I mean I'm fine with that. The only issue is a matter of her being non-Japanese. I don't think Japan has ever had a naturalised player in the NT before in both the men and women's teams so we'll see if it happens for her.
Under Yanagimoto (iirc at least in the 2006 World Championships) they had a naturalized Chinese OH Shuka Oyama but I don't think she ever played for the Chinese NT
Maiko Kano looks like KYK in that thumbnail
OMG I thought I was the only one who thought that lol
Zhang CN can be good in one match and so so in the following one.... The coaches will be hoping she hits the right form in crucial matches in the OG...
Zhang Changning is like the Han Songyi for Korea from London quad 
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 ...
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.
Display More13:00 JT Marvelous v Toyota Body Queens ... 3–1
13:00 NEC Red Rockets v Denso Airybees ... 2–3
15:00 Ageo Medics v Toray Arrows ... 1–3
15:00 Hisamitsu Springs v Hitachi Rivale ... 3–0
JT had a little payback for the Body Queens. Kitsui is back in uniform for JT, subbed in a few sets. Neriman has added blond highlights to her ponytail. Toyota has added 3 or 4 new Body Queens to their roster. Only one I recognized is Ayaka Sugi from the U23 team. It was an entertaining, hard fought match with no individual standouts. Toyota drops to 6th place in the standings behind NEC--wtf?
NEC and Denso went down to the wire in a 5 sets, but it wasn't an entertaining match. Sloppy play all around and it doesn't bode well for Denso that it took them 5 sets to beat NEC. Denso played a looser lineup, maybe that's why, and offered up their first great Densoid* of the year (look at Sakamoto's body stance. She thinks she's on a coffee break
Hisamitsu remains undefeated. Hitachi signed a new player.
I can't bring myself to watch an Ageo game.
Seems like there are a number of new players in the league. I'll sort it out later.
* A Densoid is when the team stands around and group watches the ball hit the floor.
OMG...this is my favorite picture ever "my latte is cold"
(sorry for 
)
Is it just me, or does the North Korean team look more solid than South Korea minus KYK?
Yes, No Lee Da Young. All of the setters are quite short.
Well, not if Han Suji returns to setter still can't believe they changed her to MB
Display MoreWide roster for Grand Prix is out in some news article.
OH: Kim Yeon Koung(Fenerbahce), Park Jeong Ah(IBK), Lee Jae Young(Heungkuk), Lee So Young(GS Caltex), Kang So Hwi(GS Caltex), Go Ye Rim(Hi-Pass)
MB: Kim Su Ji(Heungkuk), Yang Hyo Jin(Hyundai E&C), Bae Yoo Na(Hi-Pass), Han Su Ji(KGC)
OPP: Kim Hee Jin(IBK), Kim Mi Yeon(IBK)
S: Yeom Hye Sun(Hyundai E&C), Lee Go Eun(IBK), Ahn Hye Jin(GS Caltex)
Li: Kim Yeon Kyun(Hyundai E&C), Na Hyun Jeong(GS Caltex), Kim Hae Ran(KGC)
Note:
Bold Font: Part of the team who competed in Rio Olympics
Italic Font: Part of the 2016 NT(And got cut in the selection for those who'll compete in Rio Olympics)
Source: 1
No Lee Da Yeong? 
Was that challenge also not the third one? I thought he challenged twice and it didn't accept either?
I think one you are missing Dinamo Krasnodar...Uralochka is twice on there
Display MoreFriendly match #1 against Japanese NT
25:20 29:27 22:25 25:16
Main roster:
Shen Jing-si (Ding Xia), Zeng Chun-lei (Yang Fang-xu, Liu Yan-han)
Zhu Ting, Liu Xiao-tong (Zhang Chang-ning)
Yang Fang-xu, Xu Yun-li (Yan Ni)
Lin Li (Shan Dan-na)
Gong Xiang-yu replaced Xu Yun-li in Set 2 as a server.
You don't mean Yuan Xinyue?
I think Dietzen is pretty much done as a player. Too many injuries causing her game to decline over the past years; it showed especially during World Cup. I'm hoping for at least Adams in the lineup but I think every position besides setter and libero is questionable.
Do they have any other players 185cm+ besides Saori, Erika, and Iwasaka that they can select from?
Display More
24th round
Piacenza - Casalmaggiore 3-1 (25-22 25-22 20-25 25-19)
Meijners 19, Belien 13 (52% att.), Sorokaite 11 (52% att.) / Kozuch 17, Tirozzi 12, Gibbmayer 10
Stats: http://www.legavolleyfemminile.it/?page_…22&idgara=82009
Scandicci - Conegliano 1-3 (19-25 25-18 19-25 19-25)
Nikolova 16, Stufi 12, Pietersen 9 / Robinson 22, Easy 16, Nicoletti 12
Stats: http://www.legavolleyfemminile.it/?page_…22&idgara=82010
Novara - Bergamo 3-2 (16-25 25-19 28-26 22-25 15-12)
Fawcett 25, Chirichella 20 (67% att.), Malesevic 13 / Sylla 24 (52% att.), Plak 132, Gennari 10, Aelbrecht 10 (53% att.)
Stats: http://www.legavolleyfemminile.it/?page_…22&idgara=82011
Montichiari - Firenze 3-0 (26-24 25-20 25-22)
Tomsia 18, Sobolska 11, Gioli 10 / Turlea 14, Krsmanovic 11, Calloni 7
Stats: http://www.legavolleyfemminile.it/?page_…22&idgara=82012
Modena - Bolzano 3-1 (25-21 21-25 25-12 25-17)
Diouf 20, Horvath 12, Folie 11, Heyrman 11 (64% att.) / Mambru 16, Martinez 12
Stats: http://www.legavolleyfemminile.it/?page_…22&idgara=82013
Club Italia - Vicenza 3-2 (17-25 13-25 25-23 25-22 15-13)
Guerra 15, Piani 15, Danesi 13 (57% att.) / Popovic 18 (55% att, 6 blocks ), Carter 17, Partenio 14
Stats: http://www.legavolleyfemminile.it/?page_…22&idgara=82014
Rest: Busto Arsizio
STANDINGS
1. Conegliano 57 -----> winner of regular season
2. Piacenza 51
3. Casalmaggiore 49
4. Novara 44
5. Modena 43
6. Scandicci 36
7. Bergamo 36
8. Montichiari 28
9. Busto Arsizio 27
10. Vicenza 21
11. Club Italia 20
12. Firenze 10 -----> relegated in serie A2
13. Bolzano 10 -----> relegated in serie A2
Plak with 132???
My point wasn't that they will lack proper replacement, but that Dixon was the best from all the other MBs, other that Akinradewo and Harmotto. Whenever she came in she had a solid game, nothing impressive but good blocking and attacking
I've always loved Dixon for that reason. She's never been overly physical like Akinradewo or some of the other MB that USA has. But she's always a pain to deal with, extremely consistent and never giving an easy chance to the opponent.
Shinnabe's really good in receiving.
Yup. NT really missed having her last year. Hope she is healthy enough (and willing) to rejoin them this year!
i dont think Russsian players serve that badly.. they serve good enough to place their block-defence at right time in the righ place (sometimes even triple blocks)..Fetisova,Zaryazkho,Startseva,Goncharova sometimes Kosheleva can serve well
I think their success in serve is more from the screening they do...during World Cup last year it was ridiculous
Exactly! Zhu Ting is sometimes being covered in serve receiving in the NT but that is not because she is bad in receiving, because they want her to be able to attack. I only watched her in the NT and there she is actually good in receiving. Of course KYK is a more complete player at this age, she makes incredible defense and serves very well as well. I don't know how Zhu's defense and serves are but she is young. To me, she is the only player right now that has the potential to become the new KYK unless she gets a serious injury in her career.
However, I think that in KYK's case, their country had no other dominant OH (Han Song-yi is their next best choice?!) so I think it's also the player's mentality. KYK I think is also one of the strongest players psychologically and in some matches (although I don't see as much recently) her will to win is just overpowering. If Zhu Ting can do that too then she could be the next KYK but I can't see her now playing for Fenerbahce.
I don't think so. KYK is pretty good receiver. and she is a huge part of reception in fenerbahce. As far as I know Zhu Ting's offense is great, but her reception is very weak.
I think her reception is decent, she will get aced a few times but most of her passing is enough for the setter to make a play. Personally, I think compared to players like Hodge-Easy or Neriman her reception is much better and looks more promising to be developed. Keep in mind when KYK first joined the NT after Athens, she was already a decent attacker but really had to work hard for a few years to become strong in passing and a monster in attacking.
Still strong team though...
Big fan of Vansant and Hagglund. Not sure why they kept Hodge in though...I don't think her passing can help her contribute to "Karch's team"
