- Christiane Fürst and Jelena Nikolic (not absolutely sure about her but I think) have played all ECH tournaments since 2003
Yes, Nikolic did. Maja Ognjenovic almost did too, she was on wide roster in 2003, but ultimately didn't make the cut.
I think there should be play-off matches for places 5-8 when there's something substantial at stake, like direct qualification for the next ECh.
Poland was 3rd in 2009
in 3rd place match Poles beat Germany 3-0
Right, sorry I deleted this match from my mind 
I think there should be play-off matches for places 5-8 when there's something substantial at stake, like direct qualification for the next ECh.
I agree, I think the last time there were actual matches for 5-8 was in 2005. Of course it would be additional travelling etc for some teams, and many are not motivated to play these matches, but it would be a fairer solution.
I'm not too thrilled about this competition format. If Belgium had lost yesterday, and they were quite close to it, it would mean they only played 4 matches at the entire tournament. That's too little.
Blink and you miss it.
On the other hand you have tournaments like GP final where you play 5 matches in 5 days... Volleyball calendar needs to be more streamlined.
Looking at the Top 4 teams shows how important stable conditions are for being successful. Serbia and Germany have had the same coach and basically the same roster with minor changes for many years, and even though there have been times when things did not go too great, the coaches always kept their jobs and success proves them right.
Belgium never had too great results before, but they have been doing good work on youth level in the last decade and their federation has been working on creating professional conditions for their NTs lately. Their coach also is there since several years, so now they are beginning to get something back for their long term work.
Russia is the only team where the coach change has had very good effects. Marichev has done good work overall, he managed to make the team play the way he wants and I have the impression that the team as a whole works very well.
CZE and NED are other teams that will surely be successful over the next years if they continue the way they have started. Both teams have a lot of good young players, they need to go on working hard and then they'll be very good in 2-3 years.
About Italy...I don't think Mencarelli himself is a problem. Italy had to make a new start finally with a new team, and even though they could have done better, their results this year are not so important. Italy can't rely on the same old players forever, even though they might return for next year. I think if they give Mencarelli the chance to continue his work, Italy will be better again in 2-3 years as well.
About Turkey...of all teams, they were the most hurt by missing players. I don't want to talk about the reasons why several players weren't there because there are too many rumors, let's just take it as fact that Esra, Neriman, Eda and Gülden weren't there. As a consequence, Gözde was the only real OH of the team. Seda as a player who is more suited for OPP did a fairly good job overall, but Güldeniz as backup was a nightmare. With Esra and Neriman as alternatives, Turkey could have done MUCH better in this tournament. Their MBs were strongly criticised but I agree only in part. I think Bahar did a decent job overall, Büsra had some good scenes too but overall is not a player good enough for a Top 4 team. A healthy Eda might have helped...but overall, I think also here it is not fair blaming Barbolini for the way the team performed (ignoring everything that might have been going on in background), with this roster they wouldn't have played better with another coach either...
Poland is also missing many important players: Werblińska (OH), Skowrońska (OH) Bednarek (MB), Tomsia (MB), Skorupa (S), Bełcik (S), Kowalińska (Żebrowska) (OP/OH), Strasz (L) and so on... Problem is also too often changes of head coach. Świdrek shouldn't be fired overall, because team did a good job during Olympic qualification and lost in final vs. Turkey. He had a view for this team and also wanted to focus on wider range of players, giving them opportunity to play in European League. Unfortunately PZPS thinks only about money and they don't care much about female's volley 
now we have Makowski and we saw this collapse 
we didn't have real OH there, none from Różycka, Kasprzak, Sieczka did enough to be named as complete OH. Kasia was overused during WGP, she shouldn't flight to China. As a result she was tired and had some problems with arm, that's also the reason for her weaker performance as it was in Grand Prix. Also libero Maj wasn't as good as in previous years, why the hell Medyńska wasn't tried at least in one game?! And of course setter, Wołosz has potential and she proved it again, but she needs better support/substitution and Radecka showed us why she is still without club 
Bełcik or Skorupa should be there, the same with Ela Skowrońska or Strasz. The best impression on me made except Wołosz, MB Maja Tokarska.
Rússia! 
Pasynkova - Kosheleva - Obmochaeva!
Kondzio, I completely agree with you about Poland! Another bad example for coach change...
Poland is also missing many important players: Werblińska (OH), Skowrońska (OH) Bednarek (MB), Tomsia (MB), Skorupa (S), Bełcik (S), Kowalińska (Żebrowska) (OP/OH), Strasz (L) and so on... Problem is also too often changes of head coach. Świdrek shouldn't be fired overall, because team did a good job during Olympic qualification and lost in final vs. Turkey. He had a view for this team and also wanted to focus on wider range of players, giving them opportunity to play in European League. Unfortunately PZPS thinks only about money and they don't care much about female's volley
I agree 
maybe these are the key player for their sucess...
With them Poland could reach to F4 
Russia vs Serbia matches from 2006
World Championships
2010 RUS - SRB = 3-0
Olympic Games
2008 RUS - SRB = 3-0
World Grand Prix
2011 RUS - SRB = 3-2
2011 RUS - SRB = 1-3
2011 RUS - SRB = 0-3
Olympic Games Qualification
2008 RUS - SRB = 3-1
2012 RUS - SRB = 3-1 (European tournament)
2012 RUS - SRB = 3-1 (World tournament)
World Grand Prix Qualification
2006 RUS - SRB = 3-2
2007 RUS - SRB = 2-3
2008 RUS - SRB = 3-1
Montreux Volley Masters
2007 RUS - SRB = 1-3
TOT = 12
RUS = 8
SRB = 4
Acording to Serbia press, they are qualified for WGP 2014 and 2015.
Also Russia qualified for next years World GRand Prix.
Besides Belgium and The Netherlans (hosts), Germany, Russia, Serbia, Croatia and Italy are already qualified for 2015 Ech Final Round.
How many teams from Europe will play in 2014 World Grand Prix? This year 9 teams played and Germany,Belgium,Russia,Serbia,Poland will play next year. There is still no news from FIVB 
About Italy...I don't think Mencarelli himself is a problem. Italy had to make a new start finally with a new team, and even though they could have done better, their results this year are not so important. Italy can't rely on the same old players forever, even though they might return for next year. I think if they give Mencarelli the chance to continue his work, Italy will be better again in 2-3 years as well.
Am I the only one here totally and completely 100% disappointed with Italian NT this summer? Everyone seems to be optimistic about them. I don't understand some things. If there was an idea to start with new players, why Costagrande is still very much a key player? And even though she hasn't been doing a good job, she was kept on court all of the time. Arighetti - I'm speechless here. I always thought that she's kind of shemale and has to be tested for testosterone injections, but after yesterday's game, I see - there's no need for any tests. You just have to take a look at her(?). Does she recognize at all that her teammates are trying their hardest as well. Does she care about team spirit? The answer is NO, she doesn't. With this kind of players scandals will always appear in the team , it's inevitable. So why is she playing and young and promising Folie doesn't. Also Martina Guiggi, I used to like her, but let's be honest - she's not on the level now. Get rid of those 3, they are no help. And even if they are now, they won't be tomorrow. So Signorile had no other option but to give many balls to Diouf. And she's not ready yet to take that much of responsibility, she's one-dimensional, she has no technic, she has to learn so much to be on the level on the best opp. in the world. So I think that Mencarelli's efforts were not enough, he has to search more, to try more players, more combinations. Italy is doing very well at junior level for some years now, there got to be talents missed. If Italy continues to go the way it has done this summer, I think they are at risque to be drop from world elite.
many teams from Europe
All infos here: Wikipedia: World Grand Prix 2014
That is old article. FIVB will change format and name.
Display MoreLooking at the Top 4 teams shows how important stable conditions are for being successful. Serbia and Germany have had the same coach and basically the same roster with minor changes for many years, and even though there have been times when things did not go too great, the coaches always kept their jobs and success proves them right.
Belgium never had too great results before, but they have been doing good work on youth level in the last decade and their federation has been working on creating professional conditions for their NTs lately. Their coach also is there since several years, so now they are beginning to get something back for their long term work.
Russia is the only team where the coach change has had very good effects. Marichev has done good work overall, he managed to make the team play the way he wants and I have the impression that the team as a whole works very well.
CZE and NED are other teams that will surely be successful over the next years if they continue the way they have started. Both teams have a lot of good young players, they need to go on working hard and then they'll be very good in 2-3 years.
About Italy...I don't think Mencarelli himself is a problem. Italy had to make a new start finally with a new team, and even though they could have done better, their results this year are not so important. Italy can't rely on the same old players forever, even though they might return for next year. I think if they give Mencarelli the chance to continue his work, Italy will be better again in 2-3 years as well.
About Turkey...of all teams, they were the most hurt by missing players. I don't want to talk about the reasons why several players weren't there because there are too many rumors, let's just take it as fact that Esra, Neriman, Eda and Gülden weren't there. As a consequence, Gözde was the only real OH of the team. Seda as a player who is more suited for OPP did a fairly good job overall, but Güldeniz as backup was a nightmare. With Esra and Neriman as alternatives, Turkey could have done MUCH better in this tournament. Their MBs were strongly criticised but I agree only in part. I think Bahar did a decent job overall, Büsra had some good scenes too but overall is not a player good enough for a Top 4 team. A healthy Eda might have helped...but overall, I think also here it is not fair blaming Barbolini for the way the team performed (ignoring everything that might have been going on in background), with this roster they wouldn't have played better with another coach either...
I agree. You know in the beginning I was so supportive of the idea about Esra not being in NT, because Guldeniz already performed good in Vakif, she is younger and I wrote somewhere that she she could do the same job if not better in attack and serve as Esra. And I was right in the beginning.. now I disagree with myself. Esra was needed. Guldeniz was awful at reception and defense.. she did not do her job..
Also about Seda. I wrote that she was doing that attacking-OH job better than Neriman would in terms of passing and she was having good attacking numbers.. And the during this ECH she started shanking balls around the court, the she hit repetedly into Russian block.. then Neriman was also needed..
Have you got any types for individual awards? I suppose that only players from Top 4 teams will get them.
Potetnial candidates:
MVP (depends mostly on winner): Joavana Brakocevic/Tatiana Kosheleva/Margareta Kozuch (or Christiane Fürst)/Charlotte Leys
Best Opposite: Natalya Obmochaeva/Jovana Brakocevic
Best Outside Hitters: Tatiana Kosheleva/Charlotte Leys/Jelena Nikolic/Maren Brinker
Best Middle Blockers: Christiane Fürst/Yulia Morozova/Freya Aelbrecht/Milena Rasic
Best Setter: Ekaterina Pankova/Frauke Dirickx/Maja Ognjenovic/Kathleen Weiss
Best Libero: Suzana Cebic/Lenka Dürr/Valerie Courtois/Svetlana Kryuchkova
My types:
MVP: Kosheleva (she deserves it with 72 
% positive reception and 53% spike)
OPP: hard to decide, depends on performance in semifinals/finals, both are good candidates
OH: Kosheleva, Leys
MB: Fürst, Morozova
S: Ognjenovic (rest didn't impress me mcuh)
L: hard to decide, best receiver is Kryuchkova, though she plays with Malova, I'd choose Courtois or Dürr
Of course many things can happen in last two games, but choices are based on performances and stats from all games 
Is CEV also using that new award system?
I would also consider Kozuch as best OPP, she has been playing a really good tournament so far!
Is CEV also using that new award system?
I don't know, but they can use it
If they don't use, using only Top teams (in brackets best overall if it's other) it looks that:
Best Scorer: Joavana Brakocevic (Aneta Havlickova)
Best Spiker: Tatiana Kosheleva
Best Server: Corina Ssuchke-Voigt
Best Blocker: Yulia Morozova
Best Receiver (Pos.%): Tatiana Kosheleva (Gizem Karadayi)
Digger, Setter and Libero ranking were impossible to create
BEST ECH Team:
S: Ognjenovic / Diricks
OPP: Fabris
OH: Kosheleva, Leys
MB: Furst, Rasic
L: Cebic
WORST ECH Team:
S: Stoltenberg / Signorile
OPP: Tumas
OH: Rozycka, C.Bosetti 
MB: Plchotova, Parkhomenko
L: Knip