COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Nov. 2, 2016) – The Third-Annual Matt Anderson Spiking for Autism Volleyball Tournament will take place on Nov. 5 at the Niagara Frontier Volleyball Center in West Seneca, N.Y. The volleyball tournament starts at 9 and a raffle for gift baskets will begin at 10 a.m.
All proceeds go to support the Autism Service Inc. Resource Center in Hamburg, N.Y.
Anderson (West Seneca, N.Y.), a three-time USA Volleyball Indoor Men’s Player of the Year winner, helped the United States win the bronze medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Anderson is currently playing for the Russian club team Zenit Kazan.
Anderson adopted autism awareness as a cause because he has a nephew, Tristan, who is autistic.
For more information on the tournament, visit spikingforautism.com or go to the Matt Anderson Spiking for Autism Volleyball Tournament Facebook page.
RUSSIA
Libero Erik Shoji (Honolulu, Hawaii), setter Kawika Shoji (Honolulu) and their Russian club Lokomotiv Novosibirsk lead the league at 6-0. On Oct. 29, Novosibirsk defeated Dinamo Krasnodar, 32-30, 25-16, 25-17. Kawika scored two points on two straight aces in the first set. He set the team to a .461 hitting efficiency. Erik was credited with 14 receptions, 43 percent positive. Novosibirsk got the wild card for the Russian Cup finals on Dec. 12-17 in Surgut. Anderson and Kazan will also compete in the finals.
Anderson and Kazan are in second place in the league at 5-0. On Oct. 29, Kazan defeated Yugra Samotlor Nizhnevartovsk, 25-22, 35-37, 25-16, 25-19. Anderson, who plays outside hitter for Kazan, scored 16 points on 13 kills, one block and two aces. He was credited with 24 receptions, 71 percent positive.
ITALY
Two Italian teams with U.S. players remain undefeated in league play.
Middle blocker Max Holt (Cincinnati, Ohio), outside hitter Brian Cook (Santa Cruz, Calif.) and Azimut Modena won two matches over the week to improve to 7-0. In the second match on Nov. 1, Modena defeated outside hitter Aaron Russell (Ellicott City, Md.) and Sir Safety Conad Perugia, 22-25, 25-22, 25-21, 25-22 on Nov. 1. Holt scored four points on three blocks and one ace. Cook played as a substitute. Russell scored 12 points on 10 kills, one block and one ace.
Setter Micah Christenson (Honolulu) and Cucine Lube Civitanova also improved to 7-0. On Oct. 29, Civitanova defeated Kioene Padova, including setter James Shaw (Woodside, Calif.), 22-25, 25-20, 15-25, 25-14, 15-8. Christenson scored four points on one kill, one block and two aces. He set his team to a .475 hitting efficiency. Shaw scored six points on two kills, two blocks and two aces. He set Padova to a .346 hitting efficiency.
On Nov. 1, Christenson was named match MVP as Civitanova defeated Tonno Callipo Calabria Vibo Valentia, 25-19, 25-20, 25-20. Christenson scored six points on two kills, one block and a match-high three aces. He set Civitanova to a .476 hitting efficiency.
After their loss to Civitanova, Shaw and Padova came back to beat Gi Group Monza, 26-24, 25-20, 25-23 on Nov. 1. Shaw scored six points on a match-high three blocks and three kills. He set Padova to a .413 hitting efficiency.
POLAND
Outside hitter Scott Touzinsky (St. Louis, Mo.) and Jastrzębski Węgiel fell to ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle, 25-21, 20-25, 25-16, 25-27, 22-20 on Oct. 29. Touzinsky scored five points on five kills. He was credited with 27 receptions, 48 percent positive.
Middle blocker David Smith (Saugus, Calif.), libero Dustin Watten (Long Beach, Calif.) and Cerrad Czarni Radom fell to Asseco Resovia Rzeszów, 25-18, 25-16, 25-15 on Oct. 30. Smith started the first two sets and scored one point on one kill. Watten was credited with 23 receptions, 57 percent positive.
On Oct. 29, setter Jonah Seif (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) and MKS Będzin beat GKS Katowice, 25-22, 22-25, 25-21, 25-17. Seif played as a substitute and scored one point on a kill.
GERMANY
SVG Luneburg, including Americans Michael Brinkley, Scott Kevorken, Cody Kessel and Eric Fitterer went 1-1 over the last week, beating VCO Berlin (25-18, 25-13, 25-14) and falling to the Berlin Recycling Volleys (27-25, 25-19, 28-26).
In the victory over VCO Berlin, Fitterer (Edwardsville, Ill.), at opposite, was named the match MVP, leading Luneburg in scoring with 12 points on nine kills and three blocks. Outside hitter Kessel (Colorado Springs) added 11 points on 10 kills and one block. Middle blocker Kevorken (Westlake Village, Calif.) scored 10 points on five kills, three blocks and a match-high two aces. Libero Brinkley was credited with 10 receptions, 60 percent positive.
In the loss to the Recycling Volleys, Fitterer led Luneburg with 18 points on 13 attacks, three blocks and two aces. Kessel added 12 points on 12 kill and was credited with 36 receptions, 42 percent positive. Kevorken scored six points on five kills and one block. Brinkley was credited with 13 receptions, 31 percent positive.
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Netherlands’ Abiant Lycurgus Groningen, which includes U.S. setter Matt West (Seattle, Wash.), outside hitter Mikelis Berzins (Brinklow, Md.) and middle blocker Nick Olson (New Berlin, Wis.) defeated Bulgaria’s Dobrudja 07 Dobrich (26-24, 25-23, 25-23) in a second-round CEV Champions League match on Nov. 2.
Berzins scored nine points on six kills, two blocks and one ace. He was credited with 19 receptions, 63 percent positive. Olson added eight points on four kills, two blocks and two aces. West scored seven points on a match-high six aces, including four in the third set, and one kill. He set Groningen to a .337 hitting efficiency.