COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (March 22, 2018) – Outside hitter Matt Anderson seems to be peaking when it counts for his Russian club Zenit Kazan.
Anderson scored 21 points on 17 kills and a match-high four aces in a 25-15, 23-25, 27-25, 25-21 win over Nova Novokuibyshevsk on March 16 in the Russian league quarterfinals.
Anderson was also credited with 25 receptions, 64 percent positive.
Kazan went 2-0 against Novokuibyshevsk and will move on to the semifinals, beginning March 31, against Kuzbass Kemerovo.
THE PATH TO THE PODIUM
Congratulations to Arvis Greene for being named the Big West and AVCA Division I-II National Player of the Week after leading Cal State Northridge to a pair of wins over Hawaii last week.
Greene, who played on the 2017 U.S. Men’s Pan American Cup team, averaged 5.33 kills, .83 digs and 1.17 blocks per set in the Matadors’ two wins.
POLAND
Middle blocker David Smith helped Aluron Virtu Warta Zawiercie to a 25-15, 25-21, 25-21 win over GKS Katowice on March 19. Smith was his team’s second-leading scorer with 10 points on a match-high five blocks, four kills and one ace.
Libero Dustin Watten and Cerrad Czarni Radom fell to Indykpol AZS Olsztyn, 27-25, 25-22, 25-20 on March 18. Watten was credited with nine receptions, 44 percent positive.
ITALY
Setter Micah Christenson, outside hitter Taylor Sander and Cucine Lube Civitanova will advance to the playoff semifinals after going 2-0 against Wixo LPR Piacenza. On March 18, Civitanova won its second quarterfinal match, 16-25, 25-11, 25-11, 22-25, 15-13. Christenson scored seven points on a match-high four aces, two kills and one block. He set the team to a .530 hitting efficiency. Sander did not play in the match.
Civitanova will play middle blocker Max Holt and Azimut Modena in the semifinals. Modena won its second quarterfinal match over middle blocker Taylor Averill and Revivre Milano, 25-27, 25-21, 25-19, 25-19 on March 18. Holt scored 12 points on seven kills (.600 hitting efficiency) and a match-high five aces. Averill started the first three sets and scored 11 points on 10 kills (1.00) and one block.
Outside hitter Aaron Russell, setter James Shaw and Sir Safety Conad Perugia will play a tie-breaker quarterfinal match against Bunge Ravenna on March 25 after losing to Ravenna, 20-25, 25-23, 27-25, 29-31, 15-12 on March 18. Russell did not play in the match, reportedly due to an injury, while Shaw played as a substitute.
Outside hitter Thomas Jaeschke and Calzedonia Verona will also play a third playoff match against Diatec Trentino after beating Trentino, 25-23, 21-25, 23-25, 26-24, 15-13 on March 17. Jaeschke scored 17 points on a match-high five blocks and 12 kills. He was credited with 26 receptions, 34 percent positive.
In the playoffs among the teams that finished ninth-14th in the Italian league, opposite Ben Patch and Tonno Callipo Calabria Vibo Valentia fell to Biosi Indexa Sora, 25-14, 8-25, 25-23, 25-20 on March 18. Patch scored 11 points on 10 kills and one block. American outside hitter Kupono Fey played as a substitute for Sora and scored three points on three kills.
Libero Erik Shoji and Taiwan Excellence Latina went 2-0 to defeat BCC Castellana Grotte. On March 22, Latina beat Grotte, 25-13, 25-21, 25-23. Shoji was credited with 17 receptions, 100 percent positive.
FRANCE
Middle blocker Mitch Stahl and Paris beat Tourcoing, 26-24, 27-25, 20-25, 20-25, 15-13 on March 16. Stahl scored 12 points on a match-high five blocks and seven kills.
Setter Michael Saeta and Chaumont fell to Nice, 26-24, 25-17, 21-25, 18-25, 15-13 on March 17. Saeta started the final three sets and scored four points on four kills.
GERMANY
Outside hitter Kyle Russell and the Berlin Recycling Volleys fell to Vfb Friedrichshafen, 22-25, 27-25, 25-23, 25-22 on March 18. Russell started the first two sets and scored 13 points on 12 kills and one ace. American Scott Kevorken, who plays middle blocker for Friedrichshafen, scored six points on five kills and one block.
CEV CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Russell, Shaw and Perugia will advance to the six-team playoff after going 2-0 against Turkey’s Halkbank Ankara. On March 21, Perugia beat Halkbank, 25-23, 25-23, 25-13. Russell started the third set and score two points on two kills. Shaw played as a substitute and scored one point on a block.
Christenson, Sander and Civitanova will also advance after going 2-0 against Poland’s PGE Skra Belchatow. On March 22, Civitanova beat Belchatow, 25-17, 25-18, 25-21. Sander scored 10 points on nine kills (.530 efficiency) and one ace. He was credited with 15 receptions, 40 percent positive. Christenson scored six points on three kills and a match-high three aces. He set his team to a .585 hitting efficiency.
Saeta and Chaumont will not continue after losing to Italy’s Diatec Trentino, 26-24, 25-23, 27-25 on March 20. Saeta played as a substitute.
CEV CUP
Jaeschke and Verona were knocked out of the semifinals when they lost to Turkey’s Ziraat Bankasi Ankara, 25-20, 25-20, 20-25, 24-26, 15-11 on March 20. Jaeschke scored 12 points on 10 kills, one block and one ace. He was credited with 19 receptions, 53 percent positive.