COLORADO SPRINGS (Feb. 16, 2017) – Matt Anderson has signed with his Russian club Zenit Kazan for another season.
On Feb. 13, Anderson (West Seneca, N.Y.) posted to Instagram: “In Paris for #cevchampionsleague Looking forward to another season with #ZenitKazan and @wilfredo_leon_official @volleyzenit”
During Anderson’s time with Kazan, it has won two Champions League titles (2015, ’16) and two Russian SuperLeague titles (2014, ’16).
Meanwhile, middle blocker Russell Holmes (Fountain Valley, Calif.), a member of the 2012 Olympic Team and a 2016 Olympic alternate, has signed with France’s Paris Volley.
Outside hitter Josh Taylor (Honolulu, Hawaii), a member of the 2016 Pan American Cup team, has been named the new assistant coach for Missouri’s women’s volleyball team, under Head Coach Wayne Kreklow.
CEV CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Italy’s Azimut Modena is undefeated in Champions League pool play at 5-0, but suffered a loss on Feb. 14 when middle blocker Max Holt (Cincinnati) injured his ankle as the team was beating Poland’s PGE Skra Belchatow, 25-16, 21-25, 25-22, 25-22.
The injury occurred in the fourth set and Holt had to be helped off the court. A release from the club said the injury did not appear serious and they would evaluate Holt daily.
Thomas Jaeschke (Wheaton, Ill.) led all scorers as his Polish team, Asseco Resovia Rzeszow, fell to the Berlin Recycling Volleys, 25-20, 25-22, 21-25, 20-25, 15-13 on Feb. 14. Jaeschke, who plays outside hitter for the U.S. Men, entered the match in the first set as the opposite and started the next four sets. He scored 25 points on a match-high 20 kills, two blocks and three aces. Rzeszow is now 2-3 in pool play.
Setter Micah Christenson (Honolulu, Hawaii) and Italy’s Cucine Lube Civitanova shares the pool with Rzeszow and is 4-1. On Feb. 15, Civitanova beat Czech Republic’s Dukla Liberec, 22-25, 30-28, 25-23, 25-14. Christenson started the first three sets and scored one point on one kill. He helped set Civitanova to a .406 hitting efficiency.
Outside hitter Aaron Russell (Ellicott City, Md.) and Italy’s Sir Safety Perugia fell to Belgium’s Knack Roeselare, 25-18, 20-25, 20-25, 25-22, 15-13 on Feb. 15. Russell scored 19 points on 13 kills, two blocks and four aces. He was credited with 28 receptions, 57 percent positive. Perugia is 4-1 in pool play.
CEV CHALLENGE CUP
In the first match of the quarterfinals, middle blocker Dan McDonnell (Glendale, Ariz.) and his French team Chaumont defeated Slovakia’s Spartek Myjava, 25-16, 25-22, 25-23. McDonnell started the first two sets and scored seven points on four kills and three blocks. The two teams will play again on Feb. 28.
RUSSIA
Matt Anderson, who plays outside hitter for Zenit Kazan, and his team beat Fakel Novy Urengoy, 25-22, 25-20, 25-21 on Feb. 11. Anderson scored six points on five kills and one block. He was credited with 14 receptions, 57 percent positive.
Libero Erik Shoji (Honolulu, Hawaii), setter Kawika Shoji (Honolulu) and Lokomotiv Novosibirsk defeated Yugra Samotlor, 25-21, 25-21, 25-13 on Feb. 12. Kawika Shoji scored four points on a match-high four aces. He set Novosibirsk to a .457 hitting efficiency. Erik Shoji was credited with 15 receptions, 80 percent positive.
POLAND
Middle blocker David Smith (Saugus, Calif.), libero Dustin Watten (Long Beach, Calif.) and Cerrad Czarni Radom fell to Asseco Resovia Rzeszow, 19-25, 25-18, 25-21, 25-14 on Feb. 10. Smith scored 10 points on six kills, two blocks and two aces. Watten was credited with 20 receptions, 60 percent positive. Thomas Jaeschke was on the roster for Rzeszow, but did not play.
Jonah Seif(Thousand Oaks, Calif.) and MKS Będzin defeated GKS Katowice, 25-20, 25-22, 25-23 on Feb. 11. Seif scored one point on an ace and set his team to a .482 hitting efficiency.
ITALY
Micah Christenson and Cucine Lube Civitanova swept Diatec Trentino, 25-21, 25-14, 25-15 on Feb. 12. Christenson scored four points on two kills and two aces and set his team to a .444 hitting efficiency.
Prior to his Champions League injury, Max Holt and Azimut Modena beat Exprivia Molfetta, 25-23, 23-25, 25-17, 25-22 on Feb. 12. Holt scored seven points on six kills and one block.
Setter James Shaw (Woodside, Calif.), middle blocker Taylor Averill (San Jose, Calif.) and Kioene Padova fell to Top Volley Latina, 25-22, 25-19, 25-15 on Feb. 12. Shaw scored two points on one kill and one block and set Padova to a .278 hitting efficiency. Averill scored four points on two kills and two aces.
CHINA
Outside hitter Taylor Sander (Huntington Beach, Calif.) and Beijing beat Sichuan in the second match of their league semifinal series, 26-24, 19-25, 25-21, 25-20 on Feb. 9. Sander led his team with 20 points, including 17 kills. Beijing beat Sichuan again on Feb. 12, 25-19, 28-30, 25-20, 25-20, but statistics were not available.
Sander has been named to the Chinese league all-star team, playing for the North.
FRANCE
Middle blocker Dan McDonnell and Chaumont defeated Stade Poitevin Volley, 25-19, 22-25, 25-14, 25-20 on Feb. 10. McDonnell scored seven points on four kills, one block and two aces.
TURKEY
Opposite Will Price (Laytonsville, Md.) started the first two sets and scored seven points on seven kills as his team, Istanbul BBSK lost to Inegol Bld, 25-23, 25-21, 24-26, 25-16 on Feb. 12.
GERMANY
SVG Luneburg, including Americans Michael Brinkley, Scott Kevorken, Cody Kessel and Eric Fitterer, fell to SWD powervolleys Duren, 25-22, 18-25, 25-19, 25-23 on Feb. 11. Fitterer (Edwardsville, Ill.) led all scorers with 22 points on 16 kills, three blocks and three aces. Middle blocker Kevorken (Westlake Village, Calif.) scored 13 points on seven kills, two blocks and a match-high four aces. Outside hitter Cody Kessel (Colorado Springs, Colo.) added 12 points on 10 kills and two blocks.