WNT Update: Holding up the CEV Cup

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (March 22, 2024) – This week, Avery Skinner and Madi Kingdon Rishel won the CEV Cup with Italy’s Reale Mutua Fenera Chieri ’76. Two Italian teams with U.S. players advanced to the final of the CEV Champions League.

CEV CUP

Italy’s Reale Mutua Fenera Chieri ’76 with outside hitters Avery Skinner and Madi Kingdon Rishel won the CEV Cup with two victories over Switzerland’s Viteos Neuchatel UC.

On March 13, visiting Chieri won, 3-0 (25-23, 25-13, 26-24) on March 13. Skinner scored 13 points on 10 kills and three blocks. Kingdon Rishel added seven points on seven kills.

For Neuchatel, U.S. outside hitter Tia Scambray scored 19 points on 19 kills. Outside hitter Maddie Haynes added nine points on seven kills and two blocks. Opposite Tessa Grubbs totaled eight points on six kills, one block and one ace. Middle blocker Jasmine Gross scored five points on four kills and one block.

On March 20, host Chieri took the trophy with a 3-1 (25-9, 25-20, 20-25, 25-13) win. Skinner scored 11 points on seven kills, three aces and one block. Kingdon Rishel totaled 10 points on six kills, three blocks and one ace.

For Neuchatel, Haynes led the team with 14 points on 13 kills and one block. Grubbs added eight points on six kills, one block and one ace. Scambray started the first three sets and scored six points on four kills and two aces. Gross started the first three sets and scored one point with a kill.

CEV CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Italy’s Allianz Vero Volley Milano with middle blocker Dana Rettke and outside hitter Kara Bajema will play Italy’s Prosecco Doc Imoco Conegliano with outside hitters Kelsey (Robinson) Cook, Khalia Lanier and Kathryn Plummer and setter Madi Bugg in the final of the CEV Champions League.

Milano won its first semifinal match over Türkiye’s visiting Fenerbahce Opet Istanbul, 3-0 (25-21, 27-25, 25-20) on March 14. Rettke scored four points on three kills and one block. Bajema played as a substitute.

On March 19, Istanbul came back to win 3-1 (25-15, 26-28, 25-22, 25-23) forcing a golden set, which Milano won 15-11. Rettke started the first two sets and scored three points on three kills. Bajema did not play.

Italy’s Prosecco Doc Imoco Conegliano won both its semifinal matches against Türkiye’s Eczacibasi Dynavit Istanbul.

On March 14, host Conegliano beat Istanbul, 3-2 (26-28, 20-25, 25-14, 25-22, 18-16). Plummer scored 16 points on 15 kills and one ace. Lanier scored 11 points on 10 kills and one ace. Cook scored two points on two kills.

On March 20, visiting Conegliano won, 3-1 (25-17, 25-15, 24-26, 25-16). Plummer scored 12 points on 11 kills and one ace. Cook added 11 points on 11 kills. Bugg and Lanier did not play.

The CEV Champions League final will be played May 5.

ITALY

With one week left in the regular season, Prosecco Doc Imoco Conegliano (25-0) with Kelsey Cook, Kathryn Plummer, Khalia Lanier and Madi Bugg continues undefeated. On March 10, Conegliano beat Megabox Ond. Savio Vallefoglia, 3-1 (22-25, 25-17, 25-22, 25-13). Lanier scored seven points on seven kills. Bugg started at setter and scored two points with a kill and ace. She set the team to a .383 hitting efficiency. Cook played as a substitute and Plummer did not play.

On March 17, Conegliano swept Wash4green Pinerolo (25-19, 25-18, 25-21). Cook scored 15 points on 12 kills, two blocks and an ace and was named MVP. Plummer scored 15 points on 14 kills and a block. Lanier played as a substitute and scored one point with a kill. Bugg played as a substitute.

Savino Del Bene Scandicci (21-4) with middle Haleigh Washington remained second place in the standings. On March 17, Scandicci beat Aeroitalia Smi Roma, 3-0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-20). Washington scored 15 points on seven kills, a match-high six blocks and two aces and was named MVP.

Allianz Vero Volley Milano (21-4) with Kara Bajema and Dana Rettke sits in third place just behind Scandicci. On March 9, Milano defeated middle Anna Hall and Honda Olivero S.Bernardo Cuneo (7-16), 3-0 (25-19, 25-23, 25-20). Rettke scored eight points on eight kills. Bajema played as a substitute and scored two points on two kills. For Cuneo, Hall started the first set and scored two points on a kill and a block. U.S. outside hitter Madi Kubik started the third set and scored four points on four kills.

On March 16, Milano defeated Il Bisonte Firenze, 3-1 (25-19, 20-25, 25-17, 25-21). Bajema scored 11 points on five kills, five aces and one block. Rettke did not play. U.S. opposite Kendall Kipp scored 18 points on 13 kills, two blocks and three aces for Firenze.

Reale Mutua Fenera Chieri ’76 (14-11) with outside hitters Avery Skinner and Madi Kingdon Rishel are in fifth place. On March 17, Il Bisonte Firenze beat Chieri, 3-0 (25-20, 25-23, 25-19). Kingdon Rishel scored nine points on nine kills. Skinner did not play. For Firenze, Kipp scored 15 points on 13 kills and two blocks.

Hall and Honda Olivero S.Bernardo Cuneo beat Chieri, 3-0 (25-20, 25-23, 25-19) on March 17. Hall started the first two sets and scored seven points on six kills and one ace. Kubik played as a substitute and scored on one point with a kill. For Chieri, Kingdon Rishel totaled nine points on nine kills and Skinner did not play.

Trasportipesanti Casalmaggiore (10-15) with setter Micah Hancock and outside hitter Simone Lee is in ninth place and has won its last two matches. On March 10, Casalmaggiore beat Wash4green Pinerolo, 3-1 (25-15, 15-25, 25-14, 25-19). Lee scored 13 points on nine kills, two blocks and two aces. Hancock added five points on four blocks and one ace. She set her team to a .360 hitting efficiency.

On March 17, Casalmaggiore beat Megabox Ond. Savio Vallefoglia, 3-1 (21-25, 25-19, 25-12, 25-16). Lee scored 21 points on 19 kills and two blocks. Hancock scored three points on a kill, block and ace and set Casalmaggiore to a .462 hitting efficiency.

TÜRKIYE

VakifBank (23-2) with outside hitter Ali Frantti, middle Chiaka Ogbogu and opposite Jordan Thompson are third in the league with one match left. Ogbogu is second among all players in kill percentage (59 percent).

On March 17, VakifBank beat outside hitter Sarah Wilhite Parsons and Kuzeyboru (17-9), 3-1 (22-25, 25-19, 25-11, 25-16). Thompson led all scorers with 18 points on 14 kills, two blocks and two aces. Frantti added 15 points on 12 kills, two blocks and one ace. Ogbogu did not play. Wilhite Parsons led Kuzeyboru with 14 points on 12 kills and two blocks.

Kuzeyboru finished the regular season in fifth place. Wilhite Parsons finished the regular season third in overall scoring with 442 points.

VakifBank still has one match left in the regular season on March 28. VakifBank will face Eczacıbaşı Dynavit in the semifinals of the AXA Sigorta Cup on March 23. The final will be March 24.

Sixth place Galatasaray Daikin (14-12) with outside hitter Logan Eggleston and opposite Danielle Cuttino finished the regular season with a 3-0 (27-25, 25-13, 25-16) win over opposite Stephanie Samedy and eighth-place Muratpaşa Bld. Sigorta Shop (11-15).

Eggleston led all scorers with 19 points on 17 kills, one block and one ace. Cuttino played as a substitute and scored four points on three kills and one block. Samedy led her team with 14 points on 12 kills and two blocks. U.S. outside hitter Macaya White added 13 points on 12 kills and one ace.

Samedy finished the regular season fourth in the league in overall scoring with 420 points.

Setter Lauren Carlini and Aydın Büyükşehir Belediyespor (6-20) finished the season in 12^th place. They lost their final regular-season match 3-0 (25-16, 26-24, 25-15) to Turk Hava Yollari. Carlini scored two points on two blocks.

GERMANY

Libero Justine Wong-Orantes and SC Potsdam beat Dresdner on March 16, 3-1 (21-25, 25-18, 25-13, 25-20) to advance to the playoff quarterfinals, where they will play Suhl.

Against Dresdner, Wong-Orantes was credited with 10 receptions, 40 percent positive. U.S. opposite Danielle Harbin played as a substitute and scored three points on three kills. For Dresdner, U.S. middle Tia Jimerson led all scorers with 21 points on 18 kills (.680), two blocks and one ace. Opposite Grace Frohling added 18 points on 17 kills (.516) and one block.

Middle blocker Kayla Haneline and Allianz MTV Stuttgart also advanced to the quarterfinals, where they will play libero Zoe Fleck and USC Münster.

On March 9, Stuttgart beat SSC Palmberg Schwerin, 3-2 (25-23, 28-26, 22-25, 23-25,15-12). Haneline started the final three sets and scored six points on five kills and one block. U.S. opposite Krystal Rivers led her team with 25 points on 17 kills, a match-high six blocks and two aces.

On March 15, USC Münster beat Rote Raben Vilsbiburg, 3-1 (25-18, 20-25, 25-21, 25-21). Fleck was credited with 10 receptions, 10 percent positive. U.S. opposite Gloria Mutiri led her team with 17 points on 17 kills. Setter Jenna Ewert totaled two points on a kill and block. She set the team to a .374 hitting efficiency. For Vilsbiburg, U.S. middle Serena Bruin started the fifth set and scored three points on three kills.

BRAZIL

Outside hitter Roni Jones Perry and SESC RJ Flamengo (19-2) won their last three matches to hold their league lead. On March 8, SESC RJ Flamengo beat Gerdau Minas (14-7) with setter Jenna Gray, 3-1 (25-15, 17-25, 25-17, 25-21). Perry scored nine points on nine kills. Gray scored three points on two aces and a kill.

On March 18, Flamengo beat Bluvolei Furb SME 3-0 (25-21, 25-15, 25-21). Perry started the first two sets and scored seven points on six kills and one block.

Osasco Sao Cristovao Saude (17-4) with middle Brionne Butler went 2-1 in their last three matches and are in second place in the league. On March 17, they fell to Dentil Praia Clube, 3-1 (25-15, 21-25, 37-35, 25-20). Butler scored 16 points on 13 kills (.650), two blocks and one ace.

On March 12, Osasco Sao Cristovao Saude beat Gray and Gerdau Minas, 3-2 (23-25, 22-25, 25-21, 25-21, 15-12). Butler scored 15 points on 10 kills and a match-high five blocks. Gray scored one point with a block. She set the team to a .331 hitting efficiency.

FRANCE

Opposite Taylor Mims and Neptunes de Nantes (20-3) cliched the Ligue Á regular season title with a 3-0 (25-21, 25-16, 25-23) sweep of Pays d’Aix Venelles on March 9. Mims led all players with 17 points, all but two coming on kills. A week later, Mims scored 18 times – 14 kills, two aces, two blocks – but Le Cannet beat Nantes in four sets. Mims and the regular season champions have one match remaining in the regular season: a March 23 contest against Terville Florange.

PRO VOLLEYBALL FEDERATION

The Atlanta Vibe (8-3) have reclaimed their place atop the Pro Volleyball Federation standings after a pair of wins between March 9 and March 17. On March 9, the Vibe downed the Vegas Thrill, 3-1 (25-16, 22-25, 25-23, 25-20). Setter Tori (Dilfer) Stringer tallied 22 assists and 12 digs in the match, and libero Morgan Hentz added 12 digs. For Vegas, 2016 bronze medalist Alisha Glass Childress notched 30 assists, eight digs and six total blocks.

On March 14, Atlanta beat the Omaha Supernovas in four sets (25-20, 15-25, 25-21, 25-12). Hentz dug up 13 attacks and posted a 67% positive rating on 12 receptions. Outside hitter Brooke Nuneviller led Omaha with 11 points and 12 digs, and opposite Nia Reed scored 10 points.

Stringer did not appear in the match as she was traded to the Columbus Fury on March 13.

The Supernovas (8-4) also won twice to remain in second place just a half-game behind Atlanta. On March 9, Omaha outlasted the Orlando Valkyries, 3-2 (25-19, 17-25, 25-18, 18-25, 15-6) in Orlando. Nuneviller scored 22 points – 20 kills, one block and an ace – and added 18 digs, while libero Kendall White made 16 digs and 20 receptions. Former WNT middle Tori Dixon also landed 12 points in the win. On March 16, Omaha met Orlando again, this time in Omaha. The Supernovas won in four sets (25-23, 22-25, 25-22, 25-20) as Nuneviller posted a double-double (15 kills, 12 digs), Reed paired 11 kills with two block points and an ace, and White made 21 digs.

Against the Valkyries, Omaha welcomed 12,090 fans to the CHI Health Center, once again setting a new attendance record for indoor women’s professional volleyball in the U.S. It’s the third time Omaha set the attendance mark this season.

Vegas (5-7) rebounded from their March 9 loss and won a pair of matches. They beat Columbus in four sets (21-25, 28-26, 25-17, 25-16) March 11 and reverse-swept the Grand Rapids Rise in five (21-25, 21-25, 25-21, 25-16, 15-12) March 17. Against the Rise, Glass Childress made 56 assists, 10 digs, four kills and three block touches in the league’s first reverse sweep to earn PVF Player of the Week honors. Setter Ashely Evans made 49 assists and 2020 beach Olympian Sarah Sponcil made 19 receptions (74 percent positive) for Grand Rapids.

Rounding out the slate, Grand Rapids beat the Columbus Fury, 3-1 (25-15, 13-25, 25-17, 25-23) on March 9, and Orlando rallied to beat the San Diego Mojo in five sets (19-25, 25-20, 23-25, 25-21, 15-12) on March 11.

As of March 19, the Atlanta Vibe top the standings at 8-3, half a match above Omaha (8-4). Columbus (4-4) is third, followed closely by Grand Rapids (4-5). Both Orlando and Vegas are tied at 5-7, and the San Diego Mojo round out the standings at 2-6.