Suelen broke her hand in the semifinal.
Now that you mention it I seem to recall someone posting something about that. The announcers in the Bronze match just kept saying Gabiru was brought in to "shore up the passing" so I spaced out on it. What a bummer.
I just looked at the BRA v TUR match and Suelen was still in at the end of the game. When did it happen? I just googled "Suelen pinto breaks her hand in the VNL semi" and got nothing.
Now that you mention it I seem to recall someone posting something about that. The announcers in the Bronze match just kept saying Gabiru was brought in to "shore up the passing" so I spaced out on it. What a bummer.
I just looked at the BRA v TUR match and Suelen was still in at the end of the game. When did it happen? I just googled "Suelen pinto breaks her hand in the VNL semi" and got nothing.
A Brazilian article said it happened in the 2nd set, and there rather in the beginning (I think at 6-3 or so) she collided with Tandara in defense and seemed to feel some pain in her hand, but she played on and did not look too harmed either...but I think that's where it happened most likely.
Did I miss anyone?
I expect several changes in Russian roster: Voronkova, Parubets, Romanova, Lyubushkina are probably safe (even though Romanova is not that good, but there are no good options on the setter position...). Goncharova and Zaryaschko (if healthy) will be at the WC. I hope Shcherban, Krotkova will join them. A veteran setter (Vetrova, Startseva or Pankova) is probably also coming in. I would prefer Vetrova because I hope the play with a lot of Moscow players... The VNL liberos were not convincing therefore we could see a change here too...
Fetisova should be safe as well. She is the best MB next to Zaryaschko
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)
hmm I don't think that was the reason for her to rotate into MB position. after 2012，coach Manabe started his new strategy MB1 for the Japan team. so basically they only had 1 MB and an extra Opposite in their rotations. Saori Sakoda was that extra Opposite taking the position of an MB. when she was in the front row she would attack just like a normal opposite rather than an MB. this experiment lasted a few years and I don't think it was very successful based on the result of the team achieved but this sort of experimentation should be highly encouraged.
I think Kosheleva will be ready for WCH. Looking at her videos and disciplined work outs, she is already working with heavy weights and able to make squats. Not sure if she will be able to reach the peak though until then.
I always prefer Startseva over any other Russian setters. For some reason, Russian pin hitters play more effectively with her setting, although she has a boring game style. I think she makes a difference in serves, blocking and defense too.
I guess we will see: Startseva-Goncharova, Parubets-Voronkova, Zaryazko-Fetisova as starting six with Kosheleva-Scherban, Lyubuskina and Romanova as guaranteed bench players. Vetrova can be 3rd setter, the 4th MB can also be among many names like Gendel, Samoilenko etc. Lyubuskina is lucky since she is the only solid slider.
hmm I don't think that was the reason for her to rotate into MB position. after 2012，coach Manabe started his new strategy MB1 for the Japan team. so basically they only had 1 MB and an extra Opposite in their rotations. Saori Sakoda was that extra Opposite taking the position of an MB. when she was in the front row she would attack just like a normal opposite rather than an MB. this experiment lasted a few years and I don't think it was very successful based on the result of the team achieved but this sort of experimentation should be highly encouraged.
Yeah, that was poetic license, because, honestly, understanding/explaining MB1 or the hybrid 6 double duplex rotation systems are above my pay grade.
Check that score! (okay, it was the meaningless World Grand Champions Cup, but still ... 
I think Kosheleva will be ready for WCH. Looking at her videos and disciplined work outs, she is already working with heavy weights and able to make squats. Not sure if she will be able to reach the peak though until then.
I always prefer Startseva over any other Russian setters. For some reason, Russian pin hitters play more effectively with her setting, although she has a boring game style. I think she makes a difference in serves, blocking and defense too.
I guess we will see: Startseva-Goncharova, Parubets-Voronkova, Zaryazko-Fetisova as starting six with Kosheleva-Scherban, Lyubuskina and Romanova as guaranteed bench players. Vetrova can be 3rd setter, the 4th MB can also be among many names like Gendel, Samoilenko etc. Lyubuskina is lucky since she is the only solid slider.
They need Malykh as backup to Goncharova, as WCH is a pretty long tournament and it's not wise if Russia will be tiring out their best player. Lyubushkina's role can be like Philippov on the men's team, a backup MB who can also be a serving specialist.
Check that score! (okay, it was the meaningless World Grand Champions Cup, but still ...
When they did Hybrid 6 tactic, they used one true middle and one "pseudo" middle. Depending on which player was the pseudo-middle, they switched around MB1 and MB2 for the true middle: when Sakoda was the pseudo-middle she was in MB2 position running "scorpion" attack (AKA pipe attack from the front row) but when Nagaoka was used as the pseudo-middle they stuck her at MB1 position to give her 2 rotations attacking on the pins.
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
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.
Indeed. Hu Mingyuan was a lucky girl. She wasn't even in the roster for the final but Wang Yuanyuan got injured in training last minute so Hu was brought in, obviously mainly as a bench. Again Yuan Xinyue got her finger injured and Hu got the chance to be substituted in. She really seized the moment and played the match of her life so far. She proved to be an excellent quick slide attacker and it really added to the variety of Chinese attacking strategies and drew a lot of attention from the opponent's MBs, thus making life a bit easier for Zhu Ting and Li Yingying on the left wing. She wasn't considered to be very competitive because of the disadvantage in her height (186cm) compared against Gao Yi(193cm) and Wang Yuanyuan(195cm) but now things are different. She is still in the training camp and is very likely to improve even more in the next few months. I hope she can make it into the WCH.
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
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
) In that tournament, Busra cansu also played as outside hitter and she was pretty good at it indeed
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
Shame Neslihan retired. For some reason I just love to watch setters attacking and opposites setting.
Some Chinese fans have been talking about a similar system with the current Chinese NT. Ding Xia has already proved many times to be an attacking setter, not so much in the NT though because she didn't need to. in the last season in the Chinese league, she scored 9 points in one match and gained the nickname Opposite Ding. at the same time, Opposite Gong Xiangyu was actually a setter until 2015 when she was still in the U19 NT. Fans have been talking about the possibility of a 4-2 system with Ding Xia and Gong Xiangyu as the two setters.
would be noice to see system 4-2 again with Ding-Gong duo I like that from times when Cubans played it throughout many years 
Anybody want to weigh in on what their favorite match(es) of the Tournament were? I'd like to make sure I watch them if I haven't already.
Mine would be TUR v BRA because it was so weird and because TUR was so beautiful. And JPN v THA because it was so JPN and THA.
The Final TUR v USA's first four sets were up there too but the final set kind of soiled my enjoyment because TUR went lost (not because they lost).
[Edited a brain fart]
When is the European Championship?
When is the European Championship?
Exact dates are not set yet. It could be anytime in October 2019
im late to write this but i congratulate the winning teams : Usa,Tur and Chi
congrats to Guidetti and his team.i hope they will keep playing well and improving
im late to write this but i congratulate the winning teams : Usa,Tur and Chi
congrats to Guidetti and his team.i hope they will keep playing well and improving
Welcome back, Canter! Congratulations to your home team. I really enjoyed watching them this tournament, learning about many players. I even had a few moments of Gui acceptance
Did you get a chance to watch the final round? The FIVB site has the final USA v TUR match posted without restriction, if not.
Welcome back, Canter! Congratulations to your home team. I really enjoyed watching them this tournament, learning about many players. I even had a few moments of Gui acceptance
Did you get a chance to watch the final round? The FIVB site has the final USA v TUR match posted without restriction, if not.
thanks Sitenoise 
yep,i tried to watch them through the vids i found yesterday
yep,i tried to watch them through the vids i found yesterday
Make sure you watch TUR v BRA. It was surreal, epic!
Last year some players were tested positive for doping because of the food they ate in China during WGP and they couldn’t play for WCH. USA NT brought their food last year and did the same this year. Looks like FIVB doesn’t care this and China gets to host finals and preliminary rounds. What if same thing happens and players cannot play WCH? Was there any precauting or preparings in order to avoid this?
