Women's World Grand Prix 2017

  • I think China is trying to screw with Japan a little....right now it is almost 11pm in China.....Japan will play against Serbia tomorrow at 1pm.


    China is just making sure Japan gets no rest at all....


    :rolll: that's mean
    I think Japan has a deep bench so they'll be ok

  • Where is Zhang for China?? This team is not the same without her... I think there is also a middle player missing...

  • Zhang is on the injured list.

  • That was my initial thought. I think she's there for reception. Nakada likes receivers

  • A mirror of the junior squads game. CHN 3-1 JPN

  • Shimamura middle blocker High scorer for Japan with 21. :)


  • What a great miss and a great pity if it happens... to miss the semifinals after so much the efforts being poured in!


    And I don't get it, what's the real problem indeed? Is the schedule too tight? No earlier flight from Brazil to Australia???


    I hope the Venezuelan team will make the match... outcome should not be decided by a forfeit :box: :bump:


    Update: according to the article, there are many factors that made up the problems (from the economic to political ones, from coordination, anticipation to the less flight connection between Venezuela to Australia... a combination of all these matters make the half-over-the-globe trip is really difficult for them. Poor Venezuelan team.


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

    Edited once, last by samsara ().

  • For MB, Gao Yi has potential to grow but is so dumb (sorry) and slow right now. Will be happy if she can improve herself to Kubra's level (Kubra is still a bit slow but she's clever :rose: )


    For wing spikers:
    Gong Xiangyu is so bad in attack. But it seems no other Chinese opposite can do better than her (except Changning who usually plays OH though)
    Liu Xiaotong i loved her form in Kunshan but apparently she's not feeling her best right now.
    Li Jing has improved but still so mediocre.
    Can't wait for Zhang Changning's return in the Grand Prix Final!

  • The end of BUL-PUR must have been the worst 5 minutes of volleyball this year :aww:
    First Valentin screwed up literally every ball she touched after being up 24:21 and then Bulgaria destroyed their comeback with a series of own errors. That foot fault of Stoyanova on a jump float was...I don't know how to describe. A total blackout :|

  • For MB, Gao Yi has potential to grow but is so dumb (sorry) and slow right now. Will be happy if she can improve herself to Kubra's level (Kubra is still a bit slow but she's clever :rose: )


    For wing spikers:
    Gong Xiangyu is so bad in attack. But it seems no other Chinese opposite can do better than her (except Changning who usually plays OH though)
    Liu Xiaotong i loved her form in Kunshan but apparently she's not feeling her best right now.
    Li Jing has improved but still so mediocre.
    Can't wait for Zhang Changning's return in the Grand Prix Final!


    Don't be so harsh to Gao Yi (just 19), she's quite new to the NT level and just gains some international exposure in senior level in this WGP... dumb is not the appropriate qualifier for her :-) and since Gao plays more than the other also young MB: Wang Yuanyuan in this tournament, I think the coaching team must see something in her or seeking out some purposes.


    Gong Xiangyu is not that bad, just not stellar during this WGP tournament, she's somehow rather lackluster in this tournament. But Qian Jingwen is able to sub her indeed.
    Liu Xiaotong seems to run out of gas, seems to be decreasing in performance from week to week... she started great at the 1st week :-)
    Li Jing, well I think she's quite opportune for this tournament, out of respect for her many year of services with the NT team... just can't see her playing in bigger tournaments: WCh, WC, 2020 OG. Players like her, Zheng Yixin, Wang Yunlu... may not get into the final roster list for those more important competitions. They are all quite suitable for this WGP, at least during the early weeks :D


    HOWEVER, because NANJING will host the FINALS ROUND, it's hard to expect the Chinese team will work out very hard in early weeks... just no real things to chase in the early stage (except perhaps the new coach's own image :P !?? I can guess that if Lang were seating there, she might have explored all kinds of combination, at least in the early weeks, for she could care less to prove anything in early rounds.)


    Well, chance is Zhang Changning may join the team in Nanjing, let's see then... I'm also curious to see her play in intl event after Rio.


    But frankly I have stopped expecting to see the whole real pictures in any WGP level incl. the finals round knowing its true nature... this is just more resembling to another large fun party as well as the testing ground for all the world's major teams (of course of greater scale compared to the small Montreux one :dance6: :dance4: )... yeah, just a fun party more for entertainment and great to fill in FIVB's coffer yet lacks of the true valuable trophy :lol: therefore I've been refraining from making any strong verdict from this kind of tournament :whistling:


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

  • Would be easier for to just say you absolutely hate the whole Chinese Team.

    For MB, Gao Yi has potential to grow but is so dumb (sorry) and slow right now. Will be happy if she can improve herself to Kubra's level (Kubra is still a bit slow but she's clever :rose: )


    For wing spikers:
    Gong Xiangyu is so bad in attack. But it seems no other Chinese opposite can do better than her (except Changning who usually plays OH though)
    Liu Xiaotong i loved her form in Kunshan but apparently she's not feeling her best right now.
    Li Jing has improved but still so mediocre.
    Can't wait for Zhang Changning's return in the Grand Prix Final!

  • Samanta Fabrid playing as OH and Luketic is OPP for Cro.

  • Don't be so harsh to Gao Yi (just 19), she's quite new to the NT level and just gains some international exposure in senior level in this WGP... dumb is not the appropriate qualifier for her :-) and since Gao plays more than the other also young MB: Wang Yuanyuan in this tournament, I think the coaching team must see something in her or seeking out some purposes.

    My bad :lol: I mentioned Gao Yi because I believe she has great potential to become a regular starting MB for China. Indeed she doesn't have enough experience yet (not even played Chinese League i suppose) and she will have tons of opportunities to grow and improve.


    Strangely I'm not expecting that much from Wang Yuanyuan and Zheng Yixin. They can prove me wrong, though. In the meantime, hope Yang Hanyu can catch up soon.


    People (like me) tend to expect a lot more from Chinese NT now that they are Olympics champions but often forget how young some of the players are. For example, Gong Xiangyu only joined Chinese NT in 2016 so it's just her second year. Nontheless, I guess she will be the starting opposite for China during this olympic cycle so really hope she will become more stellar in the future.

  • Samanta Fabrid playing as OH and Luketic is OPP for Cro.


    Croatia probably wants to control Fresco who is a really tall opposite. Having a tall blocer like Fabris on the left side might help. Hopefully... their reception holds for them...

    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


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  • Both of these teams(CRO and ARG) can do better. :whistle:


    Just too many senseless mistakes. :white:
    To be quite frank, the p-word makes better entertainment than this match. :win:

    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