Lausanne, Switzerland, March 5, 2019 – Some adrenalin-pumping power spikes from the men’s finals of the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Nations League were compiled into this video of the tournament's top five spikes giving fans another clue of what to expect after May 31, when the men’s 2019 edition of this new competition is set to take off.
• All five players, whose spikes were featured in the video, not only hammered these spectacular shots, but also made the top 10 scorers and the top 10 spikers of the finals in Lille, statistically. In addition, their names appeared in a number of other individual rankings, both at the final six and in the preliminary round.
• Three of these spikers currently play in the Russian Superliga. USA’s Matthew Anderson, opposite of the 2018 VNL Dream Team, continues to play for Zenit Kazan, who are having a great season, both domestically and in the European Champions League. Having already won the Russian Cup, Zenit lead the Superliga standings on a 22-1 win-loss record and look forward to their visit at their Saint Petersburg namesakes on Saturday. Anderson and his teammates won their Champions League pool unbeaten in six matches and are set for the quarterfinal clashes with Poland’s Trefl Gdansk on March 13 away and on March 19 at home.
• Russian hitters Egor Kliuka and Dmitry Volkov are teammates at club level as well. Their Fakel Novy Urengoy took the bronze at the FIVB Club World Championship and played in the Russian Cup semifinals in December. In the national championship they are currently placed fourth. They will be in action again on Saturday as they entertain Gazprom-Yugra Surgut. In the 2018 VNL, outside hitter Volkov was named on the Dream Team, while Kliuka topped the statistical chart of the best servers of the final round.
• Wallace De Souza was the top scorer of the 2018 VNL, preliminary and final round combined. As of this season, the 31-year-old Brazilian is a player of Sesc Rio de Janeiro, currently fourth in the Brazilian Superliga standings. In their next match on Saturday, they play against Sada Cruzeiro Volei Belo Horizonte, who defended their South American Club Championship crown last Sunday.
• Frenchman Stephen Boyer, who mastered the #1 spike on the video chart and was the best scorer and the second best spiker of the 2018 final round, plays for Calzedonia Verona. His team is placed sixth in the current standings of the Italian SuperLega. Boyer will be in action again on Sunday, when Calzedonia entertain Tonno Callipo Calabria Vibo Valentia at home.