Lausanne, Switzerland, March 4, 2019 - Volleyball stars shone again this week, as club competitions across the globe reach critical stages just before the FIVB season is set to begin.
Miriam Sylla of Italy (13), USA's Kim Hill (12) and the Netherlands' Robin de Kruijf (11) all scored in double digits as Imoco Volley Conegliano defeated Savino Del Bene Scandicci 3-0 (25-20, 25-16, 25-19) to stay atop the standings of Italy's women's A1 League - now six points clear of second-placed Igor Gorgonzola Novara.
• Elsewhere, Li Yingying bagged a remarkable 42 points in the opening match of the best-of-five final series in the Chinese Superleague, but even that was not enough for her side of Tianjin Bohai Bank to complete their comeback over Beijing Auto. Australia's Rachel Rourke with 27 points and USA's Tori Dixon with 10 led Beijing to a stunning 3-2 (25-22, 27-25, 21-25, 20-25, 18-16) win.
• In Turkey, Serbia's Tijana Boskovic scored 27 points as she led Eczacibasi VitrA Istanbul to a 3-1 (25-20, 25-20, 22-25, 25-11) win over Galatsaray HDI Sigorta Istanbul and remain at the top of the table, with one round left in the Regular Season.
• VakifBank Istanbul share that pole position after China's Zhu Ting with 15 points and the Netherlands' Lonneke Sloetjes with 14 boosted them to a 3-0 (25-14, 25-16, 25-21) sweep of Turk Hava Yollari Istanbul.
• Brazil's Natalia Pereira led Minas Tenis Clube of Belo Horizonte to a thrilling 3-2 (25-23, 18-25, 23-25, 25-21, 15-11) win over Sesc Rio de Janeiro in Tijuca, after scoring 27 points. The win consolidates Minas' position at the top of the table in the Brazilian Superleague. Russia's Tatiana Kosheleva with 13 points was Rio's best scorer.
• In men's action, USA's Taylor Sander was named MVP of the 2019 South American Men's Club Championship, as he led Sada Cruzeiro to their sixth overall and fourth straight continental title with a win in the final 3-1 (25-19, 25-18, 19-25, 25-16) over Argentina's UPCN San Juan at Belo Horizonte.
• Zenit Kazan's scoring trio of Maxim Mikhaylov (23 points), USA's Matt Anderson (18) and France's Earvin Ngapeth (12) was at it again, as they led their side to a 3-1 (25-21, 22-25, 25-20, 27-25) win on the road over Gazprom Yugra of Surgut that sees them comfortably retain their lead in Russia's Superleague.
• Match MVP Milad Ebadipour of Iran with 21 points was his side's top scorer as PGE Skra Belchatow staged a remarkable comeback for a 3-2 (20-25, 21-25, 25-20, 25-21, 15-10) win on the road over Cerrad Czarni Radom - critical in the race for a ticket to the Playoffs of Poland's PlusLiga.
• Dai Qingyao was named match MVP as Shanghai Golden Age beat Beijing Auto 3-0 (25-23, 25-17, 25-23) to complete a sweep of the best-of-five final series in the Chinese Superleague with their third straight win. Italy's Giulio Sabbi was Shanghai's top scorer with 13 points, but Leonardo Leyva of Cuba had the match-high of 19 points for Beijing.
Quick links - Volleyball:
FIVB.com - Volleyball
FIVB.com
Latest Videos
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram