2015 World Cup - Japan - 8/22

    In 2011 WC was so much more entertaining.. Italy, USA, Brazil, Serbia, Germany, China, Japan.. then there were Korea and Dominican Republic in much better form.. And there were many surprises USA beat Italy, Germany beat USA, Japan beat USA, Japan beat Brazil in 3, Brazil and China to 5, USA beat Brazil in 4.. Level was so much higher

    IMO the overall level of female's volleyball has dropped a lot, not only WC. And it's dropping year by year apparently. I only remember two facts. Costagrande was incredible and If I remember right, Germany defeated USA which made me really surprised.

    Quote from Emil

    IMO the overall level of female's volleyball has dropped a lot, not only WC. And it's dropping year by year apparently. I only remember two facts. Costagrande was incredible and If I remember right, Germany defeated USA which made me really surprised.


    Yes Costagrande couldn't be stopped that tournament..And USA led Germany and lost the first, then got totally lost on the court.

    Quote from ILoveVolley

    What I have always thought is that, since participating to the World Cup is like a reward because is one more chance to qualify besides the continental tournaments, the participation should be reserved to the top 12 teams in the FIVB ranking. It would be just fair and in this way we would have a great show.
    The participation of teams from every continent for "par condicio" in this case has no reason to exist: every continent has already an Olympic spot guaranteed and, anyway, it is just impossible for a team outside the first 12 in the world to be 1st or 2nd at the World Cup. Clearly there are other interests besides the sportive ones, that guided FIVB towards the direction they took...

    dated: 2015-08-18


    Quote from 7UP

    Knowing FIVB since 2002 I believe to make japan gain points to ranking and make them play Olympics.


    I try to relate these two different posts, and try to grasp the underlying idea, how increasing the team's ranking point (the host team in this case) may increase its chance to qualify the OG? I only know a team will qualify if it wins the relevant assigned qualification tournament. In the case of the host team, if not be the top two here then through the Asian OQ tournament (with two spots allocated for the top-2 there). Do I miss anything here?


    “There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.”

    Better OHs? I'd prefer the current OHs actually. Tom, Larson, Hodge and who was their 4th OH? I like Robinson, Hill and Larson with a completer shape more than the old ones. With Vansant over Hodge Easy, it could be even better. You can't always rely on old players, that's how a replacement of generations begins :)


    Edit : I think Harmotto is stronger than Bown, although I like Heather very much as a person and also a player.

    Quote from Emil

    Better OHs? I'd prefer the current OHs actually. Tom, Larson, Hodge and who was their 4th OH? I like Robinson, Hill and Larson with a completer shape more than the old ones. With Vansant over Hodge Easy, it could be even better. You can't always rely on old players, that's how a replacement of generations begins :)


    Edit : I think Harmotto is stronger than Bown, although I like Heather very much as a person and also a player.


    They went with 3 OHs and Myashiro as serving specialist. Larson was much better at attacking then and her receiving was the same as now. Logan had the same role Larson has in the current team, only better serving, passing and a lot stronger defense. And Larson then was much better attacker than Hill is now, speaking also out of system. So Logan>Larson(2015) and Larson(2012)>Hill.
    I agree about Robinson, she is a great addition to this team

    Yeah, Larson played really well in 2011, that was also a big surprise because she was far from being impressive in 2009, quite bad in WGP 2010 just like Hodge, she got replaced by Cindy Barboza frequently but after a while she got so much better both in attack and reception, now definitely one of the best all-around OHs. I don't know the exact development, but a 4 year old (is it 5? not quite sure) of experience in Russia may have helped her.


    Hill is not a strong hitter indeed and we'd not better expect her to be, I think she's just well-rounded, serving well, blocking not bad and when she gets pretty sets, she attacks well. But in the long run, Kelsey Robinson should be starter along with Larson, of course my opinion.

    Hill will NEVER be even close to the best Logan Tom we saw in Sidney, Athens and Beijing. In London she had the same job Larson has now, which is a pity, since they are all-around players, not defensive specialists. Both of them were score machines in the beginning of their careers. The lack of real OHs, who can actually take care of passing made them play that way in the USA system.


    Logan has never been dependent on fast sets. Hill far from Glass or a good setters is nothing. We saw it in Sopot and Novara, in the last part of the season, when Signorile under pressure was setting awful.

    Quote from Emil

    Yeah, Larson played really well in 2011, that was also a big surprise because she was quite bad in WGP 2010 along with Hodge, she got replaced by Cindy Barboza frequently but after a while she got so much better both in attack and reception, now definitely one of the best all-around OHs. I don't know the exact development, but 4 year old of experience in Russia may have helped her.


    Hill is not a strong hitter indeed and we'd not better expect her to be, I think she's just well-rounded, serving well, blocking not bad and when she gets pretty sets, she attacks well. But in the long run, Kelsey Robinson should be starter along with Larson, of course my opinion.


    This is the only point I agree with you. Robinson will be starter soon. Her season in Italy will made her ways stronger. Italy makes players better, don't forget these words.

    Quote from ravens#7

    This is the only point I agree with you. Robinson will be starter soon. Her season in Italy will made her ways stronger. Italy makes players better, don't forget these words.


    Thank god, Megan will be covered by 2 great passers in reception. De Gennaro and Robinson. I think Ortolani could receive better than her :rolleyes:

    She's definitely a great receiver, otherwise I would bring someone more dynamic like Merlo or Sirressi :rolleyes:


    As far as I know, Hodge was tried as OPP in chinese league and she didn't feel too comfortable and she had proved it wasn't her right position.

    And we don't need to meantion How much Destinee Hooker is better than Lowe, Fawcett, Murphy.


    Murphy was setter before 8|

    Quote from hana

    Algeria is playing this tournament with a young team because their main players are training for African Games, the competition starts before World Cup end.

    Such a shame :what: that's the reason why I couldn't recognize most players... though even with players like Oukazi, Abderrahim, Boukima, Olmou, Arbouche, Hammouche, Bensalem or Mansouri it would have been poor result, but not such shame like 25-3 or 25-2 :!:


    I can say something similar about few missing players for Peru: Andrea Urrutia (MB), Angela Leyva (OH/OP), Maguilaura Frias (OP/OH) and Coraima Gomez (OH/MB) are missing due to U20 WCH :whistle: any idea why Maria de Fatima Acosta (L), Brenda Uribe (OP), Raffaela Camet (OP, she can be injured...) and Ginna Lopez (MB) didn't go to Japan niehter ?(

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

    Quote from crovolley

    And we don't need to meantion How much Destinee Hooker is better than Lowe, Fawcett, Murphy.


    Murphy was setter before 8|


    Yes. In NCAA she played both setter and opposite. Lichtman at Stanford was both setter and wing spiker; if my memory works, she was setter in Bielsko-Biala as well.