WNT Update: Cook, Plummer Win Club World Championship with Conegliano

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Dec. 22, 2022) – Italy’s Prosecco Doc Imoco Conegliano, including U.S. outside hitters Kelsey (Robinson) Cook and Kathryn Plummer, won the Volleyball Women’s Club World Championship 2022 title, taking it back from Turkiyë’s VakifBank Spor Kulubu with a 3-1 (25-18, 23-25, 25-21, 25-21) victory in Sunday’s final in Antalya, Turkiyë.

U.S. middle blockers Chiaka Ogbogu and Kara Bajema both played for VakifBank, which took the silver medal.

It was Conegliano’s second gold in the competition after it won the 2019 edition. Last year, VakifBank, with Ogbogu and U.S. outside hitter Michelle Bartsch-Hackley, beat Conegliano in a five-set battle.

In the final, Plummer scored 12 points on 10 kills, one block and one ace. She had 10 successful receptions. Cook added 10 points on seven kills, two blocks and one ace. She had 11 successful receptions.

For VakifBank, Ogbogu scored five points on four kills and one block. Bajema played as a substitute and scored two points on two kills.

JAPAN

U.S. outside hitter Sarah Wilhite Parsons and the NEC Red Rockets won the Empress Cup in Japan on Saturday, beating the Toray Arrows in the final, 3-1 (25-14, 23-25, 25-18, 25-23).

In regular season play, JT Marvelous, with U.S. opposite Karsta Lowe, leads the league with a 10-2 record.

The Toyota Auto Body Queenseis, with U.S. opposite Danielle Cuttino, are in sixth place at 7-5.

Hitachi Astemo Rivale, with U.S. middle Hannah Tapp, are in eighth place at 5-7.

Japan’s regular season will resume after the holidays in January.

ITALY

U.S. setter Jordyn Poulter was injured in a match with Igor Gorgonzola Novara on Dec. 3 and will miss the rest of the international season.

Conegliano, with Cook and Plummer, leads the standings in Italy’s A1 league with an 11-1 record. It has not played a league match since Nov. 30 since it played in the Club World Championship and CEV Champions League (see below).

Savino Del Bene Scandicci with middle Haleigh Washington is in second place (9-3).

Vero Volley Milano with, outside hitter Jordan Larson, middle Dana Rettke and opposite Jordan Thompson is in third place (10-2). Thompson is 10^th in the league in kills.

Igor Gorgonzola Novara (10-2) is in fourth place with U.S. outside hitter McKenzie Adams on its roster.

U.S. middle Brionne Butler is playing with Reale Mutua Fenera Chieri, which sits in fifth place (8-4).

Volley Bergamo 1991 and outside hitter Mac May are in sixth place (6-6).

Setter Lauren Carlini and outside hitter Ali Frantti are playing with Trasportipesanti Casalmaggiore, which is in seventh place (6-6). Frantti is third in the league in kills and Carlini is seventh in aces.

Setter Carli Lloyd and E-Work Busto Arsizio are in eighth place (5-7). Il Bisonte Firenze and middle Rhamat Alhassan are in ninth (4-8).

Outside hitter Dani Drews and middle Anna Hall are playing with Cuneo Granda S.Bernardo, which is in 10^th (5-7).

Megabox Ond. Savio Vallefoglia with setter Micha Hancock is in 11^th (4-8). Hancock is fourth in the league in aces.

Setter Tori Dilfer and opposite Stephanie Samedy are playing with Bartoccini-Fortinfissi Perugia in 12^th place (2-10). Dilfer is 13^th in the league in aces.

Middle Rainelle Jones is on the roster for Wash4green Pinerolo in 13^th (2-10). Middle Symone Abbott and opposite Akuabata Felisa Okenwa are playing for Cbf Balducci Hr Macerata in 13^th (2-10).

TURKIYË

Ogbogu, Bajema and VakifBank are second in the league standings at 9-1. Ogbogu is second in the league in attack percentage at 59 percent.

Outside hitter Madi Kingdon Rishel and Türk Hava Yollari are in third place (9-2).

Galatasaray HDI Sigorta, with opposite Khat Bell, is in fifth place (7-4).

Kuzeyboru Spor Kulübü with outside hitter Annie Mitchem is in eight place (5-6).

Opposite Kelsie Payne and Sigorta Shop are in 10^th place (3-8). Payne leads the league in overall scoring.

Middle Tori Dixon and Bolu Bld. (2-8) are in 11^th. Dixon is third in the league in aces.

FRANCE

Nantes, including U.S. middle Jaelyn Keene, opposite Taylor Mims and outside hitter Alli Stumler-Linnehan, is in first place in the league (11-1).

Paris St. Cloud with U.S. middle Emily Thater is in second place at 10-2.

Libero Kendall White, opposite Taylor Fricano, setter Taira Ke’Alohilani Robins-Hardy and outside hitter Shannon Scully are playing for Terville-Florange (8-4), which is in fourth place.

Beziers with U.S. libero Justine Wong-Orantes, setter Madison Lilley, outside hitter Avery Skinner and middles Blake Mohler and Izzy Fichtel is in fifth place (7-5).

Setter Jenna Gray, outside hitter Carli Snyder and middles Madeleine Gates and Claire Felix play with Cannes in sixth place (7-5).

Pays D’Aix Venelles with middle Christina Bauer, setter August Raskie and outside hitters Katelyn Evans and Samantha Dreschel is in eighth place (6-6).

Vandoeuvre Nancy with U.S. middles Annayka Legros, Lauren Page and Shayla Hoeft is in ninth (6-6).

St. Raphael with opposite Malina Terrell is in 10^th place (4-8). Levallois with opposite Haylie Bennett is in 13^th (1-11).

GERMANY

Allianz MTV Stuttgart with U.S. opposites Alexis Hart and Krystal Rivers and outside hitter Simone Lee is in second place in the league (7-1).

SSC Palmberg Schwerin with outside hitter Lindsey Ruddins is in third place (6-2).

Dresdner SC with middle Kayla Haneline is in fourth place (6-3).

USC Münster with libero Anna Marie Church is in fifth place (6-2).

Ladies in Black Aachen with setter Ashley Evans is in sixth place (5-3).

Rote Raben Vilsbiburg with setters Lindsay Flory and Wilmarie Rivera Roldan is in seventh place (4-5).

VfB Suhl LOTTO Thüringen with outside hitters Julia Brown and Danielle Harbin is in eighth place (3-5).

Schwarz-Weiß Erfurt with outside hitter Jaidyn Blanchfield and setter Margaret Speaks is in ninth place (1-7).

VC Wiesbaden with middle Rachel Joy Anderson is in 10^th place (1-7).

NawaRo Straubing with middle Shealyn McNamara, opposite Olivia Nicholson and middle Jasmin Sneed is in 11^th (1-7).

CEV TOURNAMENTS

Italy’s Prosecco Doc Imoco Conegliano with Cook and Plummer is 2-0 in CEV Champions League Pool A after beating France’s Volley Mulhouse Alsace on Dec. 21, 3-0 (25-22, 25-14, 25-18). Cook did not play, and Plummer played as a substitute and scored one point with a kill. Conegliano will play Poland’s Developres Rzeszow (2-0) on Jan. 10.

Conegliano shares Pool A with Hungary’s Vasas Óbuda Budapest (0-2), which includes U.S. opposite Taylor Bannister.

Italy’s Vero Volley Milano with Larson, Rettke and Thompson is 2-0 in Pool B. On Dec. 21, Milano beat Romania’s CS Volei Alba Blaj 3-1 (20-25, 25-16, 25-21, 25-21). Rettke started the fourth set and scored four points on three kills and one block. Larson played as a substitute. Milano will play France’s Volero Le Cannet (1-1) on Jan. 12.

Turkey’s VakifBank with Ogbogu and Bajema (2-0) is headed for a showdown with Italy’s Igor Gorgonzola Novara (2-0) and Adams in Pool C on Jan. 10. On Dec. 20, Novara beat Serbia’s Crvena Zvezda Beograd, 3-0 (25-17, 25-20, 27-25). Adams started the third set and scored 10 points on eight kills and two blocks. On Dec. 21, VakifBank beat Germany’s SC Potsdam 3-1 (25-22, 35-33, 20-25, 25-21). Bajema scored 13 points on 13 kills. Ogbogu scored 11 points on 10 kills and one block.

Germany’s Allianz MTV Stuttgart with Hart, Rivers and Lee is 2-0 in Pool D. On Dec. 21, Stuttgart beat Turkiyë’s Fenerbahce Opet 3-2 (25-22, 25-23, 18-25, 22-25, 15-10). Rivers led Stuttgart with 25 points on 23 kills, one block and one ace. Lee played as a substitute and started the fourth set, scoring eight points on eight kills. Stuttgart will play Spain’s Tenerife La Laguna (0-2) on Jan. 12.

In the Round of Eight in the CEV Cup, Washington and Italy’s Savino Del Bene Scandicci will play Mladost Zagreb from Croatia.

Kingdon Rishel and Turkiyë’s Türk Hava Yollari will play France’s Terville-Florange with White, Fricano, Robins-Hardy and Scully.

Italy’s E-Work Busto Arsizio and Lloyd will play Slovenia’s Nova KBM Branik Maribor.

Germany’s SSC Palmberg Schwerin with Ruddins will play Hungary’s Swietelsky-Bekescsabai.

In the Round of Eight in the CEV Challenge Cup, Butler and Italy’s Reale Mutua Fenera Chieri will face Greece’s Panathinaikos Athens, including U.S. outside hitter Adora Anae.

Germany’s VfB Suhl LOTTO Thüringen with Brown and Harbin will play Israel’s Haifa VC with U.S. middle Briana Holman.