Lausanne, Switzerland, February 28, 2019 – The inaugural edition of the FIVB Volleyball Nations League in 2018 was a key milestone for the sport, highlighting the best of the sport around the world. It was also the chance for some of the competition's young guns to showcase their talent on the global stage.
Here are five athletes to look out for as we continue to build towards the VNL men's tournament in 2019.
Egor Kliuka had a breakout year in 2017 when he helped Russia win the European Championship. He assumed a bigger role the following year, playing alongside top players Maxim Mikhaylov and Dmitriy Muserskiy in capturing the maiden title of the VNL. The outside hitter plays for Fakel Novy Urengoy in the top division of the Russian league.
France did not wait too long to find a replacement for top player Antonin Rouzier who retired after the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. At the 2017 FIVB Volleyball World League, the young Stephen Boyer filled in and showed that he was worthy to be Rouzier’s successor on the right side, as he helped the team win the title for the second time. Last year at the VNL, his top-scoring performances led his team to finish in second place.
Benjamin Patch has been in the USA Volleyball programme since he made the youth team in 2011. He joined the senior national team in 2017 and was one of the team’s leading scorers at the World League. He played at the VNL but was sidelined on the fourth week due to an acute lat tear, but soon recovered to help his team win the bronze medal.
Brazil’s Douglas Souza was part of the team that achieved the silver medal at the 2016 World League and the gold medal at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The young outside spiker has been a national team regular since then, with promising performances when they won gold at the 2017 FIVB World Grand Champions Cup and during the inaugural edition of the VNL in 2018. He plays for Funvic Taubate in the Brazilian Superliga.
Artur Szalpuk became part of Stephane Antiga’s Polish national team in 2015. He made his debut at the 2015 World League and was part of the team that won bronze at the World Cup. The young outside spiker contributed to Poland’s run to a successful title defence at the FIVB World Championship in Italy. At a club level, he plays for PGE Skra Belchatow.
Quick links - Volleyball:
FIVB.com - Volleyball Nations League
FIVB.com - Volleyball
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