Posts by pope

Quote from sloth

Brazil is a really hard place for foreign MB.. The best that ever existed in the country is playing there. The big teams that can afford a foreigner, have Olympic champions or established NT-players in the squad (or both)... I would love to see her in Brazil, but I think she will go to China, if she is going anywhere

I was just watching some videos of 2015 and 2016 and Rasic jumps high and spikes super hard. She`s full of energy.

Now she does not jump as high and does not spike as hard, and she does not have the same energy. I guess energy is something she can still overcome, but I think those 2 legs injuries she`s had is the reason why her level has dropped.

NInkovic played for Osasco and did she really well. I do think Osaco,Sesc, Praia and Minas would be interested in Rasic is she was available and they had a slot available.

But if Rasic does leave Vakifbank I think a lot of Italian, Russian, Turkish and especially Japanese Teams would want to sign her. China would be good for her because she season is shorter, but if she retires from the NT after Tokyo, then she can still play a full season at full swing.

Folie will play just as good with Malinov because she can easily adapt to a off set and find a way to score, just like Kakowleska has done. They dont need perfect sets like most middle does.

I'm talking about Serie A, the most historic and arguably the best league in the world. So it does mean something or players to finish at the top after a decade of hard work. Especially for any foreigner player.

Once again....We are talking about Serie A, if I was pulling out stats of Brazilian League, would you expect Diouf or Tandara to be on top? Or did u expect Zhu to be leading stats in Italy? Don't so jealous and use common sense. Just be happy for others. New year, New decade.

From 2010/2011 to 2019/2020

Best blockers:

1 - Stevanovic: 457 blocks

2- Arrighetti: 359

3- Folie: 343

4- Guiggi: 340

5- Calloni: 306

6- Chirichella 302

16: C. Bosetti 229

Best Score:

Katarina Barun with 2537 points.

1- Ortolani: 2,400 points

2- Diouf: 2,252

3- Fabris: 2,250

4- Tirozzi: 2,062

5- Sorokaite: 2,048

6- Egonu: 2,047

9- Piccinni: 1,749

13: Stevanovic: 1,576 ( Best among middles)

Best Server:

1- Tirrozi: 216 aces

2- Sorokaite: 164 aces

3- Fabris: 156

4- Meijners: 154

5- Egonu: 140

7- Stevanovic 118 aces ( Best among middles)

Stevanovic was the best blocker overall and best score among middles of this decade in Serie A ....

I will actually send this to her through social media and hopefully she will see it.

What a amazing achievement and she needs to know it.

Mina Popovic 122 points ( 35 blocks)

Stevanovic 122 points (35 blocks)

Danesi 50 blocks in half season She will break the most blocks record in a season by a large margin.

edit: And Bonifacio is hitting 60%.... Italy has so many amazing middles.

Quote from voulter

I wonder what team is trying to get her, there were rumors about Novara, but it would be a problem for them with italians on court

Unless Vejlkovic can not play for the rest of the season.

But Brakocevic has been playing well... I don`t see why they would bench her.

Pomi is the team that needs a better OPP. If they had a dominant and reliable OPP they could reach the semis this season. I wish they would sign LIppmann, Smarzek or Neriman.

Bergamo should sign Gray. They need a better OH and I guess a OPP if Smarzek does leave.

I have asked this before but nobody has given me any answers.

What happens if a libero gets injured during a match in the Olympics? ( Libero can get hurt too, S.Popovic got injured in the Gloria Cup against Turkey).

Have a OH enter the court using what kinda of jersey?

Egonu declined Monza`s 750K, and signed with Conegliano for 500K.... It is very common in many sports for players to take a pay cut in order to sign or re-sign with a team that is a actual tittle contender.

Even if she agreed to a lesser salary, that is still probably a salary that only Vakifbank can match. In Turkey mostly clubs are super close by each other, which means there`s not a lot of travelling. And mostly teams in Turkey do change their roster every season basically, which means she does not get to used to play against the same players every season..... I don`t see why she would NOT resign a 3 year with them.

And they were the club that took her when she was still a upcoming player. So I`m very glad to hear that she shows so much appreciation and respect for them.

BUT....she should certainly have a talk with the management and ask for them to get ride of Motta and sign a good setter. Gamze was just fine, until Motta decided to screw everything up. WIth Gamze they could still win Turkish League, but there`s no way they will CL with that other terrible setter. Vitra should sign Cansu next season.

Quote from sitenoise

Who told you that

They are still playing like they were 20 years ago.....I kinda figured that.

Pietrini is doing amazing, but how crazy to think that she would be just on the bench if Lucia was not injured. What a waste of talent and development would that have been?

That's why I say young players should play and NOT sit on the bench.

Milenkovic would easily start in teams like Bergamo, Perugia, Brescia and so on.... But instead she is sitting a whole season the bench.

I don't think it is a different strategy. Japan does not have the height, but mostly important, they simply create players to be weaker rather than stronger. Gabi, Fe Garay, Sylla, C and L Boseti and so many others are short but they are strong. Japanese volleyball has yet to realize that a physical and strong player can still pass and defend. But they are afraid to make their players stronger because they think they won't be able to defend.

Remember last year everyone saying Egonu would not be able to play fast and Fabris not a good fit for Russian league? Maja just as fast as Woloz against Conegliano..

Great Players adapt to any system.

Mediocre players won't.

C. Boseti is just like Gabi. She can pass and attack. But she has barely played with the NT after her injury and I think that could be a problem.

It is very unfortunate because against Serbia and China they will need more than just Egonu.....Serbia showed us that in the ECH, and Lang Ping is already doing her homework on Egonu.

I think Sorokaite will make it, she can backup Egonu and still play OH.

Quote from sloth

Playing with injury or sickness are more about foul ethics of coaching staff than work ethics of players.. It shouldn't be allowed, it shouldn't be considered normal, or worthy of praise...

Sick is one thing. Injured is a different thing. Players will play while sick very often... This includes every sport.

Boskovic played while sick against Conegliano in CL.

But I agree that playing while injured is not good. Rasic played CL final with a cast on her calf. Thaiza played while she should be having surgery. In this case we should be questioning Vakifbank and Bites ethics.

Quote from voulter

Alessia Gennari may be back on NT this year!

https://www.ivolleymagazine.it…r-la-nazionale-e-diversa/

Mazzanti is probably afraid that Lucia won`t make it and Pietrini might not consider coming back.

Quote from sloth

She didn't play that game because she was ill...

I used to think that Barsch was a pretty average player, but after that display against Conegliano in the CL final, wow.. I'm sold

Quote from Umu11

MBH will be so useful for Vakifbank for a few plans, not just for one. I don’t think she will only play CL, she could be used instead of Gabi when Gabi performs bad. with Kubra back and Rasic’s current disaster performance continue, they might play with Zehra and Kubra and get to play both with MBH and Gabi at the same time. I just wish MBH was playing for Vakif all along this season. She played an average season in Novara last season but got to her beast mode just when they needed. I don’t know how her season was in China, I hope she will fit in quickly. I wonder why she is not announced yet.

Gui doesn’t guarantee starting spots to his players, especially to locals, he wants to push Ebrar just like he did to Gozde. It turned out to be a good method for Gozde but we will see how it will work out for Ebrar.

She played well against Conegliano in CL final, but where was she in the 3 games during Serie A FInals? Or during the 99 games they played? Part of the reason Egonu was getting a million balls was because Bartsh,Picinni and Plak were not helping her at all.. Egonu could certainly had used some help, but instead Egonu had to play alone all season long.....just because you played 1 good match it does not mean you had a good season.

I don`t think she was sick, she simply got benched because she never plays well under pressure and had been performing poorly already, They went with Rachel Rourke instead.

When she played for Busto, her performance in the playoffs was really bad too.

How about performance in the World Championship and World Cup?.... She was a no show.

Quote from serdar

I thought it was trainer's decision to start with a new generation of players. Are you sure the players didn't want to play for NT?

That was referred to Bulgaria I think, but Vasileva is still there.

crovolley mentioned something about Belgium girls not wanting to work with new coach, right?

Quote from Umu11

I didn’t find Bruno attractive when he first came, he was too boyish for me. In the last years, I started to find him hot and I get the vibes that he has something big 😍

I saw some pics on instagram but couldn’t found the now. Any idea or pics?Brazilian players used to share lots of pics in their slip but they seem to stop that. And why do they get married so early btw?

Quote from benchwarmer

Maturity and experience are not the same. Experiences are gained through participation / living through them. Age does not always equate maturity- one can be younger but more mature in thinking. Boskovic started playing in 2010 in a local team (don’t know If it was professional team then the following year she was in a professional team (Ok Vizura). She started playing at the age of 11; at 17 y.o. She played for NT at European Junior tournament ; at 18 y.o. She started playing big time club/ league (Vitra/ Turkish)- senior tournaments and member of NT senior. Zhu started playing volleyball when she was 13 y.o. (2007); at 17 y.o. participated at 2011 FIVB U18 World Championship (girls);at 18 y.o. played professional for Guandong and 2012 Asian Junior Women’s Volleyball Championship; at 19 y.o. her first exposure to the senior women’s world tournaments and member of NT senior. Boskovic has more experience since she is exposed to power and speed which is the trend - Europeans, Americans, South Americans are more physically powerful. Zhu did not experience much the power and speed of volleyball until she joined Vakif. Her experience of speed and powerful matches were in international /world tournaments (non Asian). Boskovic has a better head start in experience. Certainly, Zhu’s body is more matured because she is older. In sports, younger is better.

Zhu lost a WCH for Boskovic and lost a CL and Club WCH for Egonu.

in 2019 Boskovic won, Turkish Cup (MVP) , Kupa Volley (MVP) , ECH (MVP), Silver in Turkish League and Club WCH.

Egonu won Italian Cup, SuperCup (MVP), CL (MVP), CLub WCH (MVP) and Silver Serie A, Bronze ECH.

Zhu won Turkish League (MVP).

The competition among them is very stiff, but Zhu lost some ground in 2019....Let`s see who will come on top in 2020.

Another Award for Boskovic....

and I did not even had to vote for her to win.... ...

Quote from crovolley

This would be hell good NT if all players are with them.

Van Hecke, Heyrman

This is so disappointing.....I don`t care if they like the coach or not....They should have more pride than that... I feel bad for Herbots, she`s so young and trying her best to reach the next level, but she certainly won`t be able to do it this time....but if she had the help of all those quitters, at least she would have a fair chance.

Same can be said about Rabadzhieva. .....Vasileva needed her help.

It is crazy sad that so many world class players won`t make it.....Just look at the OPP Position: Sloetjes, Smarzek, Van Hecke, Rahimova, Boz/Ebrar, Fabris, Lippmann......5 of them are TOP 10 best OPP in the World....in the meantime, in the OG we will have only 5 World Class OPP Boskovic, Egonu, Tandara, Goncharova and 1 more, while the rest will all be mediocre.....not even to mention the absence of players like Haak, Vargas, Brakocevic, Ortolani.

same thing in every position....how must Naz, Djkema or Woloz feel when only one (or none) of them will make it?!!!

The true is, when you look at it...the Olympics is actually NOT a competition among the best players in the world.