2018 FIVB Volleyball Women's Nations League

  • If Rasic is currently the best blocking MB, and Foluke currently the best attacking MB, was pre-injury Thaisa considered the best overall MB? Honorable mentions: Poljak, Eda, Furst and Fabiana if we count from London OG onwards..

  • i saw parts of BRA x SRB and THA x SRB. i thought mirkovic played well considering everything... blagojevic, busa and milenkovic all showed great promise, also MB popovic.


    funny how 2 disputed calls with video review were handled by coaches of SRB and THA. first, there was a block touch called against SRB (i guess the video technician -- don't know his exact title -- makes the determination of fault or not?) and the video review didn't show it clearly but the ruling of the video tech was upheld by the referee, and terzic wouldn't stop complaining and badgering the referees. later, a floor touch was called against THA and again the video review wasn't 100% clear but the THA coach just let it go and didn't argue.


    the thing is, in the block touch case, even though it wasn't clear, boskovic did not protest vehemently that she did not touch the ball...

  • Speaking of Russia in this tournament, Voronkova is playing really well she just needs to learn how to pass the block and not hit with power all the time. She will be Russia's other main weapon come WCH. Malykh it seems has learned to attack more efficiently in Position 4, and Parubets has improved her attacking as well but these two I think is still a question mark once they play against the big teams. Fetisova is still Russia's best blocking MB, and Efimova needs to improve her blocking but she is the most efficient in the slide. Romanova seems to have lost weight and it shows she is more quick in her setting but she needs to have a connection with her MBs more especially if the pass is usable. Talisheva is nothing special, but if Malova does not return I hope Kryuchkova gets invited back to WCH.

  • I like when a player comes clean ...and I see Tandara doing that a lot...whenever she touches the ball during a block she goes a ahead and raises her hand...so there`s no need to waste time with the challenge.


    I think it was the game against Brazil that Mina Popovic had a HUGE touch ....but then they asked for a challenge...that was so stupid...she should just come clean and let her coach that she touched the ball....

  • Speaking of Russia in this tournament, Voronkova is playing really well she just needs to learn how to pass the block and not hit with power all the time. She will be Russia's other main weapon come WCH. Malykh it seems has learned to attack more efficiently in Position 4, and Parubets has improved her attacking as well but these two I think is still a question mark once they play against the big teams. Fetisova is still Russia's best blocking MB, and Efimova needs to improve her blocking but she is the most efficient in the slide. Romanova seems to have lost weight and it shows she is more quick in her setting but she needs to have a connection with her MBs more especially if the pass is usable. Talisheva is nothing special, but if Malova does not return I hope Kryuchkova gets invited back to WCH.


    Voronkova looked really good, but I agree she needs to learn to not rely on power hits alone and change it up from time to time. Her strong spikes against a solid block will just come back at her even harder making it difficult to pick up. The Russian setter, Romanova was fast to react and set the balls well to her outside hitters and opposites. Malykh shows great promise, but will be hard to determine how well she maintains her skills if she will be the second opposite behind Goncharova.

  • who was the tall OH that kiraly used as libero last year? wilhite?



    guidetti only speaks in english to the girls, do they all know english well enough to understand him?

    Must be Megan Courtney.


    I think most Turkish girls do speak English well.

  • who was the tall OH that kiraly used as libero last year? wilhite?



    guidetti only speaks in english to the girls, do they all know english well enough to understand him?


    Yeah. There was also Megan Courtney, but if I remember correctly, he also moved her to the libero position.
    ETA: I misread your post, sorry. Yeah, it was Megan. Wilhite never played libero (yet...)

  • I`m watching the replay of Serbia vs Thai again and I realized that now they can challenge "floor touch" ...Mirkovic tipped a ball and ref gave Serbia the point, but Thai coach asked for challenge and it show that the ball touched the floor... and the same happened earlier with Bra vs Tur when Tandara attacked and the ball hit the floor, but the ref. did not call and they kept playing and Turkey won the point, but Ze Roberto went back and asked for the challenge and it showed the ball hit the floor.


    Unless I`m really out of the loop but I don`t remember "floor touch" as part of the Hawk Eye system before.

  • This subject came up earlier in this thread, and I’m not sure but I think maybe somebody posted to an official announcement about it. To the best of my knowledge, which is not a lot to go on, floor touch challenge debuted with the VNL.

  • sitenoise@
    that athletic OH from Toyota : Takahashi has played so far or in the roster of Japan ?


    btw..im watching Russia-Italy...Russian MB Efimova has a distinct swing ..i couldnt know how to define it : like tearing a piece of ice to pieces through a punch in one go :D

  • I think the biggest asset about Brazil is that they have the best team play I have seen so far on the tournament. Almost every single match, every single attacker come to play and scored double digits. Their opponent have no clue where the ball might go. They don't have the Zhu Ting or the Boskovic (well, Tandara is their main weapon but not to that extent). And I think much of it has to do with Roberta's brilliance.


    I've read here that some people think Roberta doesn't play with the middles a lot. But I think maybe that is her style, or maybe she reads the game like that. I really wish her the best of health so she can play more tournaments and improve her skills.


    Macris is a good back up, but I am missing Naiane. In 2015-2016 she was that next big thing. But Dani Lins is coming back, so these two will be at the disposals.


    And shout out to Thailand for NEVER FAILED to deliver interesting matches. Now that Nootsara is back, the trademark combination play and MBs surprise attacks is back.

  • sitenoise@
    that athletic OH from Toyota : Takahashi has played so far or in the roster of Japan ?


    She played a couple sets against Brazil and scored a few points but got cut from the roster this week.

  • yes, the ball touching the floor video review is new this time. but i don't think it's the hawk eye technology, that's only for ball in/out. the floor touch/pancake is a visual video replay, it seems.


    btw who's that bearded hipster dude that does some of the video review? he's .... yummy.

  • Brazil could play better if they keep Macris instead of Roberta. Roberta always forget to pass her MBs. She forced Tandara to attack more than needed. If she will insist on passing Tandara more and next games will be much harder for Brazil. I like Drussyla, she played well in attack although Eda forced her to make more wrongs on reception, she was good on my mind. I think Ze made a mistake to replace Ade with Carol. It was not Ade's fault, Roberta didn't play with her indeed.

    i think its ok. Ade must play as starter!!! Carol is ok but i dont think about her spikes!!!! Roberta should be starter; she cant set to middle blockers well because of the reception issue. Turkey played with strong serves..