International men’s pro volleyball report: Smith’s return boosts ZAKSA
Dave Smith has made an impact since returning from injury/plusliga.plphoto
This is Blair Lambert’s VolleyballMag.com weekly men’s professional volleyball report, featuring Americans around the world. Got a note about a player or a comment for Blair? Email him at blairlambert2@gmail.com
There was a break from CEV competitions with the Champions League playoffs starting this week.
Dave Smith has returned from a calf injury to a ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle team that is in turmoil. The club did not qualify for the Polish Cup after the first half of the regular season, was on the brink of elimination from the Champions League, and was not in a position to qualify for the playoffs of the PlusLiga. This led to the coach, Tuomas Sammelvo, being fired.
Since Smith’s return, ZAKSA has won three in a row, claiming a must-win match over Knack Roeselare in the Champions League to advance to the playoffs and keep its goal of winning its fourth consecutive title alive. Smith has also helped his team win the last two PlusLiga matches, and is now just one point away from the last playoff spot.
He and Erik Shoji face Micah Ma’a, Nimir Abdel-Aziz, Earvin N’Gapeth, and Halkbank Ankara in the first round of the Champions League playoffs this week before an important domestic league match against TJ DeFalco and Asseco Resovia Rzeszów this weekend.
Poland
ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle beat Indykpol AZS Olsztyn as Smith had six kills, two blocks and four aces. Shoji passed 45 percent positively and 27 percent perfectly. Josh Tuaniga set Olsztyn to a .348 attack efficiency. Olsztyn then lost in five to PSG Stal Nysa. Tuaniaga started the first three sets.
Jake Hanes had 14 kills, a block and an ace for Cuprum Lubin in a five-set loss to Bogdanka LUK Lublin.
Resovia lost to twice. DeFalco had 14 kills, two aces and a block against CMC Warta Zawiercie and 12 kills, two blocks an ace against astrzębski Węgiel.
Gabi Garcia and Padova picked up a win against Modena as it tries to get into playoff contention/legavolley.it photo
Italy
Gabi Garcia had 11 kills and two aces for Pallavolo Padova in a four-set victory over Valsa Group Modena.
Aleksandar Nikolov came off the bench in the third set and had 13 kills and four blocks for Lube Civitanova in a five-set win over last-place Farmitalia Catania.
Jeff Jendryk hit .750 on his way to six kills, two blocks and an ace for Gioiella Prisma Taranto in a loss to Sir Susa Vim Perugia. Kyle Russell had four kills, three aces and a block while playing just more than one set.
Russia
Zenit Kazan remained in first place but needed five sets to get past Zenit Saint Petersburg. Micah Christenson had three blocks and a kill while setting Kazan to a .330 hitting percentage.
Japan
Aaron Russell and JT Thunders Hiroshima beat Voleas Hokkaido twice. Russell had nine kills, a block and an ace on Saturday, then 15 kills, two aces and a block Sunday.
The Panasonic Panthers swept Jtekt Stings twice. Thomas Jaeschke opened the weekend with nine kills and a block and then had 13 kills, two aces and a block.
Nippon Steel Sakai Blazers split two with the Toray Arrows. Cole Hogland Watanabe had seven kills, four blocks and an ace in a win and then eight kills in a loss.
China
Max Holt was back in the lineup for Beijing for a sweep of Tianin in which he had four blocks to go with three aces and four kills.
Türkiye
Micah Ma’a set Halkbank Ankara to a .427 attack efficiency in addition to getting three blocks and an ace in a sweep of Tursad.
Matt Anderson led Ziraat Bankasi with 12 kills, three blocks and two aces in a sweep of Kusgoz Izmir Vinc Akkus Bld.
France
Daniel Wetter produced four kills and two blocks for Paris in a sweep of Saint Nazaire. Saint Nazaire’s Jordan Ewert had 10 kills, Kyle Ensing had four and Quinn Isaacson set Saint Nazaire to a .260 attack efficiency.
Kyle Dagostino passed 84 percent positively and 54 percent perfectly, but his Narbonne team fell in a tiebreak to Saint-Jean d’Illac.
Joe Worsley set first-place Chaumont to a .359 hitting percentage with two blocks in a sweep of Nantes Rezé, the team with the second-best record in France. Michael Marshman had seven kills, two blocks, and an ace. Pat Gasman had four kills while hitting .800 and a block.
Germany
The Berlin Recycling Volleys suffered its first domestic loss of the season to the Helios Grizzlys Giesen. Cody Kessel started the final set. He passed eight serves with a 62 percent positive and 38 percent perfect rate.
Matt Slivinsky got the start at outside hitter for SVG Lüneburg, finishing with five kills and a block in a sweep of Haching Munich. Blake Leeson came off the bench in the first set and finished with three kills and three blocks. Matt Knigge played part of the first set, getting three kills in as many attacks and a block. Gage Worsley passed 58 percent positively and 8 percent perfect. Munich’s Austin Matautia finished with four kills but also four errors.
Brazil
Austin Wilmot had five kills and three blocks for Itambe Minas in a loss to Araguari Volei.
Argentina
Brandon Rattray led UPCN to two victories, getting 14 kills, four aces and a block against Club Atletico San Lorenzo de Almagro and then 26 kills, two blocks and an ace against Club Asociacion Mutual Policial.
Austria
Hypo Tirol Volley survived a fifth set against TJ SokolV/Post SV Wien with Tim McIntosh posting a 50 and 28 percent passing performance.
Finland
Felix Egharevba led Raision Loimu with eight blocks to go with six kills in a win over the Vantaa Ducks. He hit .778 with seven kills and three blocks in a five-set win over Kyky-Betset. Colin Loveljoy produced seven kills and four blocks for Kyky-Betset.
Greg Petty led Hurrikaani Loimaa with 14 kills, a block and an ace while Troy Gooch turned in a 76 and 65 percent passing performance in a five-set win over VaLePa.
Petty had 29 kills, an ace, and hit .718 in another tie-break win, this time over Savo Volley. Gooch passed 69 percent positively and 38 percent perfectly. Michelau finished with 12 kills, a block, and an ace for Savo.
Loveljoy had four kills and a block for Kyky-Betset in a five-set defeat to Kokkolan Tiikerit.
Czech Republic
Karlovarsko picked up wins over Ostrava and Beskydy. Tommy Carmody had three kills and a block against Ostrava. Spencer Olivier started at outside and finished with six kills and a block. Olivier then had eight kills and two blocks against Beskydy and Carmody had three kills.
Grant Maroochi had five kills, hit .625, and had two blocks but Brno fell to VK Lvi Praha.
Greece
Corey Chavers led A.O. Foinikas Sirou with 15 kills, hitting .500, to go with three aces and two blocks in a five set victory over A.O. Kalamata ‘80. Ryan Coenen of Kalamata had 11 kills, three blocks and three aces. Setter Matt West had four aces, two blocks.
Setter Cameron Keen and Athlos Orestiadas struggled in a loss to Panathinaikos. His team hit .046 but he had two aces, a kill and a block.
Serbia
Jaylen Jasper led with 14 kills, a block and an ace as Spartak Subotica beat Karadjordje in three sets.
Netherlands
Cole Bogner set Nova Tech Lycurgus to a .459 hitting percentage in a win over Talentteam Papendal and had two blocks, a kill and an ace.
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