2014 FIVB World Grand Prix

    Quote from semisonic

    Russia is in the worst condition for years now. Marichev is totally confused and has no idea right now who should be on court. Substitutions he's making are all desparate and make things only worse. Forget Gamova I think even Maxim Mikhaylov wouldn't save this team now. They are on constant slide down from the time Kosha and Goncha returned to NT.

    Russia was doing fine with Malykh and Kosienenko's leadership with the new system. With the return of Startseva and Goncha really pushed them aside. Now they are just subs especially Malykh. Now they are back in the old system.
    To be honest i would ven choose Matienko over the slow and open centric Startseva

    I am very impressed by Turkey. Even without Naz, Neslihan, Polen, Eda etc they managed to beat teams like US, Russia, Serbia etc.
    I guess this is mainly due to their respective club's ambitions and high targets on competitions. That forms a winning mentality, which is vital for any sport, psychological aspect of the game.
    (Even part of the players are young and are subs or bench players of their clubs.)


    A special mention to Gözde, should be one of the most passionate player in the world. : )


    Again very impressed!

    Quote from kadir_8

    How is the Final6 formula?


    I think they haven't announced it yet...and I also think they only announce closer to the final week...IDK
    But Brazilian TV said it's going to be robin round...I have no idea if this info is accurate

    Quote from USAvolleyfan

    I haven't seen a lot from Meliha but to me it looks like her arm swing is not letting her hit on the right side as good as she can on the left.. She has a very specific arm swing, something like Pasynkova and many balls that are tight to the net she hits into the block.. Maybe I am wrong I don't know to me it looked like it.. Has she ever played on the right? If not than it might be hard for a young player to adjust.. many older players have problems with it


    She is playing in our beach volleyball team too. Indeed she started to her beachvolleyball career before indoor volleybal. That might be reason for her quite different arm swing. Indeed, for a beach volleyballer, it mustn't really differ which zone she attack :whistle:

    Quote from serdar


    She is playing in our beach volleyball team too. Indeed she started to her beachvolleyball career before indoor volleybal. That might be reason for her quite different arm swing. Indeed, for a beach volleyballer, it mustn't really differ which zone she attack :whistle:


    Yes I know that but attacking at the beach is really different from indors. It requires diferent skills and the aproach is different... I think she si a good player, her defense is really good. There were many misunderstandings this weekend, but last week she was very great digging everything

    Quote from serdar


    She is playing in our beach volleyball team too. Indeed she started to her beachvolleyball career before indoor volleybal. That might be reason for her quite different arm swing. Indeed, for a beach volleyballer, it mustn't really differ which zone she attack :whistle:


    No it's not true. Meliha was an indoor volleyballer before her Turkish adventure and came to Turkey to play indoor volleyball. She has played beach volleyball for only two summers and started to play it after indoor season was finished . In her interview, she said while playing beach volley is fun, her aim is different and she wants to be a succesfull indoor player.
    As for her performance and hitting tecnique, I don't know her Bosnian career but in Turkey , she has worked with the worst coach in Turkish league for 2 years .With a good coach , she has potential to be one of the best players of Turkey.


    By the way Kübra is a killer. :thumbup: She is on her way to become one of the best MB of the world.

    Quote from serdar


    In fact, DOM's blocks work very well against Turkey yesterday, especially both Vargas and Arias were very good at blocking. Maybe they had an off day against GER :whistle:


    hi serdar,


    well, i just finished watching TUR x DOM. it seems that DOM had a good day against TUR, but they also played with their more experienced players (bethania and priscilla as OH instead of martinez and pena). yes, i was impressed with how often marte connected with arias in addition to annerys valdez, and both blocked really well. the defense by castillo and rivera also very impressive to launch their counter-attacks. and mambru a great attacking force.


    now, what is DOM gonna do without a good backup setter for marte if she gets injured?


    did not watch today's match, but apparently DOM reverted to their bad old selves, losing to SER easily? any reports on that?

    ravens, not sure why you like paolini so much. from what i remember of last year's matches of hers in the NT, she was not too impressive. tall but slow and a weak hitter (kind of reminds me of anzanello).


    haven't watched the recent US matches, but yes, gibby to me probably should be the starter along with foluke for MBs. is harmotto injured or out of shape?


    so what's the news on hodge? we haven't heard of her in a long time.


    and what is this gossip that karch and destiny don't get along?

    Argentina beat Cuba in four sets (25-21, 25-15, 28-30, 25-22). We have won all the matches at home. Vargas was superb in this match...what a girl! Sosas was our best player again, blocking almost all the diagonals and spiking quick sets. We could have ended it in the 3rd set, we had 5 match points (24-19), but we mistook a lot. Predictable sets by Castiglione :wall: Finally we wasted 8 match points. In the last set Cuba was leading by 7 points, but they were eaten by their own mistakes. Fernandez´serves helped a lot too.
    The end of the third set and the beginning of the fourth was a blackout :mad: Playing like this, Croatia or Dominicans will beat us easily. I was surprised by the cuban mental strength in the 3rd set, they defended as japanese. Despite of our team is much older, we were more nervous in that crucial moment.

    Best teams from each division according to their WGP performance so far.


    1st division :

    Ognjenovic-Centoni
    Fabiana-Rasic
    Kim-Zhu
    Brait


    Dani Lins-Murphy
    Furst-Akinradewo
    Fe Garay-Mihajlovic
    Banwarth


    2nd division :

    Dirickx-Van Hecke
    de Kruijf-Aelbrecht
    A.Cruz-Ocasio
    Courtois


    3rd division :


    Grbac-Havlickova
    Milos-Ruseva
    Vanzurova-Jerkov
    Chulmska

    Hodge is pregnant :D so is Debby Stam-Pilon ^^


    Harmotto got married so I suppose that she got some free time to spend honeymoon with husband ^^

    Gold medal - World League 2013 Prediction Game
    Bronze medal - World League 2012 Prediction Game

    My choice for top players (maybe sometimes too subjective :whistle: ):
    1st Group:
    Dani Lins - Kim (she played as OP most time)
    Garay - Jaqueline
    Thaisa - Fabiana
    Brait


    Wei - Murphy
    Mihajlovic - Zhu
    Kubra - Furst
    Banwarth


    First team is almost Brazilian, but they desrve for it except Sheilla who had wekaer first weekend, so I replaced her by amazing Kim, who's playing as OP right now ^^
    Second team is more international, including driving forces of their teams ^^ I thought about Sonsirma instead of Zhu and Rasic instead of one MB...


    2nd Group:
    Dirickx - Van Hecke
    A.Cruz - K.Ocasio
    de Kruijf - Aelbrecht
    Courtois


    Here stats show that Bełcik is the best Setter :rolll: I put Ocasio as OH, though she's playing as OP, but she was leading player in her team with Aurea Cruz and both deserve to be here


    3rd Group:
    Grbac - Havlickova
    Havelkova - Mercy Moim
    Nasya Dimitrova - Milos
    Chlumska

    Gold medal - World League 2013 Prediction Game
    Bronze medal - World League 2012 Prediction Game

    Korea vs Russia match the 1st set, referee said he decide the point but the truth is Kim has without touch the line! what the system??? what the FIVB UNFAIR volleyball match?? :down: :down:

    So before last weekend-

    * To Division B will be eliminated Dominican Republic or Thailand

    * Winner of pool B Final 4 will be promoted to Division A

    * Cuba will be eliminated to Division C

    * Winner of pool C Final 4 will be promoted to Division B

    * Japan as Final 6 Host is saved even if had 0 pts after 3 weeks.

    I really don't understand why the referee did not accept the result of video challenge system. What is the reason to use that system evenif the referee did not use it. Wrong decisions can be happen always and it can be also considered as a part of game. However, this is not the case. This is definitely an exteme abuse of his authority.


    The referee should be dismissed for all FIVB match. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.