WNT Update: Winners of the Italian Cup

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Feb. 22, 2024) – It was a very busy week for U.S. Women’s National Team players competing in the United States and overseas.

Two teams with U.S. players competed for the Italian Cup. The winner, Prosecco Doc Imoco Conegliano, went on to beat Türkiye’s VakifBank in the first round of the CEV Champions Cup quarterfinals.

ITALY

Prosecco Doc Imoco Conegliano claimed its fifth Italian Cup title Feb. 18 with a five-set win (25-21, 22-25, 25-19, 19-25, 15-11) over Allianz Vero Volley Milano. Outside hitter Kelsey (Robinson) Cook scored 14 points in the title match, and outside hitter Kathryn Plummer scored 13 times and made 36 receptions. Outside hitter Khalia Lanier saw action off the bench in two sets.

For Allianz Vero Volley Milano, middle Dana Rettke notched 12 kills on 16 swings, and Kara Bajema scored three points and made 17 receptions, 65 percent positive.

The week before, Prosecco Doc Imoco Conegliano continued its unbeaten run in league play (20-0), winning 3-1 (25-19, 22-25, 25-18, 25-22) at Il Bisonte Firenze. Cook earned match MVP honors, leading all players with 22 points while also tallying a 72 percent positive mark on 25 receptions and adding three blocks. Lanier landed nine kills, and Madi Bugg saw time as a substitute. Plummer did not play.

American Kendall Kipp scored nine points for Il Bisonte Firenze (9-11).

Outside hitter Simone Lee paced Trasportipesanti Casalmaggiore (6-13) to a 3-1 (25-19, 25-21, 20-25, 25-22) victory over Uyba Volley Busto Arsizio. She scored 25 points and added 42 receptions – 64 percent positive – while starting each set. Setter Micha Hancock led the squad to a 46 percent attack percentage and served up five aces.

Skylar Fields scored nine points for Uyba Volley Busto Arsizio (5-15).

Middle blocker Anna Hall scored 11 points, and Madi Kubik added nine plus a 68 percent positive mark on 19 receptions, but their club, Honda Olivero S.Bernardo Cuneo (5-15) fell 3-1 (25-20, 25-18, 15-25, 25-19) at Itas Trentino (2-18).

On Feb. 11, Rettke scored 11 points – nine kills, two blocks – but second-place Allianz Vero Volley Milano (17-3) came up short on a back-and-forth contest against third-place Igor Gorgonzola Novara (16-3), 3-2 (29-27, 19-25, 25-19, 22-25, 15-12). Bajema added 21 receptions (67 percent positive) and five points in the loss.

Middle Haleigh Washington notched seven kills and two blocks as her club, Savino Del Bene Scandicci (16-4), rallied to beat Megabox Ond. Savio Vallefoglia, 3-2 (22-25, 21-25, 25-21, 25-17, 15-10).

Outside hitter Avery Skinner scored 13 points on 12 kills and an ace as Reale Mutua Fenera Chieri ’76 (11-9) swept Volley Bergamo 1991, 3-0 (25-20, 29-27, 25-22). U.S. outside hitter Madi Kingdon Rishel saw time as a substitute

CEV CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Three of the first four matches in the two-legged CEV Champions League quarterfinals took place Feb. 20, and all three winning teams feature WNT athletes.

Kathryn Plummer and Kelsey (Robinson) Cook each scored 14 points as they and Italy’s Prosecco Doc Imoco Conegliano won an American-laden quarterfinal, downing Türkiye’s VafiBank Istanbul, 3-1 (23-25, 25-17, 25-18, 25-18). Plummer and Cook each posted 12 kills and two blocks, while Madi Bugg saw action off the bench in the win. Khalia Lanier is also on the Prosecco Doc Imoco Conegliano roster but did not play.

Three WNT athletes started across the net for VafiBank Istanbul. Outside hitter Ali Frantti scored nine points, opposite Jordan Thompson landed eight, and middle Chiaka Ogbogu added six – four blocks – in the loss.

Dana Rettke paced Allianz Vero Volley Milano (Italy) to a four-set win over Poland’s LKS Commercecon Lodz (25-18, 14-25, 25-18, 25-14) in Lodz. The former University of Wisconsin standout paired nine kills with seven blocks for the win, while Kara Bajema added three points, including one block.

Meanwhile, middle blocker Kayla Haneline and Germany’s Allianz MTV Stuttgart beat Fenerbahce Opet Istanbul (Türkiye) in five sets in Stuttgart, Germany. Haneline did not play, although fellow American Alexis Hart scored two points as a substitute.

Haleigh Washington and Savino Del Bene Scandicci (Italy) opened their quarterfinal series with a loss to Türkiye’s Eczacibasi Dynavit Istanbul on Feb. 21, 3-2 (23-25, 25-21, 24-26, 25-17, 15-10). Full statistics were not available.

The return legs of the CEV quarterfinals take place Feb. 28-29.

CEV CHALLENGE CUP

Opposite Taylor Mims and France’s Neptunes de Nantes fell to Italy’s host Igor Gorgonzola Novara, 3-0 (26-24, 25-22, 25-20) on Feb. 21. Mims led her team with 15 points on 12 kills, two blocks and one ace. U.S. middle blocker Jaelyn Keene added seven points on five kills and two aces.

The teams will play in France on Feb. 28.

PRO VOLLEYBALL FEDERATION

The inaugural Pro Volleyball Federation season is gathering steam and excitement is building as nine matches took place between Feb. 9 and Feb. 19.

On Feb. 18, the Omaha Supernovas broke their own record for highest attendance at a U.S. indoor professional volleyball match as 11,918 saw the hometown Supernovas down the Orlando Valkyries, 3-1 (25-13, 25-21, 21-25, 25-20). Outside hitter Brooke Nuneviller led all players with 16 points – 14 kills, two solo blocks and an ace – while notching 14 digs, and former WNT middle Tori Dixon totaled nine blocks (five solo, four assisted).

This is already the second time Omaha’s set the pro indoor volleyball attendance record. The Supernovas welcomed 11,624 to the league-opening match against Atlanta Jan. 24. They also drew 11,403 fans Feb. 3 against San Diego.

Two of the league’s top three teams – the Grand Rapids Rise and Atlanta Vibe – squared off twice during that Feb. 9-19 stretch with Grand Rapids winning both matches. On Feb. 9, the Rise won 3-1 (25-20, 21-25, 25-22, 25-22) in Atlanta to give the Vibe their first loss of the year. Beach Volleyball Olympian and indoor libero Sarah Sponcil made 19 digs and 13 receptions in the win, 62 percent positive and 54 percent perfect. Setter Ashely Evans added 44 assists, eight digs and seven points for Grand Rapids.

For Atlanta, libero Morgan Hentz also made 19 digs while adding 12 receptions, 83 percent positive. Setter Tori (Dilfer) Stringer assisted 47 points and made three total blocks.

On Feb. 18, the two squads met in Michigan with the hosts hanging on for the five-set win (25-19, 25-18, 23-25, 23-25, 15-11). Evans dished out 49 assists while adding nine digs and three total points, and Sponcil dug 15 Atlanta attacks. Hentz, meanwhile made 21 digs and a 66 percent positive reception rate in the loss. Stringer notched 19 assists and nine digs in two sets.

The Omaha Supernovas rocketed into a tie for second place after a trio of wins Feb. 9-19. They beat the Rise in Grand Rapids, 3-1 (21-25, 33-31, 30-28, 25-21) on Feb. 12, Vegas in Las Vegas 3-1 (25-15, 24-26, 25-22, 25-19) on Feb. 15, and Orlando, 3-1 on Feb. 18. Nuneviller posted double-doubles in all three matches, and libero Kendall White reached double-digits in digs, too.

Against Vegas on Feb. 15, Dixon tallied 14 points and seven total blocks while setter Sydney Hilley assisted on 31 kills in three frames. For the Thrill, Olympian Alisha Glass Childress dished out 44 assists and added 19 digs, five total blocks and a pair of kills.

The Valkyries also won twice during that stretch, downing Vegas on Feb. 10 and Columbus Feb. 16. Atlanta beat Orlando in five sets on Feb. 12, and Vegas swept the San Diego Mojo on Feb. 19. Glass Childress posted 35 assists, 10 digs, and five total blocks for Vegas, and former WNT middle Hannah Tapp made three total blocks for San Diego.

As of Feb. 20, Grand Rapids sat atop the PVF standings with a 3-1 record. Atlanta and Omaha were tied for second at 4-2, while Vegas was fourth at 2-2. Orlando is next with a 2-3 mark, followed by Columbus (0-2) and San Diego (0-3).

TÜRKIYE

Türkiye’s VakifBank (19-1) with Ali Frantti, Chiaka Ogbogu and Jordan Thompson won its last two matches. On Feb. 11, VakifBank beat Cukurova Bld., 3-1 (25-19, 23-25, 25-23 25-17). Ogbogu scored 13 points on nine kills, three blocks and one ace. Thompson played as a substitute and Frantti did not play.

On Feb. 16, VakifBank beat PTT, 3-0 (27-25, 25-17, 25-18). Frantti scored 11 points on 10 kills and one block. Thompson started the first two sets and scored seven points on seven kills. Ogbogu did not play.

Outside hitter Sarah Wilhite Parsons and Kuzeyboru (13-8) also swept their last two matches. On Feb. 11, Kuzeyboru beat Karayollari, 3-0 (25-13, 25-12, 25-16). Wilhite Parsons scored 15 points on 13 kills (.571 hitting efficiency) and two blocks.

On Feb. 18, Kozeyboru beat Beşiktaş Ayos, 3-0 (25-18, 25-19, 25-21). Wilhite Parsons led all scorers with 17 points on 13 kills, two blocks and two aces.

Opposite Stephanie Samedy and Muratpaşa Bld. Sigorta Shop (10-11) went 1-1 in its last two matches. On Feb. 11, Muratpaşa fell to Fenerbahce Opet, 3-0 (25-17, 25-20, 25-19). Samedy scored nine points on eight kills and an ace. U.S. outside hitter Micaya White added nine points on nine kills.

On Feb. 18, Muratpaşa came back to beat setter Lauren Carlini and Aydın Büyükşehir Belediyespor, 3-2 (25-19, 25-16, 25-22, 21-25, 16-14). Samedy led all scorers with 32 points on 31 kills and one ace. White added 21 points on 19 kills, one block and one ace. For Aydin, Carlini scored four points on two kills, a block and an ace.

Carlini and Aydin (6-15) lost another 3-2 heartbreaker to Galatasaray Daikin (10-11) with outside hitter Logan Eggleston and opposite Danielle Cuttino on Feb. 11. Daikin won (25-18, 22-25, 25-22, 20-25,16-14), getting a match-high 38 points from Cuttino on a match-high 33 kills, a match-high four blocks and one ace. Eggleston scored 20 points on 15 kills, two blocks and three aces. Carlini scored four points on two kills and two blocks. She set her team to a .359 hitting efficiency.

On Feb. 18, Daikin lost 3-0 (25-21, 28-26, 25-21) to Eczacıbaşı Dynavit. Cuttino led her team with 16 points on 16 kills. Eggleston added 13 points on nine kills, two blocks and two aces.

JAPAN

Opposite Annie Drews and JT Marvelous (22-0) won their last two matches. On Feb. 10, JT Marvelous beat Hitachi Astemo Rivale, 3-0 (25-21, 27-25, 29-27). Drews scored on 18 kills and three blocks.

On Feb. 11, JT Marvelous defeated the Okayama Seagulls, 3-1 (25-18, 25-21, 23-25, 25-23). Drews scored on 30 kills and two blocks.

GERMANY

The German league has moved into the intermediate round where the top five teams are playing in a round robin to determine who advances.

On Feb. 10, Kayla Haneline and Allianz MTV Stuttgart beat VFB Suhl LOTTO Thüringen, 3-0 (25-16, 25-22, 25-19). Haneline did not play nor did U.S. outside hitter Krystal Rivers. U.S. outside hitter Alexis Hart scored eight points on seven kills and an ace.

On Feb. 17, Stuttgart swept libero Justine Wong-Orantes and SC Potsdam (25-17, 25-17, 25-23). Rivers led all scorers with 18 points on 16 kills, one block and one ace. Haneline and Hart did not play. Wong-Orantes was credited with four receptions, 50 percent positive. U.S. opposite Danielle Harbin played as a substitute and scored 11 points on 11 kills. U.S. middle Breland Morrissette added three points on three kills.

In the group for teams that finished in sixth-ninth place libero Zoe Fleck and USC Münster have gone 1-2 so far.

In their victory on Feb. 14, USC Münster beat the Ladies in Black Aachen, 3-1 (25-23, 25-21, 17-25, 26-24). Fleck was credited with 15 receptions, 27 percent positive. U.S. opposite Gloria Mutiri scored 15 points on 15 kills. Setter Jenna Ewert scored 10 points on five kills, four aces and one block. She set her team to a .303 hitting efficiency. For Achen, middle Gabby Goddard led her team with 14 points on eight kills and a match-high six blocks.

On Feb. 18, Münster lost to Rote Raben Vilsbiburg, 3-2 (22-25, 25-18, 14-25, 25-12, 15-8). Fleck was credited with 11 receptions, 27 percent positive. Mutiri led her team with 16 points on 15 kills and one block. Ewert scored three points on two kills and an ace.

BRAZIL

Outside hitter Roni Jones Perry and SESC RJ Flamengo (15-1) beat Fluminense on Feb. 16, 3-1 (25-23, 25-12, 23-25, 25-16). Perry led all scorers with 18 points on 14 kills, three aces and one block.

On Feb. 11, middle Brionne Butler and Osasco Sao Cristovao Saude (13-3) beat SESI Volei Bauru, 3-0 (25-17, 25-20, 25-16). Butler scored seven points on six kills and one block. U.S. middle Callie Schwarzenbach scored eight points on eight kills.

Setter Jenna Gray and Gerdau Minas (11-5) defeated Esporte Clube Pinheiros, 3-1 (15-25, 25-18, 25-22, 25-14) on Feb. 10. Gray scored one point with a kill.

FRANCE

Taylor Mims posted consecutive 20-kill matches as Nantes went 1-1 in the last two weeks. On Feb. 10, she scored 20 times on 44 swings against Béziers, but it wasn’t enough as Nantes lost in four sets.  The next week, she landed 24 kills on a 43% efficiency rate as Nantes beat Marcq en Baroeul, 3-2 (25-23, 22-25, 20-25, 25-22, 15-12) on Feb. 17.