2018 FIVB Volleyball Women's Nations League

    Honestly, I don't agree that US needs Kelsey as OH. Larson-Hill-Bartsh trio are doing a great job, maybe today when they were all in together, Kelsey could sub one of the bad spikers in case they failed, but not sure if this will ever happen.


    To me the problem is, Kelsey looked super nervous as libero today. Her receiving was shaky, she was not stable in defense until 4th set. Then I saw some good digs from her. It should not be that hard for US to develop a libero who is simply better than Kelsey. But unfortunately it feels like Karch likes to experiment a lot, just to have his team in news like "wow, look at there what they did, converted X to Y" and this is one of his new experiments. :wavy:

    Quote from beri

    I miss the Japan of Saori-Ebata etc. :obey: (Olympics when they beat China 3-2 is one of my fave matches) they were one of my fave teams back then and I'm still curious to see what team they will come up with at Wch , btw I know Saori retired but I have zero knowledge about Ebata, I'm sure its obvious and it was mentioned before but with so many players sometimes I forgot what happened to some. sitenoise could you maybe help me?


    Ebata suffered an injury in 2014. According to brahmin, Coach Manabe wanted her but she wasn't up to it. Then she went to France for a year and "has been on the outside looking in since"-- brahmin


    That 2012 roster was also an end to an era when the setter, Yoshi Takeshita, retired. I think even folks who don't like Japan would admit she was world class, or close to it. As was her little squirt partner in crime libero Yuko Sano. She retired in 2014. Both 159cm and wonderful floor defenders.


    Saori Sakoda also retired last year. She was the Neriman-like high flyer. Not as big and strong but better at defense (non-receiving-but super scrappy on floor defense, and she used to rotate into MB position because she could jump real high)


    A couple others from that 2012 roster you didn't see in this VNL are: its Captain, MB, Erika Araki; (she had a baby but she's back and in great shape. She'll probably play in the WCh) and backup setter Hitomi Nakamichi. She's still playing but probably done with the NT. She set super fast, and was a better floor defender than most liberos, imo.


    I'm not sure if I've revealed my bias or not with regards to defense :P For me that's clearly what's missing. Coach Nakada and her sidekick seem to have different priorities.


    I think Matthias summed it up:

    Quote from Matthias

    Japan's performance is rather underwhelming. Once upon a time they had the players with probably the best ball control worldwide (e.g. Takeshita, Takahashi, Kimura) and now they play just like every other team, just with shorter players and little athleticism. I still don't get the point of importing a European coach, and not one of the best on top of that.

    I think brazil and usa will still dominate this tournament every year. China uses world grand prix now vnl as practise ground for young players every year. European top teams must consider ech into account.


    You have chance to play vnl every year. However, ech is organized once every two years. WCH, world cup, olympic is organized once every four years. The priority is obviously clear to every top team which fights for a gold medal in big tournament. The big tournament deicdes the ranking in FIVB!:teach:


    And remember that JPN is an excellent host with the first class facilities, just like China and Thailand, and coverage is great. Compared to the some small nations in Europe, they don't have such good facilities to host the large tournaments. Just peep into their stadium(s). And the team itself, even though the Japanese team is not within the Top Tier, they still play good volleyball, and fascinating to watch. Some keeps on complaining about Japan hosting the many major tournaments, about China hosts the VNL Finals Round till the 2020, about the many Chinese cities hosting the many VNL prelims... they simply ignore the reality of money! Money LUBES the competitions, make them running steadily. How many other country that can afford the hosting cost with good facilities and at the same time is willing to spend as such? Then the sponsorship issue? If any other country really has the true desire to host such FIVB tournament, just bid for it like what we see for the World Cup (football). But Volleyball ain't the Football :-) And until any other does the serious bidding, just stop the bitching about who hosts the events. Bored to read the same lines naively ignore the real economy & genuine interest factors plus good facilities. Any good host needs THOSE factors to be successful!


    Btw POL is not yet at the same league as TUR and ITA, but true the team makes good progress.


    And the JPN squad can no longer beat the CHN team ever since the era of Lang Ping reign for the Chinese team is definitely better, PLUS the Chinese squad always takes matches against the Japanese team more seriously, even during the WGP/VNL competition, more than against any other team. The Chinese team suffered the huge blow being beaten in the QF of the 2012 London OG by the Japanese squad [the last True victory of JPN squad over CHN one], and such loss is still vivid in the Chinese memory!


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

    Edited once, last by samsara ().

    Watching Japan for the past 3 years have been a torture. Japan has lost their identity -- magical floor defense. Back in the days the ball barely touched the floor. Remember one of their best performance in WGP? 2014 was a magical year when they tried Hybrid 6. Having Ebata, Sakoda, Nagaoka, Shinnabe, Miyashita, Arisa Sato and led by the captain Kimura - this team is one of the reasons I fell in love even more with Japan. Nakamichi was supposed to be the next Takeshita and Sato was supposed to be the next Sano. Now I feel like Japan is ruined by this coach. They don't have heavy hitter, their MBs are basically useless, and their floor defense is extremely underwhelming. And they play messy most of the times. Ugh this is so frustrating to see. Coach Manabe is a good coach that fits the Japan style very well. They have so many good players on their roster and now it seems like the roster is filled with college-level players. Sorry not sorry.

    Japan sux. But my point is that Japan played the same 15 teams China, for example, played, and finished with the same record as China, but somehow for China it was Lang Ping's masterful juggling of B team detritus and new faces. And Japan was some well-oiled A Team that collapsed. Japan doesn't even know who their A Team is.

    Why are people still insisting on Japan to host more major tournaments when they are going to host World Championship and Tokyo Olympics? That's far too much in an olympic quad.


    It's also not my feelings that Japan should host because of the World Olympic Qualification fiasco in 2016. Japan was literally carried by the refs to Rio Olympics. They had no business going in there and Thailand will never get the due that they deserve for that injustice.


    I love Japan for what they stood for but that tournament left a bitter taste in everyone's mouth and it would be better off for everyone to let it pass for a long time as it would only cause more suspicions on FIVB-Japan's tight circle.


    I also don't have a problem with China. Everyone and their grandmoms recognizes that they are a strong team that could make the F6 if they wanted to. I have doubts most teams care if they do as the crowd effect doesn't really work on opposing teams. :rolll:

    Favorite players: M: Maxim Mikhaylov, Murilo, Serginho, Aaron Russell, Otavio, Simone Giannelli, Ivan Zaytsev, Tsvetan Sokolov, Michał Kubiak, Mariusz Wlazly, Pawel Zagummy W: Sheilla, Zhu Ting, Natalia, Fe Garay, Fofao, Gabi, Thaisa, Foluke Akinradewo, Wei Qiuyue, Ding Xia, Carli Lloyd, Fabi, Natalia Goncharova, Yuko Sano, Saoris Kimura and Sakoda


    #FreeBritney

    Edited 2 times, last by Rains ().

    Late congratulations for USA, Turkey and China. It was a forgettable but dominating bronze medal win by a young chinese team but I am very glad Turkey blew all my expectations and gave USA a hard-fought but well-earned victory. :obey:

    Favorite players: M: Maxim Mikhaylov, Murilo, Serginho, Aaron Russell, Otavio, Simone Giannelli, Ivan Zaytsev, Tsvetan Sokolov, Michał Kubiak, Mariusz Wlazly, Pawel Zagummy W: Sheilla, Zhu Ting, Natalia, Fe Garay, Fofao, Gabi, Thaisa, Foluke Akinradewo, Wei Qiuyue, Ding Xia, Carli Lloyd, Fabi, Natalia Goncharova, Yuko Sano, Saoris Kimura and Sakoda


    #FreeBritney

    I'm watching the Bronze match now. The first set has been a gas!


    Monique subs in and serves an ace. Is it because it was a good serve or because China's reception sux? I dunno


    I hope Yuan is okay

    Quote from leo2017

    I think brazil and usa will still dominate this tournament every year. China uses world grand prix now vnl as practise ground for young players every year. European top teams must consider ech into account.


    You have chance to play vnl every year. However, ech is organized once every two years. WCH, world cup, olympic is organized once every four years. The priority is obviously clear to every top team which fights for a gold medal in big tournament. The big tournament deicdes the ranking in FIVB!:teach:


    Should not be of any big problem, let both BRA and USA co- own the VNL. Those European teams may have the ECH in focus, the Chinese team may have other priority, and the rest of teams may put in their best efforts to carve a mark... Still the WGP now VNL is quite a merry annual fest, one simply has to avoid attaching more weight than it should be. Just watch and enjoy but don't let one's own vision blur the real nature of the WGP/VNL. The VNL is simply great :thumbsup:
    After all it'll be quiet as well as dull for the volleyball realm if everything must wait for four years!!! :lol:


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

    Edited once, last by samsara ().

    I really miss the good old Japan with Saori and Sano. Volleyball is like a rainbow and Japan was bringing one new color to all tournaments they played with their different style, relying heavily on perfect receiving, fast sets, repeating-annoying-well placed-smart attacks and amazing defense. Even Manabe kept that tradition and he tried a very innovative system. I don't like the new coaching staff of Japan, with this style of management they look like any other team on the world which does not work because of their height. It is sad. I really really miss that special colour, hope they will bring it back :)


    I think it is the same with Russia. I know most people here did not like their game, found it boring that they relied on slow but over the block attacks, relying mostly on Kosheleva, Gamova and Goncharova. I miss that too.


    Without these two countries showing their traditional games, it feels like most major tournaments will be so plain, with only a few colors, teams playing with small nuances in style. I hope WCH will be different :super:

    Quote from Meatballs

    I really miss the good old Japan with Saori and Sano. Volleyball is like a rainbow and Japan was bringing one new color to all tournaments they played with their different style, relying heavily on perfect receiving, fast sets, repeating-annoying-well placed-smart attacks and amazing defense. Even Manabe kept that tradition and he tried a very innovative system. I don't like the new coaching staff of Japan, with this style of management they look like any other team on the world which does not work because of their height. It is sad. I really really miss that special colour, hope they will bring it back :)


    I think it is the same with Russia. I know most people here did not like their game, found it boring that they relied on slow but over the block attacks, relying mostly on Kosheleva, Gamova and Goncharova. I miss that too.


    Without these two countries showing their traditional games, it feels like most major tournaments will be so plain, with only a few colors, teams playing with small nuances in style. I hope WCH will be different :super:


    I don't think Russia is trying to implement a new system... Goncharova and Kosheleva are not with the team, and Malykh and Voronkova are not on the same level. That's the difference.. if these new players are able to deliver as good as the previous team, we would see the Russia we're used to seeing.

    Quote from Meatballs

    I really miss the good old Japan with Saori and Sano. Volleyball is like a rainbow and Japan was bringing one new color to all tournaments they played with their different style, relying heavily on perfect receiving, fast sets, repeating-annoying-well placed-smart attacks and amazing defense. Even Manabe kept that tradition and he tried a very innovative system. I don't like the new coaching staff of Japan, with this style of management they look like any other team on the world which does not work because of their height. It is sad. I really really miss that special colour, hope they will bring it back :)


    I think it is the same with Russia. I know most people here did not like their game, found it boring that they relied on slow but over the block attacks, relying mostly on Kosheleva, Gamova and Goncharova. I miss that too.


    Without these two countries showing their traditional games, it feels like most major tournaments will be so plain, with only a few colors, teams playing with small nuances in style. I hope WCH will be different :super:


    Don't forget the Cuban style! that was a quite a different colour :lol: I really miss those powerful jump serves and seeing setter attack. Oh good old times :cheesy:

    Quote from serdar

    Don't forget the Cuban style! that was a quite a different colour :lol: I really miss those powerful jump serves and seeing setter attack. Oh good old times :cheesy:


    I remember them playing the 2012 Grand Prix against Serbia in Belrade, and the commentator kept talking how their system is old, and they should which to modern volleyball, that they have the talent, as if they were doing it because they had to.. to be honest it was a very successful system for them

    Quote from USAvolleyfan

    I remember them playing the 2012 Grand Prix against Serbia in Belrade, and the commentator kept talking how their system is old, and they should which to modern volleyball, that they have the talent, as if they were doing it because they had to.. to be honest it was a very successful system for them

    speaking of which, are there still any club/national team anywhere in the world with a 4-2 system?

    I only remember our youth national team with 1990 generation played this 4-2 system and they received silver medal back then. It was fun to see Naz Aydemir and Asuman Karakoyun attacking :lol: but I think the idea was to make use of Naz as many different way possible since she was such a dominant player compared to her peers. And we didn't have a good opposite at that generation (we still don't have any, look how polen and gozde yılmaz ended up :aww: ) In that tournament, Busra cansu also played as outside hitter and she was pretty good at it indeed :whistle:


    I think GS could have play that system last year, since Neslihan can play as setter and nursevil can play as opposite. Of course I don't mean that they would have been more successful with this system but I'm sure it could have been pleasure to watch. Especially Neslihan as setter :rose:

    Finished the BRA v CHN Bronze match and really enjoyed it. It was a lot of out of system playing around, my favorite kind. More overpasses in the match than usual, even a few doubles. I was surprised Brazil played Gabiru as libero to "shore up the passing" when I thought we all agreed Suelen had a great tournament. Another foot pass from Gabi :cheesy:


    Shades of Xu Yunli in Hu Mingyuan in attack. Quick and powerful. She was a big help to the experimental lineup of youngsters Zhu Ting, Yan Ni, Lin Li, Ding Xia, and Gong. The most promising thing about Li YY is her ability to hit an out of system ball with force. Once she loses her baby fat she could be as scary as Zhu. She doesn't seem quite as athletic yet.