Azerbaijani National team continue preparations for the European Championship Qualification!
Natalya MAMMADOVA joined the team. Oksana PARKHOMENKO, Polina RAHIMOVA and Kseniya KOVALENKO are recovering from the injuries and will be ready until the end of year but will not take part in Qualification matches.
After having some control matches with Odintsovo in Riga , Azerbaijani NT today met Slovakian NT in Baku.
The match ended 3-2 with the Azeri NT victory. Valeriya Korotenko, Yelena Parkhomenko, Natalya Mammadova and Odina Aliyeva did not play this match staying on the bench.
Starting six of Azerbaijan
Natavan GASIMOVA (setter) - Captain - 3 points (177 cm, 1985)
Katya KULIK (diogonal) - 17 points 69% (191 cm, 1989)
Jana MATIASOVKSA-AGHAYEVA (outside-hitter) - 21 points 49% ( 200cm, 1987)
Anastasiya GURBANOVA (Outside Hitters) - 20 points 59% (188 cm, 1989)
Aynur KARIMOVA (Middle blocker) - 9 points 88% (190 cm, 1988 )
Darya ZAMANOVA (Middle Blocker) - 10 points 57% (194 cm , 1987)
Oksana KISELYOVA (Libero) - (176 cm, 1992)
Slovakia:
Viestova - Soares 27 points
Radosova 17 pts - Bramborova 18 pts
Panchonova 11 pts - Crkonova 9 pts
The match was quite interesting. Totally different Azeri NT played very fast volleyball. Captain Natavan GASIMOVA as a setter led her team great and all the hitters had percentages of attack over 50%.
The style of playing of NT surprised me a lot! Match could end also 3-0 as Azeri NT were leading all the sets with 5-7 points but could not keep concentration untill the end!
Jana MATIASOVSKA- AGHAYEVA is the first debutant of NT and she played against her former NT very well.
Another debutant is Katya KULIK - left handed opposite, 23 years old. Played pretty well and strongly.
I hope our NT keeps playing such speedy volleyball in the future! I like it!