WNT Update: Headed for Champions League Quarterfinals

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Feb. 9, 2024) – In this week’s update, two teams with U.S. players are moving on in CEV Champions League and another U.S. player is headed to the final of the Challenge Cup.

CEV CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Türkiye’s VakifBank with outside hitter Ali Frantti, middle blocker Chiaka Ogbogu and opposite Jordan Thompson advanced to the Champions League quarterfinals after winning two playoff matches against Poland’s PGE Rysice Rzeszow.

In the second match on Feb. 7, host VakifBank won, 3-0 (25-12, 25-18, 25-23). Frantti started the first two sets and led her team with 12 points on nine kills, one block and two aces. Thompson started the first two sets and scored 10 points on nine kills and one block. Ogbogu finished with eight points on five kills and three blocks.

VakifBank will play Italy’s Prosseco Doc Imoco Conegliano with U.S. outside hitters Kelsey (Robinson) Cook, Khalia Lanier and Kathryn Plummer and setter Madi Bugg in the quarterfinals.

Germany’s Allianz MTV Stuttgart and middle Kayla Haneline also advanced to the quarterfinals after winning two matches over Germany’s SC Potsdam and libero Justine Wong-Orantes.

In the second match on Feb. 7, Stuttgart beat host Potsdam, 3-0 (25-19, 26-24, 25-22). Haneline did not play. U.S. outside hitter Krystal Rivers started the first two sets and scored six points on four kills and two blocks.

For Potsdam, Wong-Orantes was credited with four receptions, 50 percent positive. U.S. middle Breland Morrissette scored 10 points on four kills, a match-high five blocks and one ace. Opposite Danielle Harbin scored 11 points on 11 kills.

Stuttgart will play Türkiye’s Fenerbahce Opet in the quarterfinals.

CEV CUP

Italy’s Reale Mutua Fenera Chieri ’76 with outside hitters Avery Skinner and Madi Kingdon Rishel   has advanced to semifinals of the CEV Cup after winning two five-set matches over France’s Volero Le Cannet.

In the second match on July 2, host Chieri beat Cannet, 3-2 (25-10, 19-25, 25-19, 20-25, 21-19). Skinner led her team with 22 points on 21 kills and one block. Kingdon Rishel played as a substitute and added two points on two kills.

Chieri will play France’s Levallois Paris Saint Cloud in the semifinals, which start Feb. 21.

CEV CHALLENGE CUP

Opposite Taylor Mims and France’s Neptunes de Nantes have advanced to finals of the Challenge Cup after winning two semifinal matches over Türkiye’s Nilüfer Belediye Bursa.

In the second match on Feb. 7, visiting Nantes won 3-0 (25-18, 25-18, 25-16). Mims scored eight points on eight kills. U.S. middle Jaelyn Keene added 10 points on five kills, one blocks and a match-high four aces.

Nantes will play Italy’s Igor Gorgonzola Novara in the finals on Feb. 21 in Italy and Feb. 28 in France.

PRO VOLLEYBALL FEDERATION

On Feb. 3, the Omaha Supernovas hosted and beat the San Diego Mojo, 3-0 (25-17, 25-18, 25-22). Setter Sydney Hilley directed the Supernovas’ offense that posted a 37 percent efficiency rate, assisting 26 points and adding two herself with one kill and one ace. She also notched eight digs.

Libero Kendall White led the match with 10 digs and made 14 total receptions, 50 percent positive. Outside hitter Brooke Nuneviller posted five kills on seven swings; Danielle Hart landed five kills, a solo block, and three block assists; and Nia Reed came off the bench to block one attack in the third set.

Former WNT middle Tori Dixon added six kills, three solo blocks, one block assist, and a service ace for the Supernovas.

Middle Hannah Tapp, the only current WNT player on San Diego, tallied six kills on 13 swings in the loss. The Mojo sport two Olympians off the court. Two-time silver medalist Tayyiba Haneef-Park coaches the team while four-time Olympic medalist and International Volleyball Hall of Fame member Kerri Walsh Jennings owns it.

On Feb. 7, the Vegas Thrill played their inaugural match, downing Omaha in five sets (19-25, 25-23, 25-20, 18-25, 15-12). No current WNT players are on the Vegas roster, but 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Alisha Glass Childress started all five sets for the Thrill, tallying 16 digs, two kills and one block.

For Omaha, Hilley posted a double-double with 40 assists and 20 digs, Hart added seven kills, five digs, and three total blocks; White posted 12 digs and Reed tallied four kills and a block assist. Dixon totaled seven points, five from the attack.

ITALY

Kathryn Plummer scored 11 points and Kelsey (Robinson) Cook added nine as Prosseco Doc Imoco Conegliano (19-0) continued its unbeaten run through Serie A1 with a 3-0 (25-23, 25-18, 25-18) win over second-place Allianz Vero Volley Milano on Feb. 4. Plummer tallied eight points in the attack, two from blocks and one from the service line. Cook notched seven kills, one block and an ace of her own. Khalia Lanier and Madi Bugg did not play for Imoco Conegliano

WNT middle Dana Rettke, who plays for Allianz Vero Volley Milano (17-2), also missed the match, but outside hitter Kara Bajema scored twice in the defeat.

Middle Haleigh Washington powered Savino Del Bene Scandicci (15-4) to a three-set win (25-18, 25-13, 25-17) over Itas Trentino Feb. 4, scoring 12 points and earning MVP honors. Washington scored 10 points on 12 swings and added two blocks.

Setter Micha Hancock was named game MVP as Trasportipesanti Casalmaggiore (5-13) downed Il Bisonte Firenze in three sets (25-21, 34-32, 25-18) on Feb. 3. Hancock led the team to a 41 percent attack percentage and 54 total kills while scoring twice herself. Outside hitter Simone Lee added 15 points (14 kills, 1 block) in the win.

Madi Kingdon Rishel scored 11 points (9 kills, 2 blocks), but it wasn’t enough as Reale Mutua Fenera Chieri ’76 (10-9) fell 3-1 (25-21, 29-27, 20-25, 25-20) to Wash4green Pinerolo Feb. 4. Avery Skinner did not play.

Middle Anna Hall led Honda Olivero S.Bernardo Cuneo (5-14) with 16 points, but Igor Gorgonzola Novara took the match 3-1 (25-10, 25-17, 18-25, 25-17) on Feb. 4. Hall landed 11 kills on a 55% attack percentage and added three block points and two aces.

Outside hitter Madi Kubik scored nine points in three sets for Honda Olivero S.Bernardo Cuneo, including eight kills.

FRANCE

Taylor Mims helped Nantes (15-1) retain its spot atop the Ligue A Féminine standings by scoring 23 points during a 3-2 (21-25, 25-17, 25-18, 22-25, 15-12) win over Chamaliéres Feb. 3. The American landed 21 kills for a 43% points percentage and added two blocks.

TÜRKIYE

VakifBank (17-1) with Ali Frantti, Chiaka Ogbogu and Jordan Thompson beat Sariyer Bld., 3-0 (25-19, 25-18, 25-15) on Feb. 4. Frantti led all scorer with 20 points on 17 kills (.551 hitting efficiency), two blocks and one ace. Thompson and Ogbogu did not play.

Outside hitter Sarah Wilhite Parsons and Kuzeyboru (11-8) beat Cukurova Bld., 3-2 (20-25, 25-22, 11-25, 26-24, 17-15) on Feb. 4. Wilhite Parsons scored 14 points on 11 kills, two blocks and one ace.

Opposite Stephanie Samedy and Muratpaşa Bld. Sigorta Shop (9-10) fell to Turk Hava Yollari, 3-0 (27-25, 25-17, 25-20). Samedy scored 11 points on 10 kills and one block. U.S. outside hitter Micaya White added four points on three kills and one ace.

Galatasaray Daikin (9-10) with outside hitter Logan Eggleston and opposite Danielle Cuttino fell to Fenerbahce Opet, 3-0 (25-20, 25-18, 25-20) on Feb. 4. Cuttino scored 15 points on 13 kills (.462) and two blocks. Eggleston started the first two sets and added seven points on seven kills.

Setter Lauren Carlini and Aydın Büyükşehir Belediyespor (6-13) lost to Besiktas Ayos 3-0 (28-26, 25-23, 25-17) on Feb. 4. Carlini scored two points on an ace and a block.

JAPAN

Opposite Annie Drews and JT Marvelous (20-0) beat the PFU Blue Cats on Feb. 3, 3-0 (25-21, 25-20, 25-19). Drews scored on 14 kills and one block.

On Feb. 4, JT Marvelous beat the Toray Arrows, 3-1 (25-21, 25-22, 22-25, 25-17). Drews scored 22 points on 17 kills, three blocks and two aces.

GERMANY

The German league finished its main round in the last week with teams jockeying for the best placement heading into the intermediate round.

Kayla Haneline and Allianz MTV Stuttgart (16-2) finished in second place while Justine Wong-Orantes and SC Potsdam placed fourth (11-7). Both teams will play in the top group of the intermediate round.

The two teams played each other in their last main-round match on Feb. 3, with Potsdam taking the 3-0 (26-24, 25-20, 25-21) win. Wong-Orantes was credited with 13 receptions, 62 percent positive. Danielle Harbin scored 12 points on 12 kills. Breland Morrisette scored four points on three kills and one block. Haneline played the first two sets and scored five points on two kills and a match-high three blocks. Krystal Rivers played the last set and scored nine points on eight kills and one block.

Libero Zoe Fleck and USC Münster (6-12) finished in seventh place. On Feb. 3, they beat Rote Raben Vilsbiburg, 3-1 (25-21, 25-18, 23-25, 25-22). Fleck was credited with 11 receptions, 45 percent positive. U.S. setter Jenna Ewert added six points on three kills and three blocks. She set her team to a .375 hitting efficiency. Opposite Gloria Mutiri scored 12 points on 11 kills and one block.

BRAZIL

Outside hitter Roni Jones Perry and SESC RJ Flamengo (14-1) defeated Sesi Vôlei Bauru, 3-0 (25-11, 25-22, 25-19) on Feb. 5. Perry led all scorers with 18 points on 17 kills (.429) and one block.

Middle Brionne Butler and Osasco Sao Cristovao Saude (12-3) beat Barueri Volleyball Club on Feb. 2, 3-0 (25-16, 25-22, 25-17). Butler scored seven points on four kills, two blocks and one ace. U.S. middle Callie Schwarzenbach scored eight points on seven kills and one block.

On Feb. 5, Osasco Sao Cristovao Saude beat Esporte Clube Pinheiros, 3-2 (19-25, 25-19, 18-25, 25-19, 15-3). Butler scored 13 points on nine kills and four blocks. Schwarzenbach added eight points on five kills, two blocks and one ace.

Setter Jenna Gray and Gerdau Minas (9-3) fell to Barueri Volleyball Club on Feb. 6, 3-2 (25-22, 25-22, 15-25, 17-25, 15-9). Gray scored one point on a kill and set her team to a .343 hitting efficiency.