Women’s pro report: Bajema, Rettke lead Milano; big week for Stuttgart’s Rivers

This is our weekly update on USA women playing professional volleyball around the world. Most of the players are former NCAA standouts:

Champions League

Milano stayed unbeaten in Pool A by sweeping Mulhouse, which had just 17 kills. Kara Bajema had a match-high five blocks to go along with five kills and two aces. Dana Rettke added four kills and two blocks. Mulhouse’s Annayka Legros had two aces, one kill and one block. Carli Snyder added four kills.

VakifBank kept pace atop Pool A by sweeping Stara Pazova. Ali Frantti had 16 kills (.hitting 667) and two blocks. Chiaka Ogbogu had eight kills (.500), two aces and a block. Jordan Thompson subbed in and had a kill.

Chiaka Ogbogu of VakifBank reaches high hit against Stara Pazova/CEV photo

Scandicci won its second match in Pool B by sweeping Vasas. Haleigh Washington had eight kills, a block and an ace for Scandicci. Lindsey Ruddins (Scandicci) and Taylor Bannister (Vasas) did not play.

Potsdam was swept by Turkish giant Fenerbahce in Pool C. Match stats were unavailable.

Budowlani Lodz got its first win by beating Kamnik in four. Mac May rebounded from a slow start to finish twith 14 kills, a block, and an ace.

Conegliano used balance to overcome a Krystal Rivers-led Stuttgart.  Kelsey Robinson Cook led with 16 kills, three aces and two blocks in the four-set win. Kathryn Plummer added 11 kills, four aces and a block. Rivers 20 kills and one block.

Kelsey Robinson Cook puts up the block against Krystal Rivers/CEV photo

CEV Cup

FC Porto swept Oudegem to advance to the round of 16 as Taylor Sandbothe had 11 kills (.733), an ace, and a block. Kyra Holt added 10 kills, while Lauren Page had six in as many attacks.

Beziers easily dispatched Brcko in straight sets to earn their spot in the round of 16. Taylor Fricano led Beziers with nine kills, four blocks and an ace. Serena Gray added nine kills (.818), three blocks and an ace.

Dresdner swept Gran Canaria to advance as Grace Frohling had 13 kills and two blocks. Tia Jimerson added four kills and four blocks.

Chieri swept Dudingen and Madi Kingdon had 13 kills (.565) in two sets. Avery Skinner did not play.

Challenge Cup

PAOK needed four sets to dispatch Prostejov to advance to the round of 16 as Kash Williams had 14 kills and a block.

Kash Williams of POAK hits against Prostejov/CEV photo

Galatasaray easily swept Hameenlinna of Finland to move on. Logan Eggleston led Galatasaray with 11 kills. Danielle Cuttino had six kills, two blocks and two aces in two sets. Heather Gneiting finished with three kills, three blocks and three aces.

Sherridan Atkinson helped Panathinaikos sweep Nova Gorica with seven kills, a block and an ace in two sets.

CSM Bucharesti easily swept Nyiregyhaza to also advance and setter Ashley Evans had a match-high four aces and a kill.

Taylor Mims had 14 kills, four aces and a block as Nantes swept Prague.

Italy

Chieri (5-2) beat Trentino in four for its fourth win in a row. Kingdon had 16 kills and a block and Skinner added 11 kills and a block. Carly DeHoog led Trentino (1-7) with 18 kills, one block, and an ace.

Madi Kingdon gets ready to unload for Chieri against Trentino/LVF photo

Casalmaggiore’s slow start continued with a five-set loss to Roma. Breana Edwards had her best scoring match of the season a with18 kills and four blocks. Micha Hancock had two kills and an ace for Casalmaggiore (2-6). Courtney Schwan had eight kills (.471) as a sub for Roma (4-3).

Firenze (4-4) snapped its two-match losing streak by sweeping Busto Arsizio. Lauren Stivrins had six kills (.667) and a block.

Scandicci (6-2) won its third in a row by beating Cuneo in four. Washington had four kills, four block, and two aces and Ruddins had two kills in a substitute appearance. Madi Kubik had three kills as a reserve for Cuneo (3-5).

Conegliano (7-0) remained the only unbeatenby sweeping Bergamo. Robinson Cook had 11 kills and a block, Khalia Lanier added eight kills, one block and an ace and Plummer didn’t play.

Türkiye

VakifBank (9-0) swept PTT. Thompson led with 11 kills (.786). Ogbogu added six kills, three aces and one block. Payton Caffrey had seven kills for PTT (2-6).

Kuzeyboru (6-2) needed five sets to beat Besiktas. Sarah Parsons had 18 kills and two aces and was also credited with 51 receptions with no errors, passing 49% positive.

Sariyer (3-5) was swept by THY. Simone Lee led Sariyer with 12 kills, a block and an ace.

Simone Lee hits for Sariyer against PTT/TVF photo

In the most competitive match of the week, Aydin (3-5) overcame Muratpasa in five sets. Setter Lauren Carlini had one kill, while Stephanie Samedy had 13 kills and two blocks for Muratpasa (4-4). Micaya White added 11 kills and three blocks.

Galatasaray (2-6) lost its fourth in a row when it swept by Eczacibasi. Gneiting was the second-top scorer with three kills and three blocks for Galatasaray, Cuttino added five kills while Eggleston had four.

Brazil

Minas got its second win by sweeping Brasilia as setter Jenna Gray was named MVP. Annie Mitchem had a kill in a substitute appearance.

SESC RJ needed five sets to beat Barueri in their first match of the season. Roni Jones-Perry led SESC RJ with 24 kills and two aces.

Gray earned her second MVP honor in as many matches as Minas beat SESC RJ in five sets. Gray had four blocks as Minas rallied from being down 2-1. Jones-Perry had 13 kills and a block for SESC RJ.

Osasco lost  to Maringa. Callie Schwarzenbach had seven kills and three blocks as her team lost for the first time.

Germany

Dresdner earned the biggest upset of the season so far by beating Stuttgart in four. Frohling was named gold MVP for Dresdner (5-1) with 19 kills, three blocks and an ace. Jimerson added 10 kills and six blocks. Rivers’ 29 kills (.500) were not enough for Stuttgart (5-1) to avoid its first league loss since November 2022.

Grace Frohling, left, and Krystal Rivers/Bildermacher-Sport Jens Körner

Suhl (3-3) snapped its losing streak by sweeping Aachen. Julia Brown had 11 kills and a block and Eleanor Holthaus added seven kills and three blocks. Gabby Goddard had three kills and three blocks for Aachen (0-6).

Potsdam (5-1) jumped to second in the standings by sweeping Munster as Breland Morrissette had a match-high four blocks and four kills. Justine Wong-Orantes was credited with 62% positive reception. Danielle Harbin added three kills as a substitute. Zoe Fleck was credited with 60% positive reception for Munster (1-5). Gloria Mutiri had four kills and a block. Setter Jenna Ewert added three kills and an ace.

France

Nancy won its third in a row by beatingVenelles in four. Shayla Hoeft was named MVP with 11 kills, six blocks, and three aces. Haylie Bennett had 27 kills (.686), three blocks and two aces. Katelyn Evans added nine kills and two blocks. Saige Ka’aha’aina-Torres set for Nancy (6-2) and had three kills and a block.

Nantes (6-1)also won its third in a row as Mims had 12 kills and four aces in a sweep of Chamalieres. Courtney Buzzerio led Chamalieres (2-6) with eight kills and one block. Sabrina Starks had three kills and three blocks.

Mulhouse (6-1) won the battle of league titans by beating Cannes in four. Legros had 13 kills, three aces and three blocks, Jaali Winters followed with 17 kills  and two aces and Snyder added two aces, a kill and a block. Madelyn Robinson led Cannes (3-5) with 20 kills and a block.

Beziers (4-3) scored an upset by beating Levallois Paris in four. Gray had nine kills (.533), four blocks, and two aces and Fricano added nine kills and three blocks. Setter Ella May Powell had three kills. Emily Thater had seven kills (.500) and a block for Paris (6-2).

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