Italy - Serie A1 2015/16

  • Congrats Conegliano, they did play suberb this Finals, and well all season long to be honest.


    It is a pitty the team will likely disaolve for next season...cause it would be nice to see this team playing Champions League.


    Robinson played really high level, Its impressive to think she has only two year as a professional athlete...I mean, really surreal! She has so much potential.


    Id say USA starts looking good for Olympics after this end of club season.... Larson, Hill, Robinson, all playing in really good level...

  • 2 years professional, plus 4 years in college, plus years in high school.


    and NCAA ( the name for the college league), is actually really strong,there`s 100 or more colleges playing women`s volleyball, and they spent 4 years not only playing plus trainning really hard, and learning a lot and especially mentaly. ........and by the time they are done with college they are alreday 21/22 years old, and have played a lot and learned a lot.


    Im sure in a lot of countries, they dont have the same support (a.k.a financial) to raise athetes like in the USA.


    And for example, in countries like Turkey and Italy that has a strong league, and has talented young girls part of big clubs, but they rarely get a chance to play, they spend part of the season on the bench, and they dont get enough attention to delevop their skills and learn....



  • Well I partialy agree with you... Playing in college sure is a good experience and helps them improve, but I think other countries produce athletes at much younger age and they start playing internationally much younger. It's one thing to play against 19-22 year old girls and another to play against and with world stars. For example China has Zhu Ting who is 21 and she already has WCH silver under her belt, and has played as starter for 2 years.. They also had Wang Yimei at the age of 20 playing the Olympics. Italy has Egonu who is 17, they had Bosetti and the age of 18 playing last Olympics.


    My point is other players start playing internationally and in clubs against much better players than them, and can learn from them a lot. Imagine how it feels receiving Thaisa's serves or blocking Akinradewo rather than being the best with girls your age.. However playing in college also has it's good sides.

  • The primary benefit of the college system in the USA is that we have thousands and thousands of girls playing much longer. In Europe, if a girl is not thought of as an elite prospect, she will probably quit volleyball and go to university at age 17-18, whereas in USA a girl will continue to play so she can get some scholarship. Late bloomers, such as Karsta Lowe (who was NOT thought of highly as a 17 year old) never would have kept playing long enough to become a professional player. A player like Robinson, who was viewed as a libero prospect (in fact, she came into the USA gym as that) would have focused on that and never developed as a receiver-attacker. This also contributes significantly to Team USA's depth. In Italy, a small number of prospects are concentrated on by their mid-teens and one or two injuries can derail an entire generation of prospects.
    The downside, of course, is that prospects do not start getting significant international experience until they are 22. It is a trade-off, but I think USA is enjoying the benefits of its depth right now.

  • You said it right.
    Also Boskovic was 16 or 17 at the WCH, and a starter, if she was american she would just be playing in High School and now still be in college, and what I shame would that be.

    Well I partialy agree with you... Playing in college sure is a good experience and helps them improve, but I think other countries produce athletes at much younger age and they start playing internationally much younger. It's one thing to play against 19-22 year old girls and another to play against and with world stars. For example China has Zhu Ting who is 21 and she already has WCH silver under her belt, and has played as starter for 2 years.. They also had Wang Yimei at the age of 20 playing the Olympics. Italy has Egonu who is 17, they had Bosetti and the age of 18 playing last Olympics.


    My point is other players start playing internationally and in clubs against much better players than them, and can learn from them a lot. Imagine how it feels receiving Thaisa's serves or blocking Akinradewo rather than being the best with girls your age.. However playing in college also has it's good sides.

  • You actually made the point that I wanted to make... olololo, thank u.


    And also, USA women`s is at their best right now, it was never like this before, especially in club`s where the americans never had sucess like they are having now. But reaching to the top is esay comparing to how hard is to stay at the top.


    The downside, of course, is that prospects do not start getting significant international experience until they are 22. It is a trade-off, but I think USA is enjoying the benefits of its depth right now.


    And that is one topic that they finally realized and are working on it now, like now they select some players and make 2 teams and in the summer they go to CHina and Europe so they can gain some international experience. If im right Nebraska went to play in China last summer ( and as result they won the tittle)..

    The primary benefit of the college system in the USA is that we have thousands and thousands of girls playing much longer. In Europe, if a girl is not thought of as an elite prospect, she will probably quit volleyball and go to university at age 17-18, whereas in USA a girl will continue to play so she can get some scholarship. Late bloomers, such as Karsta Lowe (who was NOT thought of highly as a 17 year old) never would have kept playing long enough to become a professional player. A player like Robinson, who was viewed as a libero prospect (in fact, she came into the USA gym as that) would have focused on that and never developed as a receiver-attacker. This also contributes significantly to Team USA's depth. In Italy, a small number of prospects are concentrated on by their mid-teens and one or two injuries can derail an entire generation of prospects.
    The downside, of course, is that prospects do not start getting significant international experience until they are 22. It is a trade-off, but I think USA is enjoying the benefits of its depth right now.

  • Congrats to Conegliano. They simply deserved it and they built their success through out the year, gaining victories after victories. Robinson played superb, Ortolani is in great shape and also Arrighetti is coming back to a good shape. Congrats to Mazzanti but all the team is really strong as he pointed out yesterday.
    Now I only want Sere in NT.. :heart: