Women’s pro report: Frantti, Thompson lead VakifBank; Annie Drews has big week in Japan
This is our weekly update on USA women playing professional volleyball around the world. Most of the players are former NCAA standouts:
Türkiye
VakifBank earned a four-set win over rival THY as Ali Frantti led with 12 kills and four blocks and Jordan Thompson had 12 kills and three aces. Chiaka Ogbogu sat due to foreigner limits.
VakifBank (10-1) took its first loss, beaten by Fenerbahce in four sets. Thompson had 10 kills, a block and an ace. Frantti had four kills in two sets and Ogbogu was out again.
Jordan Thompson attacks for VakifBank against THY/TVF photo
Fenerbahce beat Sariyer, which got three kills and a block from Simone Lee, in its earlier match.
Payton Caffrey led PTT to a four-set win over Cukurova.with 22 kills (.538) and two blocks. But then PTT (3-7) was swept by THY as Caffrey had nine kills.
Setter Lauren Carlini and Aydin upset Nilufer in four sets as she had a kill and an ace. But then Aydin (4-6) was on the other side of it when it was swept by Sariyer (4-6). Carlini had a kill and a block for Aydin. Lee was top scorer as she had 19 kills (.405) and one block for Sariyer.
Kuzeyboru swept slumping Galatasaray as Sarah Parsons led with 14 kills and two blocks. Danielle Cuttino led Galatasaray with 12 kills and an ace. Logan Eggleston had seven kills, one block and one ace. Heather Gneiting had a kill and a block.
Galatasaray (3-7) bounced back to beat Karayollari as Cuttino led with 20 kills, a block and an ace. Eggleston added 11 kills, two blocks and an ace.
Muratpasa was swept byt league titan Eczacibasi. Stephanie Samedy led Muratpasa with 11 kills and Micaya White had two. Then, in the most exciting match of the week, Muratpasa (5-5) earned a hard-fought, five-set win over Kuzeyboru (7-3) as Samedy had 16 kills and White had two. Parsons led Kuzeyboru again with 21 kills, a block and an ace.
Japan
JT Marvelous (10-0) swept Aranmare as Annie Drews had 14 kills and a block and then it cruised past rival Hisamitsu Springs (8-2) as Drews had 11 kills, a block and an ace. McKenzieAdams finished with five kills and a block for Hisamitsu Springs.
Earlier, Hisamitsu Springs Okayama and Adams had 16 kills.
NEC Red Rockets (6-2) beat PFU in four and Dani Drews led with 15 kills, four blocks and an ace. The Red Rockets then beat Kurobe in five and Drews came up big again nwith 22 kills and five blocks.
Italy
Milano cruised past Chieri in straight sets in a make-up match that was postponed in October. Dana Rettke had aces, two kills and a block. Madi Kingdon had five kills and a block for Chieri.
Milano (8-1) then swept Roma (4-5). Rettke had two kills and a block in two sets. Kara Bajema, who didn’t play in the earlier match added four kills. Courtney Schwan had one kill as a substitute for Roma.
Kara Bajema attacks for Milano against Roma/LVF photo
Conegliano had no problems sweeping newly promoted Roma as Kelsey Robinson Cook had eight kills (hitting .467) and an ace. Khalia Lanier added 11 kills, a block and an ace. Madi Bugg got the start at setter and had a kill.
Madi Bugg sets for Conegliano/LFV photo
Conegliano (9-0) then overcame two tight sets and cruised to a third-set victory over Casalmaggiore (2-7). Robinson Cook was named MVP with 11 kills (.500), an ace and a block. Lanier had 10 kills (.600) and a block. Bugg had two blocks. Casalmaggiore setter Micha Hancock had one kill and one ace.
Firenze (4-5) and Novara matched up for one of the longest sets of the season as Novara won 16-25, 42-44, 25-23, 22-25. Lauren Stivrins had one kill in one set.
Carly DeHoog had 17 kills, a block and an ace, but Trentino (1-8) was swept by Vallefoglia.
Scandicci (7-2) rallied to beat Chieri (5-4) in five after being down 17-9 in the fourth trailing two sets to one. Scandicci’s Lindsey Ruddins came off the bench and was named MVP after getting eight kills. Chieri’s Avery Skinner had 17 kills and two aces.
Lindsey Ruddins was named MVP for Scandicci against Chieri
Cuneo (4-5) led A1 in five-set matches last year and is headed on that path again this season after beating Busto Arsizio in five. Madi Kubik had eight kills and a block. Anna Hall didn’t play.
Cuneo’s Madi Kubik hits against Busto Arsizio/LVF photo
Brazil
SESC RJ (2-1) swept Pinheiros as Roni Jones-Perry had 11 kills and a block.
Minas beat Maringa in four sets as setter Jenna Gray had a block and Annie Michtem had nine kills and two blocks.
Minas (5-0) then swept Barueri and Gray added two kills and an ace and Mitchem had five kills.
Osasco (3-1) swept Pinheiros in its only match of the week as Brionne Butler had five kill and Callie Schwarzenbach added three kills, a block and an ace.
Germany
GERMAN CUP QUARTERFINALS: Dresdner eliminated Suhl as Grace Frohling led with 13 kills and an ace. Tia Jimerson added five kills and five blocks. Eleanor Holthaus had six kills, three blocks and an ace for Suhl. Jenny Mosser added eight kills and a block.
Potsdam beat Wiesbaden as. Danielle Harbin led with 18 kills, two aces and one block for Potsdam. Justine Wong-Orantes was credited with 30% positive reception. Izabella Rapacz led Wiesbaden with 15 kills and a block. Jaidyn Blanchfield had 10 kills and a block and Rachel Anderson added eight kills and a block.
Stuttgart beat Aachen in four as Krystal Rivers had 21 kills, two blocks and an ace. Alexis Hart had one kill as a substitute. Gabby Goddard had five kills and three blocks for Aachen.
GERMAN LEAGUE: Wiesbaden (3-4) beat Munster (1-6) in four sets. Anderson led with 13 kills, three blocks and two aces. Blanchfield followed with 12 kills and one block. Rapacz finished with 10 kills, one block and an ace. Munster setter Jenna Ewert had four kills, one block and an ace and Zoe Fleck was credited with 67% positive reception. Gloria Mutiri added three kills as a substitute.
Suhl (3-4) was swept by Schwerin (7-0). Holthaus had nine kills for Suhl while Mosser added two. Julia Brown had five kills and an ace.
Stuttgart (6-1) got by Aachen (0-7) in four. Hart had 18 kills as she filled in for Rivers, who was absent. Kayla Haneline returned to the starting lineup and had six kills and four blocks. Goddard finished with eight kills (.800) and three blocks for Aachen.
Dresdner (6-1) swept winless Neuwied (0-7). Frohling had 10 kills, two aces and a block. Jimerson did not play.
Potsdam (6-1) ended the week in Germany by sweeping Vilsbiburg (3-4). Breland Morrissette had five kills for Potsdam. Harbin had one kill as a substitute while Wong-Orantes was credited with 14% positive reception on seven attempts.
France
Cannes (4-5) easily swept France 2024 (0-8) to get back into the win column as Madelyn Robinson had 14 kills, two aces and a block.
Chamalieres (3-6) scored a huge upset by knocking off defending champions Le Cannet (5-3) in four sets. Sabrina Starks had a match-high eight blocks to go along with four kills for Chamalieres. Courtney Buzzerio had 12 kills.
Mulhouse (7-1) defeated last year’s runner up Beziers (4-4) in four sets. Jaali Winters was named MVP with 19 kills and one block. Annayka Legros followed with nine kills and a block. Carli Snyder added one kill and an ace. Taylor Fricano had nine kills for Beziers. Serena Gray had a match-high four blocks to go along with one kill. Setter Ella May Powell had two aces and a block.
Levallois Paris (7-2) swept Venelles (1-7) as Emily Thater had six kills and an ace.
Nancy (7-2) won its fourth in a row by sweeping Quimper (1-7). Setter Saige Ka’aha’aina-Torres was MVP with three kills while setting. Katelyn Evans led with 15 kills and two aces. Haylie Bennett followed with 12 kills, three blocks and an ace. Shayla Hoeft added four kills and a block. Reserve Breana Runnels had seven kills.
Nantes (7-1) also won its fourth match in a row by sweeping Marcq en Barouel (2-6). Taylor Mims had six kills and an ace and Jaelyn Keene returned from an extended absence to have six kills, three blocks and an ace.
Poland
Mac May led Budowlani Lodz (6-2) to a sweep of Radom (3-5) with 15 kills, two aces and a block.
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