Women’s pro report: Rettke leads Milano in Champions and Italian leagues
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 claimed control of Pool A by easily sweeping VakifBank (25-17, 25-17, 25-16) as Dana Rettke had 10 kills, hit .833, and had two blocks. Jordan Thompson led VakifBank with 13 kills and one block. Ali Frantti had a kill and Chiaka Ogbogu did not score.
Mulhouse was upset by Stara Pazova in five sets in Pool A as Annayka Legros had 10 kills, four blocks and an ace. Carli Snyder had 11 kills, one block and an ace and Jaali Winters had seven kills.
Scandicci is atop Pool B after beating Eczacibasi in a thrilling four-set match. Haleigh Washington had a kill and a block.
Plovdiv of Bulgaria upset Vasas to complete Pool B action as Ciara DeBell had 14 kills, a block and an ace. Taylor Bannister led Vasas and all scorers with 26 kills and an ace.
Potsdam overcame an adversary when traveling to Slovenia and beat Kamnik in five sets. Danielle Harbin came off the bench to be top scorer with 19 kills and two blocks. Breland Morrissette had one kill as a substitute. Justine Wong-Orantes was credited with 47% positive reception.
Conegliano leads Pool D after beating Rzeszow in four sets. Khalia Lanier had 15 kills, two aces and a block, Kelsey Robinson Cook followed with 11 kills and setter Madi Bugg added two kills and an ace.
Conegliano’s Kelsey Robinson Cook watches Khalia Lanier pass as their team beat Rzeszow/CEV photo
Krystal Rivers powered Stuttgart past Beveren with 22 kills (.571), three aces and two blocks. Kayla Haneline had six kills (.750) and two blocks.
Krystal Rivers was honored after leading Stuttgart past Beveren/CEV photo
CEV Cup
Porto claimed an important five-set win over Beziers in the first round-of-16 match. Kyra Holt led with 23 kills, three blocks and two aces. Lauren Matthews had 13 kills and a block. Taylor Sandbothe finished with eight kills and three aces while middle partner Lauren Page had seven kills and two blocks. Serena Gray had 12 kills (.706) and four blocks for Beziers. Taylor Fricano added 11 kills and two blocks. Setter Ella May Powell had a kill.
NUC Viteos set aside Maribor in four sets as Tia Scambray led with 17 kills and a block. Tessa Grubbs added 15 kills and two aces. Madeline Haynes followed with 10 kills, a block and an ace. Jasmine Gross had a match-high three aces to go along with five kills and two blocks.
Dresdner won the German derby by sweeping Schwerin as Grace Frohling led with 15 kills and an ace. Tia Jimerson added six kills and a match-high five blocks.
Chieri easily swept Lajkovac of Serbia. Madi Kingdon had six kills, three aces, and two blocks and Avery Skinner had one kill as a brief substitute.
Levallois Paris SC pulled off the biggest upset of the CEV Cup so far by beating Turkish giant THY in five sets. Emily Thater had 12 kills and three blocks for Paris.
CEV Challenge Cup
PAOK swept Dinamo Zagreb in their first round-of-16 match as Kash Williams had seven kills and an ace.
Wiesbaden pulled off the upset of the tournament so far by beating Galatasaray in five. Jaidyn Blachfield was Wiesbaden’s second-top scorer with 13 kills, four aces and a block. Rachel Anderson matched Blanchfield’s four aces and also had a match-high five blocks along with six kills. Galatasaray’s Danielle Cuttino was the top scorer with 22 kills and two blocks. Logan Eggleston added 17 kills. Heather Gneiting finished with two blocks and a kill.
In a battle of two Purdue alums, Panathinaikos overcame Bucuresti in four sets. Sherridan Atkinson led Panathinaikos with 24 kills and a block. Bucuresti setter Ashley Evans had two kills, two blocks and an ace.
Nantes easily swept Menorca. Taylor Mims had 13 kills (.500) and three blocks and Jaelyn Keene had six kills, four blocks and three aces.
Linz lost to Turkish side Nilufer in five. Brooke Botkin made her debut for Linz and had 20 kills and so did Emily Zinger. Jamie Stivers added 14 kills and an ace. Setter Zoe Nunez had a match-high four aces to go along with two blocks.
Brooke Botkin made her debut for Linz and had 20 kills/CEV photo
Italy
In the biggest match of the week, Conegliano (10-0) stayed unbeaten by beating Novara in four as Lanier led with five aces and 12 kills. Robinson Cook had 14 kills, one block, and an ace.
Scandicci (8-2) won its fifth in a row, a sweep of Pinerolo, as Washington had five kills and two aces.
Image (Washington): https://ww2.legavolleyfemminile.it/photogallery/pg2407/a-10.jpg
Source: LVF
Milano needed extra help to beat Casalmaggiore in five sets. Rettke came off the bench on a scheduled rest day and was MVP with 11 kills (.733), two blocks and two aces. Rettke’s serving proved to be key as in the fifth set she helped serve Milano (9-1) from a 6-2 lead to end it 15-2. Micha Hancock had a kill and one ace for Casalmaggiore (2-8), which lost its fourth straight match.
Dana Rettke was MVP for Milano/LVF photo
Avery Skinner led Chieri’s sweep of Busto Arsizio with 15 kills (.444) and a block. Kingdon added four kills on nine swings as Chieri improved to 6-4.
Trentino’s (1-9) woes continued after being swept by Bergamo. Carly DeHoog had seven kills for Trentino. Madeleine Gates did not play.
Firenze (4-6) lost to Vallefoglia in four. Lauren Stivrins came off the bench to have four blocks and two kills for Firenze.
Cuneo (4-6) lost to Roma in four sets, 26-24 in set four. Anna Stevenson-Hall came off the bench to have eight kills (.667) and a block for Cuneo. Madi Kubik added three kills.
Stephanie Samedy had nine kills for Muratpasa aginst Karayollaria/TVF photo
Turkey
Muratpasa (6-5) easily lowly Karayollaria as Stephanie Samedy had nine kills and two blocks.
PTT (3-8) got seven kills in as many tries from Payton Caffrey but was swept by Fenerbahcet.
VakifBank’s (11-1) needed five sets to beat Aydin (4-7). Frantti had 13 kills, two blocks, and an ace. Ogbogu finished with 10 kills (.692), two blocks, and an ace. Thompson did not play. Aydin setter Lauren Carlini had four kills and two blocks.
Sarah Parsons led Kuzeyboru (8-3) to an easy sweep of Nilufer with 15 kills (.560), a block and an ace.
Galatasaray (4-7) won its second straight league match, beating newly promoted Besiktas in four. Cuttino had 23 kills (.416). Gneiting had six kills (.750) and two blocks. Eggleston, starting one set, finished with four kills.
Japan
JT Marvelous (11-0) escaped Hitachi Rivale in five sets as Annie Drews led with 19 kills, three blocks and two aces.
Hisamitsu Springs (8-2) bounced back from last week’s defeat by beating Toray in four. McKenzie Adams led with 16 kills, two aces and a block.
NEC Red Rockets (7-2) won its fourth in a row, beating Ageo in four , as Dani Drews had 15 kills, two blocks and an ace.
Brazil
SESC RJ (4-1) won the battle of Rio by beating rival Fluminense (4-3) in four. Roni Jones-Perry was named MVP after having 21 kills, three blocks and three aces. Claire Felix had four blocks, two kills and an ace for Fluminense.
Minas (6-1) swept Pinheiros as Annie Mitchem was MVP with 15 kills and an ace. Setter Jenna Gray had a block.
Germany
Dresdner (7-1) rebounded from a slow start and beat Aachen (0-8) in four. Frohling led with 17 kills, three aces and a block. Jimerson followed with 13 kills (.600) and two blocks. Gabby Goddard had a match-high six blocks and six kills for Aachen.
Munster (2-6) broke its losing streak by sweeping Neuwied (0-8). Jenna Ewert was Munster’s second top scorer with six kills, three aces and two blocks. Gloria Mutiri followed with nine kills. Zoe Fleck was credited with 42% positive reception.
Suhl (4-4) upset Potsdam (6-2) in five.
France
Cannes (5-5) won its second straight by upending TFOC in five sets as Madelyn Robinson had 20 kills, two aces and a block.
Jaelyn Keene was named MVP as Nantes (8-1) swept Levallois Paris SC (7-3). Keene had eight kills (.615), two aces and a block. Mims added seven kills, two blocks and an ace. Thater had six kills and a block for Paris.
Nancy (8-2) moved into first place with a four-set win over Mulhouse (7-2). Breanna Runnels was named MVP as she came off the bench to have 10 kills and three blocks. Haylie Bennett was the match’s top scorer with 21 kills and three blocks. Katelyn Evans added nine kills and an ace while Shayla Hoeft contributed four kills. Saige Ka’aha’aina-Torres set for Nancy and had two blocks, a kill and an ace. Legros had six kills and an ace for Mulhouse. Winters and Snyder both had 12 kills and an ace.
Beziers (5-4) got back into the win column by sweeping Quimper (1-8). Setter Ella May Powell was named MVP for Beziers after getting three kills and an ace. Fricano was the second-top scorer with 13 kills and a blocks. Gray added five kills, a block and an ace.
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