drama behind this?


    There was talk about Zhang Changning earlier. Would like to know her situation. The question if she is a world class player is easily answered if you watch her play, imho.

  • Dutch crowd seems on the side of DOM here. Nail biter

  • Japan's time-outs totally confuse me with Ferhat doing the talking


    Yeah it's weird and I don't like it. It's not their culture.

  • I wanted a tiebreak, but bravo to the Dominican girls, especially Jineiry! She pulled through this last set after Brayelin got injured.


  • She was captain for a while, had great energy, and I thought she was very good. Is this more Chinese drama behind this?


    There was talk about Zhang Changning earlier. Would like to know her situation. The question if she is a world class player is easily answered if you watch her play, imho.

    Zeng was bad during 2016 Olympics selection process. She hit the antenna
    3 times in a row in a game during 2016 WGP. No way Lang Ping would
    choose an inexperienced Gong Xiangyu and injury prone Yang Fangxu over
    her if she had good form. It was just bad luck I guess.


    Regarding Zhang Changning, coach An said she sustained a leg injury during practice but hoped she could play in the finals.


  • She was captain for a while, had great energy, and I thought she was very good. Is this more Chinese drama behind this?


    There was talk about Zhang Changning earlier. Would like to know her situation. The question if she is a world class player is easily answered if you watch her play, imho.


    she(changning) could be a very good player im not against her..but we should have known much about her till now if she was worldclass player ..winning the mvps of the local league is important but One's being called worldclass first requires being known worldwide with one's game...she could be in the future or not ..time will tell but..f.e. Zhu Ting is a world class player for sure..

  • I didn't follow japanese league so much, but isn't it Nakada's style to do it that way? It is very strange, but we don't know how they divided their roles. Maybe she is this type, which prefers do not talk to players during the match for whatever reasons, lol.


  • You just pointed out the hard facts :-) barring any upset I guess the Netherlands team will make up the 6th berth in the Final Six, but the strongest contenders to win there will be the host, China, Serbia and the USA. Among the European teams nowadays only Serbia, Russia and the Netherlands that are really strong steams... in that order. To what I know the Italian team was lastly considered as strong in the 2014 World Championship that it hosted. So let's see whether this tournament will show some different outcomes :D


    Btw for me it's a surprise, an upset that Bulgarian team was able to beat the South Korean one. And it will be quite interesting to watch either team among ITA-TUR-GER-BEL vs JPN... wanna see how good the Asian 2nd in rank vs those EUR teams :D (tho last year in WOQT in Tokyo, ITA already proved that it's stronger than JPN).


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

  • Brazil are a different story though. I fear that this generation will see the end of Brazil as one of the true superpowers of volleyball. They are still a good team of course and can still improve but I don't really like what I see from this team so far.

    Well this reminds me of Brazil when we have Sheila and company being the new players and they were not playing at their best yet. That were the worst years. Yet look at the coming years. They have a great coach.
    I'm not worried because these team esp Rosamaria, Carol, Bia, Edinara, Drussyla will develop in time. Also Thaisa will be available once she recovers from her injuries.


    Haters gonna hate but Brazil will bounce back they are still getting their groove.

  • I didn't follow japanese league so much, but isn't it Nakada's style to do it that way? It is very strange, but we don't know how they divided their roles. Maybe she is this type, which prefers do not talk to players during the match for whatever reasons, lol.


    Or... Nakada Kumi is simply a titular head coach in the JPN NT (call it a typical face saving, Japanese style), with the officially 2nd assistant coach, Akbas Ferhat, as the real driver, the one who actually guides the JPN NT at present :D it's strange to see the head coach being nearly silent throughout the time-outs.


    Or..., is Nakada training Ferhat like Guidetti trained his assistant when he still took care of NED team as seen in the 2016 Montreux VM? :-) LOL


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

  • Serbian MB are stronger than brazilians in this match so far, in block and attack.
    Good job

    lets just hope Thaisa recovers fast because the team needs her. This is a very young team. reminds me the time Brazil had Luciana Nascimento, Sheilla, Paula, Sassa's first years in the NT.

  • I didn't follow japanese league so much, but isn't it Nakada's style to do it that way? It is very strange, but we don't know how they divided their roles. Maybe she is this type, which prefers do not talk to players during the match for whatever reasons, lol.


    It's subtle, but from what I've seen of the Japanese coaching style, and this is one of the reasons I like them, is that the coach coaches until the game starts, then it's up to the players. The Japanese huddles often have these data people with tablets giving data points or something, but as far as anyone acting like they have inherent authority over the players, nada. Sure the coach will do coachy things like make substitutions, etc. (like they did today by taking Koga off the court because she has trouble with big blockers--I assume), but as far as telling them stuff they don't already know, or trying to psychologically motivate them by expressing displeasure, frustration or anger, like so many of these grumpy old men who coach women's teams do, never. (I don't think Ferhat is actually doing that, yet, but he/they better make sure they keep that in check. That's what I mean by "it's not their culture".)


  • Or... Nakada Kumi is simply a titular head coach in the JPN NT (call it a typical face saving, Japanese style), with the officially 2nd assistant coach, Akbas Ferhat, as the real driver, the one who actually guides the JPN NT at present :D it's strange to see the head coach being nearly silent throughout the time-outs.


    Or..., is Nakada training Ferhat like Guidetti trained his assistant when he still took care of NED team as seen in the 2016 Montreux VM? :-) LOL


    But there was also a point in the media where it was said that Akbas is the head coach, you guys remember that? I don't think it was a mistake, but we dont know to roles maybe it will get clear by week by week or match.

  • Martinez suddenly fainted on the volleyball court after 6-6 in set 4 (DOM vs JPN), and the game was interrupted for 15 minutes. It looks really scary. Let's hope she would recover soon.

  • lets just hope Thaisa recovers fast because the team needs her. This is a very young team. reminds me the time Brazil had Luciana Nascimento, Sheilla, Paula, Sassa's first years in the NT.

    Sorry, but Brazil is far from a "very young team". Roberta is 27, Tandara 28, Natalia 28, Rosamaria 23, Adenizia 30, Carol 26, Bia 25, Suelen 29. How is that a young team? :white: Rosamaria can be considered "young" but the only real young ones for me are Edinara and Drussyla at 21, and for now they don't have a big role.

  • she(changning) could be a very good player im not against her..but we should have known much about her till now if she was worldclass player ..winning the mvps of the local league is important but One's being called worldclass first requires being known worldwide with one's game...she could be in the future or not ..time will tell but..f.e. Zhu Ting is a world class player for sure..


    Point taken. She's not Zhu (or KYK, for that matter)
    But trust me on this :teach: ;) If Zhu Ting wasn't on the team I think you'd probably have heard more of Zhang. It's hard to rise up when someone of Zhu's quality is the limelight. Or .... she may just crash and burn. She doesn't seem to be well liked among the fans I know, maybe a bit of an attitude problem, which often contributes to one's fame or not fame.
    :drink:

  • Sorry, but Brazil is far from a "very young team". Roberta is 27, Tandara 28, Natalia 28, Rosamaria 23, Adenizia 30, Carol 26, Bia 25, Suelen 29. How is that a young team? :white: Rosamaria can be considered "young" but the only real young ones for me are Edinara and Drussyla at 21, and for now they don't have a big role.


    lol