WNT Update: Annie Drews Debuts in Italy

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Jan. 11, 2023) – Players with ties to the U.S. Women’s National Team are playing for professional clubs around the world.

ITALY

U.S. opposite Annie Drews made her debut with Megabox Ond. Savio Vallefoglia (6-8) on Jan. 8 by leading it to a 3-2 (25-21, 21-25, 25-17, 19-25, 15-7) win over Cuneo Granda S.Bernardo (6-8). Drews did not play for a professional club during the first half of the season.

Drews led her team in scoring with 19 points on 19 kills (.475 hitting efficiency). Setter Micha Hancock, who also plays for Megabox, scored two points on two kills and set her team to a .370 hitting efficiency. Middle Anna Hall, who plays for Cuneo, scored 16 points on 11 kills, a team-high four blocks and one ace. Outside hitter Dani Drews played as a substitute and scored two points on two kills.

Prosecco Doc Imoco Conegliano (13-1) with outside hitters Kelsey (Robinson) Cook and Kathryn Plummer continues to lead the league. On Jan. 7, it beat Volley Bergamo 1991, 3-0 (25-21, 25-17, 28-26). Plummer scored 12 points on 10 kills (.526) and two blocks. She was credited with 25 receptions (48 percent positive). Cook did not play.

Outside hitter Mac May started for Volley Bergamo and scored four points on four kills. She was credited with 12 receptions, 50 percent positive.

Savino Del Bene Scandicci (11-3) is in second place in the league. On Jan. 7 it beat Bartoccini-Fortinfissi Perugia 3-0 (25-13, 25-17, 25-19). Middle blocker Haleigh Washington is on Scandicci’s roster but did not play. Opposite Stephanie Samedy started the third set for Perugia (2-12) and scored five points on four kills and one ace.

Vero Volley Milano (2-7) improved its record on January 8 with a 3-0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-21) win over Wash4green Pinerolo. Middle Dana Rettke scored 10 points eight kills (.889) and two blocks. Outside hitter Jordan Larson added nine points on eight kills and one ace. Opposite Jordan Thompson is on Milano’s roster but did not play.

Reale Mutua Fenera Chieri (10-4) with middle Brionne Butler won a tough battle over setter Lauren Carlini, outside hitter Ali Frantti and Trasportipesanti Casalmaggiore (7-7) 3-2 (19-25, 25-19, 25-17, 20-25, 15-12) on January 6. Butler played as a substitute and scored one point with a block. Frantti led Chieri with 23 points on 20 kills, two aces and one block. She was credited with 25 receptions, 64 percent positive. Chieri setter Lauren Carlini scored two points on a block and an ace. She set Chieri to a .343 hitting efficiency.

Setter Carli Lloyd and E-Work Busto Arsizio (6-8) beat Il Bisonte Firenze (4-10) and middle Rhamat Alhassan 3-0 (25-20, 25-19, 25-20) on January 7. Lloyd scored three points on two kills and an ace. She set Arsizio to a .372 hitting efficiency. Alhassan started the third set and scored two points with two blocks.

JAPAN

Opposite Karsta Lowe and league-leading JT Marvelous (12-2) beat Hisamitsu Springs 3-1 (25-20, 22-25, 25-18, 25-14) on January 8. Lowe scored 13 points on 13 kills.

The Toyota Auto Body Queenseis (8-6) with U.S. opposite Danielle Cuttino beat Toray Rose 3-1 (20-25, 25-19, 28-26, 25-21) on January 8. Cuttino led all scorers with 28 points on 28 kills.

Hitachi Astemo Rivale (6-8) and middle Hannah Tapp beat Victorina Himeji, 3-0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-20) on Jan. 7. Tapp scored 11 points on six kills, three blocks and two aces.

TURKIYË

The Turkish league begins play again on January 13.

FRANCE

Outside hitter Alli Stumler-Linnehan has left Nantes. According to a team press release, Stumler-Linnehan left Nantes before Christmas and chose not to return for personal reasons.

Terville-Florange (10-4) with libero Kendall White, opposite Taylor Fricano, setter Taira Ke’Alohilani Robins-Hardy and outside hitter Shannon Scully beat Paris St-Cloud 3-1 (20-25, 25-15, 25-22, 25-17) on January 7.

Fricano led all scorers with 19 points on 13 kills, three blocks and three aces. Scully added 18 points on 15 kills, two aces and one block. She had 25 receptions, 60 percent positive. White was credited with six receptions, 33 percent positive. Robins-Hardy did not play. Middle Emily Thater scored five points for Paris on four kills and one ace.

Beziers (9-5) with U.S. libero Justine Wong-Orantes, setter Madison Lilley, outside hitter Avery Skinner and middles Blake Mohler and Izzy Fichtel beat Marcq en Baroeul 3-1 (26-28, 25-20, 25-21, 25-20) on Jan. 7. Skinner led all scorers with 22 points on 18 kills (.429) and four blocks and was named the match MVP. Wong-Orantes was credited with 17 receptions, 53 percent positive. Lilley scored five points on a match-high three aces and two kills. She set Beziers to a .348 hitting efficiency. Mohler scored 12 points on 10 kills and two blocks.

Cannes (8-6) with setter Jenna Gray, outside hitter Carli Snyder and middles Madeleine Gates and Claire Felix swept Chamalières 3-0 (25-21, 25-21, 25-18) on Jan. 7. Snyder scored 14 points on 11 kills, two blocks and one ace. Gray scored two points on a kill and ace and set the team to a .411 hitting efficiency. Felix scored seven points on seven kills and Gates added five points on five kills.

GERMANY

Setter Ashley Evans and Ladies in Black Aachen (6-5) fell to Wiesbaden 3-0 (25-19, 25-20, 25-13) on January 7. Evans scored two points on two aces.

CEV TOURNAMENTS

Italy’s Prosecco Doc Imoco Conegliano with Cook and Plummer improved to 3-0 in Champions League Pool A with a 3-1 (16-25, 25-18, 25-16, 25-16) win over Poland’s Developres Rzeszow on Jan. 10. Cook scored six points on six kills. She had 13 receptions, 69 percent positive. Plummer played as a substitute and scored three points on three kills.

Italy’s Vero Volley Milano with Larson, Rettke and Thompson will play a Pool B match against France’s Volero Le Cannet on January 12. Matches are available on eurovolley.tv.

Turkey’s VakifBank Istanbul with middle Chiaka Ogbogu and outside hitter Kara Bajema is now 3-0 in Pool C after beating Italy’s Igor Gorganzola Novara on January 10, 3-0 (25-21, 25-22, 25-19). Ogbogu scored eight points on a match-high five blocks and three kills. Bajema played as a substitute and scored three points on three kills. U.S. outside hitter McKenzie Adams started the second and third sets for Novara and scored four points on four kills. She was credited with 14 receptions, 71 percent positive.

In the CEV Cup, Lloyd and Italy’s E-Work Busto Arsizio won their first Round of Eight match over Slovenia’s Nova KBM Branik Maribor 3-0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-19) on January 10. Lloyd started the first two sets and scored three points on three kills. She helped set her team to a .410 hitting efficiency. The teams will play again on January 18.

Washington and Italy’s Savino Del Bene Scandicci beat Croatia’s Mladost Zagreb in the Round of Eight 3-0 (25-19, 25-22, 25-19) on January 10. Washington scored 12 points on nine kills, two aces and one block. The teams will play again on January 17.

Outside hitter Madi Kingdon Rishel and Turkiyë’s Türk Hava Yollari defeated France’s Terville-Florange with White, Fricano, Robins-Hardy and Scully 3-1 (25-15, 23-25, 25-14, 26-24) on January 11. Kingdon Rishel scored 10 points on 10 kills and had 29 receptions, 62 percent positive. Fricano had 21 points for Terville-Florange on 16 kills, a match-high four blocks and one ace. Scully had six points on six kills and 25 receptions, 56 percent positive. White was credited with 37 receptions, 59 percent positive. Robins-Hardy played as a substitute. The teams will play again on January 17.

In the CEV Challenge Cup Round of Eight, Butler and Italy’s Reale Mutua Fenera Chieri beat Greece’s Panathinaikos Athens, including U.S. outside hitter Adora Anae 3-0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-22) on January 10. Butler scored seven points on four kills, two blocks and one ace. Anae scored seven points on six kills and one block. She had 22 receptions, 55 percent positive.