WNT Update: Drinking from the Italian Cup

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Jan. 13, 2022) – Prosecco Doc Imoco Volley Conegliano with outside hitters Megan Courtney and Kathryn Plummer won the Italian Cup on Jan. 6.

In the final battle, Conegliano came back from 0-2 to beat Igor Gorgonzola Novara with middle Haleigh Washington and setter Micha Hancock, 3-2 (19-25, 19-25, 25-21, 25-22, 15-13).

Plummer finished with 17 points on 16 kills (.469 hitting efficiency) and one block. She was credited with 25 receptions, 56 percent positive. Courtney played as a substitute and started the final three sets and scored seven points on seven kills (.467). She was credited with 12 receptions, 58 percent positive.

Hancock scored four points on two kills and two aces for Novara. She set the team to a .420 hitting efficiency. Washington played as a substitute and started the fifth set, scoring one points with a kill.

In the semifinals on Jan. 5, Conegliano beat Unet E-Work Busto Arsizio with setter Jordyn Poulter, 3-1 (25-16, 24-26, 25-16, 25-23). Plummer scored 13 points on 12 kills and one ace. She was credited with 29 receptions, 45 percent positive. Courtney played as a substitute but did not score. Poulter scored one point with a kill and set Busto Arsizio to a .268 hitting efficiency.

Novara won its semifinal by default as Reale Mutua Fenera Chieri could not compete due to positive COVID cases.

On Jan. 7, Busto Arsizio beat Vero Volley Monza in a regular-season LegaVolley match, 3-0 (25-21, 25-19, 25-16). Poulter scored two points on a kill and a block and set her team to a .233 hitting efficiency.

CHINA

Jordan Larson and the Shanghai Guangming Ube Volleyball Club finished the season in third place. Shanghai won two out of three matches over Liaoning Huajun to take third. Larson did not compete in either match because the team was limited to just one foreign player and Korea’s Kim Yeon Koung played both matches.

Larson is now scheduled to play in the U.S. Athletes Unlimited league. Then she will begin a new career as an assistant volleyball coach at the University of Texas.

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TURKEY

Turkey resumed its regular season last week after the holiday break.

Turk Hava Yollari (THY) (11-3), with outside Madi Kingdon Rishel, setter Lauren Carlini and middle Tori Dixon, beat Aydın Büyükşehir Belediyespor (5-9), 3-0 (27-25, 25-18, 25-21) on Jan. 9. Kingdon Rishel scored 19 points on 17 kills, one block and one ace. She was credited with 22 receptions, 45 percent positive. Carlini scored one point with a kill and set THY to a .300 hitting efficiency. Dixon did not play.

Vakifbank (12-2) swept Yeşilyurt (1-13) on Jan. 7. Neither outside Michelle Bartsch-Hackley nor middle Chiaka Ogbogu played in the match.

GERMANY

Libero Justine Wong-Orantes and Wiesbaden (6-6) beat Erfurt on Jan. 9, 3-2 (22-25, 25-16, 22-25, 25-18, 15-8). Wong-Orantes was credited with seven receptions, 57 percent positive.

JAPAN

Opposite Annie Drews helped JT Marvelous to two straight wins over Hitachi Rivale.

On Jan. 8, JT Marvelous beat Hitachi Rivale, 3-0 (25-16, 25-17, 27-25). Drews scored nine points on eight kills and one block.

On Jan. 9, JT Marvelous beat Hitachi Rivale, 3-2 (25-20, 25-17, 23-25, 23-25, 16-14). Drews scored 23 points on 20 kills and three aces.

U.S. middle Hannah Tapp did not play in either match for Hitachi Rivale.

BRAZIL

The match between Middle Rachael Adams and Osasco São Cristóvão Saúde (9-1) and opposite Danielle Cuttino and Itambé Minas (8-2) scheduled for Jan. 14 has been postponed due to COVID. Osasco São Cristóvão Saúde’s match on Jan. 7 was also postponed for the same reason.

However, the Brazilian league sent out an announcement on Jan. 11 stating that it would instead begin play in the quarterfinals for the Brazilian Cup on Jan. 14. On Jan. 18, Osasco São Cristóvão Saúde is scheduled to play Fluminense and Itambé Minas is scheduled to play Barueri Volleyball Club.