European Olympic Qualification

I have to admit they were really great! Zenik played awesome too i thought! Hope the dutch will get to the semi-finals with poland!

How is your heart, Nastja? Mine was jumping like a rabbit in the second set

Very good game by our girls (except 3rd set), they showed character. Barańska was superb, as well as Dziękiewicz and Zenik - she defended almost every possible ball. Skowrońska had good and bad moments. In my opinion Glinka was the worse in Polish team, couldn't have finished anything. But she scored in one of the most important moments in the game: in the end of the 2nd set, which was crucial, I think.

Evangeline, I have nothing against The Netherlands in the semis, but you have to beat Germany, which won't be easy.

I'm very happy that Poland won. They deserved it!! Hope that Kasia will play as she plays in Novara. The first match is always the most difficult, so Kasia and Maggie could improve in the next days!

Great Baranska and Dziekiewicz, who is not a surprise anymore!

well done Polish gals!!! hv a good start in the tournament. 2 MBs are really awesome! esp. Lena! wowow..she is extremely fit! Baranska is great! kasia just so-so, but getting better in the match...sadurek, as usual, gave as many balls as possible to kasia..no comments.

i am sad that glinka performs very bad today...far behind her usual standard!! OMG! wot happened? but as Konead said, she scored the most important point today. so everyone pls forgive her , hope she can play better tomorrow.

btw, i dun like their new adidas jesery...

First step to Olympics.... <my dream>

But...in the next days we need Glinka in better shape...Much better...

Quote from yingcheng

btw, i dun like their new adidas jesery...

I don't like it either. It loos like some training outfit, or shirts from past years. Men had jerseys in the same style I can't also stand, that the girls don't have (again ) Polish fonts in their names.

Quote from Konrad

How is your heart, Nastja? Mine was jumping like a rabbit in the second set

Very good game by our girls (except 3rd set), they showed character. Barańska was superb, as well as Dziękiewicz and Zenik - she defended almost every possible ball. Skowrońska had good and bad moments. In my opinion Glinka was the worse in Polish team, couldn't have finished anything. But she scored in one of the most important moments in the game: in the end of the 2nd set, which was crucial, I think.

Evangeline, I have nothing against The Netherlands in the semis, but you have to beat Germany, which won't be easy.

It'll be hard, but not impossible to beat germany... After all, if you've watched Germany-Turkey you would've seen that germany isn't really in a great shape. Nor is the netherlands but I think they played better then Germany...
We'll see how Germany plays against Poland, then we'll be able to compare them better.

BTW, Croatia is playing really great against russia! First set they lost (25-19) but still I think that's a great result for a team like Croatia. Hope that it'll be a nice match!

Jelena Alajbeg plays so incredibly well against Russia!!! Unfortunately the others don't help her so much, but Russia is also superior. I am quite surprised that Sheshenina is first setter.

Quote from Matthias

As far as I know Bahar did not want to play and Elif is not as good as the other two setters (Pelin and Naz).

you are right matthias, bahar mert and arzu göllü don t want to play in NT it is right elif is not good as naz aydemir.but it isn' valid for pelin. if naz had no problem with her knee,she would play as our team setter insead of pelin.

congradulations for turkey even they lost match they play very well without neslihan demir,natali hanikoğlu,bahar mert,gülden kayalar(she has gribal virus),eda erdem and gökçen denkel.all of them injured or pregnant aysun and esra don t play even they are in team roster.they are injured too...

ı believe that they will make a sürprise in this tournament.

Quote from Matthias

Jelena Alajbeg plays so incredibly well against Russia!!! Unfortunately the others don't help her so much, but Russia is also superior. I am quite surprised that Sheshenina is first setter.

Yes Jelena Alajbeg is playing really well! She is really telented for her age... certainly a great futur player!
Russia played a good volleyball. It's surprising to see Sheshenina as first setter, but she played well and used a lot her middle players. That must be why she plays in place of Akulova.

I already knew it was going to be an easy match, but I was very anxious to see how Russia was playing, and I LIKED it.

Really, it was a great match. For sure Croatia is awful, but that's not the point. Russian players performed very well. The block did good - ok, Croatian spiking is non-existant - our libero did a good job - at first I thought it was Kryuchkova, but in the technical time out I realized it was Kabeshova. I am glad Caprara gave her another chance, because she did a better job than Kryuchkova last year.

Sokolova was just AMAZING. No, really, WCH06 shape. powerful serves, high efficience rate in attack, good in reception, etc. She played like she didn't for a single match last year.

Gamova started slow, but improved a lot during the match. Very good. I am very curious about her's and Sokolova's spiking %. If anyone finds it later, please do share.

Safronova. Well, she is Safronova. Not awful, but we need Godina in shape to win the OG.

The middle spikes are still a problem - although they were ok -, but then that will never be our strongest point.

I left the best for the last. Sheshenina. Wow, strong wow! What a pleasant surprise! People were saying she had improved a lot and deserved another chance, and I was like "are you crazy, she is awful, we need to try someone new with potential". God was I wrong!

She did a great match. For one she is setting like a proper setter - you know, not with her hands like she was diging, if you know what I mean. She made one or two mistakes, but even seasoned and great setters do. She setted some balls I couldn't believe.

She also jump serves. Not the most powerful ones, but good enough. The only thing Akulova has over her is her height for blocking, but that's the least I expect from a setter... Of course this is just one match, and I don't want to set my expectations too high, and I could be wrong - although I think not - but I saw a lot of potential on her. Unbelievable.

Sheshenina, I don't need you to play any better than that. If you play for the rest of your life like this, I will be forever gratefull to you. So long Akulova, you won't be missed.

Quote from Russkii

Gamova started slow, but improved a lot during the match. Very good. I am very curious about her's and Sokolova's spiking %. If anyone finds it later, please do share.

Gamova - 68%
Sokolova - 56%

Quote from Justyna

Gamova - 68%
Sokolova - 56%

Wow, you are fast! Thanks a lot.

Funny, I thought Sokolova had a better efficiency than Gamova. 68% and 56%. Very good. I hope they can keep in this rythim.

I wish I could watch Poland's game, but I am off to work. Good luck to Poland, I am sure they will win.

Russia is returning to play well, after a one-year hiatus. Sokolova and Gamova are physically better, Sheshenina unbelievably improved. Of course Croatia is not strong, but last year at ECH, Russia didn't play well against Croatia. Today they did.

Kabeshova not bad either. The problems are the other spiker (Russia needs Godina/Artamonova) and the MBs, which are too slow.

Another factor - The motivation for the Olys is probably big, last year Russia was not that motivated.