2015 FIVB World Grand Prix

  • Talking about Jing Li, she is the most domanant player from the Chinese Volleyball League A of the last 2 seasons. I wonder why Lang Ping doesn't give her a chance.j


    Li Jing, Chen Li-yi, Song Mei-li and so on, this kind of OHs, are thought to be the name - "system players (in Chinese - 体系球员)".
    Their characteristics - "two liberos" (the other OHs - Wang Hui-min, Yin Na, Wang Feng-jiao and so on) "feed" them, more times of attack, more scores and low hit rates.
    In the level of national teams, their weak points become weaker and weaker.
    For example, Kimura Saori is a "system player", too. Kim Yeon-koung isn't. It is the most simple explanation. At least I think so.

    My favourite roster of Chinese (in 2022)
    male NT:
    S - Yu Yao-chen, Chen Lei-yang
    OP - Jiang Chuan, Dai Qing-yao
    OH - Zhang Jing-yin, Yu Yuan-tai, Liu Li-bin, Fu Hou-wen
    MB - Zhang Zhe-jia, Peng Shi-kun, Li Yong-zhen, Jiang Zhen-yang
    L - Yang Yi-ming, Yang Tian-yuan


    female NT:
    S - Yao Di, Diao Lin-yu
    OP - Gong Xiang-yu, Sun Xiao-xuan
    OH - Li Ying-ying, Wang Yi-fan, Wu Meng-jie, Zhuang Yu-shan
    MB - Yuan Xin-yue, Wang Yuan-yuan, Zheng Yi-xin, Liu Yu
    L - Ni Fei-fan, Xu Jia-nan

  • What a long match against Japan. Let's see the positive things: the youngsters are gaining experience, Italy managed to win at the end... This season is focused on the ECH and the qualification tournament in Japan, so now the players aren't at their best. I'm waiting for other players to come, then we'll see what Italy can do, but for now I'm not that negative! ^^

  • Italy may have just set a record with 7 players with 10 points or more in their match with Japan yesterday. The most impressive one would be Diouf with 10 points in the 4th and 5th set only.


    But even Bosetti and Tirozzi with only 2 full sets played (4th and 5th) as well.

  • What a long match against Japan. Let's see the positive things: the youngsters are gaining experience, Italy managed to win at the end... This season is focused on the ECH and the qualification tournament in Japan, so now the players aren't at their best. I'm waiting for other players to come, then we'll see what Italy can do, but for now I'm not that negative! ^^

    Honestly, I see almost only positive things. First of all, these girls are a TEAM, everybody can enter in any moment and play like a starter; if somebody has a bad day, there's someone else ready to give her best, nobody is essential, everyone is important. Secondly, what a character! They never give up! I think they lacked something only in the crucial moments of the match against Russia, but for the rest I have nothing to say. The thing I like even more is that these two characteristics (in my opinion an amazing starting point to build a winning team) were already there at the WCH, where the roster was very different, which means that is something that the coach, the staff and the players are transferring each other and hopefully won't be lost very easily.


    Technically and tactically obviously there's still a lot to do, a lot of unforced errors concentrated together in some moments, etc. etc. sure all those problems are there, but they are all solvable and let's never forget that Italy is directed by a 19-year-old and a 17-year-old, who have never played a single match in Serie A, and with all their lack of experience and the problems they can have, they are both showing to be ready to play at this level. It was a very good decision by Bonitta to give them this chance.


    Everything is still open for second and third place and tonight it will be very interesting. For sure it won't be easy to beat Brazil, but who knows...never say never!

  • I have been reading you talk about Lloyd for years now, and after this Pan american games I think she is just phenomenal (first time I saw her playing).
    She is way better than Thompson and Kreklow. I think she should be the sub for Glass next year.


    the same applies to Macris in Brazil

  • I have been reading you talk about Lloyd for years now, and after this Pan american games I think she is just phenomenal (first time I saw her playing).
    She is way better than Thompson and Kreklow. I think she should be the sub for Glass next year.


    the same applies to Macris in Brazil


    I don;t think it's gonna happen.. Never say never of course, but Lloyd is a really creative setter, really athletic, great blocker.. she surely has her qualities but she is not doing so good with the crazy fast offense Karch wants.. Molly for example got used to it so quck

  • i love lloyd since she played in Yamamay Busto Arsizio


    She deserves to play in Team A

  • Match was broadcast on NBC television live, so not on satellite!!


    Kevin Barnett, former USA men's national team player and volleyball commenter (analyst on broadcasts) said that the US was a little upset that the Chinese did not send their first team to Omaha. He replied, that with the World Cup coming up, the rest was more important due to the length of that tournament and that the fans should not have been upset.


    The USA being hosts were going to put their best team out there, even with the Pan Am Games happening at the same time.


    He also mentioned that the FIVB uses too many "World" names in their event names, World GP, World Cup, World League, World Championships, etc.


    Great result for the USA women between both events by winning them!!! :woohoo: :cup: :dance4: :dance6: :thumbup: :thumbsup: 8)

  • Both Kreklow and Lowe are great newcomers in NT, both deserve for MVP.


    Some people complain about Kiraly, but this team is doing great, though OP can be a problem...
    Lowe and Murphy are both lefty, it would be better to have different types of pure hitter in match roster :wavy:

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

  • Kreklow is a little wonder. Lowe is decent, not more.

    She's unknown for most teams, like Murphy was 2-3 years ago, we will see how she will play in next tournaments...

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

  • Best player awards are a tough choice this year because most teams rotated their line-ups a lot. Best setter should be Kreklow, but also Dani Lins and Ding Xia performed well. Best OPP should be Goncharova, Lowe would be OK too. Best MB IMO was Juciely but the 2nd best is already hard to decide, I would give it to Harmotto probably. Best Libero for me was Malova despite some problems in reception. OHs for me are the hardest category because nobody really stood out there. Liu Yanhan did a good job but she played without reception. All USA OHs performed quite well but with Karch rotating so much it's difficult to single one out.

  • Does FIVB site not provide individual stats for the final round or am I too stupid to find them? :S

    I found it, but they are incomplete :what:
    http://worldgrandprix.2015.fiv…on/results_and_statistics

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

  • "Incomplete" is an understatement, they include only the stats from BRA-JPN :D
    And I still can't find any link for that on the tournament website.


    Diouf is pathetic :aww: Her backrow skills don't exist and she can't kill the ball either. She looks like an alien on court and everything happens way too fast for her. I'm also not too impressed with Orro, she doesn't connect with Arrighetti at all and also the sets to the outside are shaky. Alright, she may be a prospect for the future, but for the present she's not good enough yet.