Polina Rahimova 45 points. Challenge Cup

Yael Castiglione for Igtisadchi Baku.

Last bronze medalist of Azerbaijan Superleague,Igtisadchi Baku signed contract with the Argentine National team setter Yael Castiglione.
Yael Castiglione " I am very happy to have new experience abroad. This offer came to me from my manager in Italy and I agreed,as my National team coach Orasio Bastit and Boca Juniors coach Edward Allona supported me with this idea.
Azerbaijan league is very strong with many high level foreign players from Italian Serie A1 and different countries. Our aim is to be among the finalists"

Natalya Mammadova: I want to win the Champions League

One of the world's best volleyball players, Natalya Mammadova is in Belgrade right now getting ready for the new season. In an interview to the Serbian web portal "Odbojka24", "Rabita Baku" star talks about her plans for the new season, as well as her desire to play in Brazil one day.

To read full interview: Click here

Monika Smak for Lokomotiv Baku.

Lokomotiv Baku signed the setter of Slovakian National team for next season. Smak`s transfer will be the second setter transfer,after Bulgarian National team member,Evelina Tsvetanova.
Monika Smak (1973,173 cm) played in France,Poland in different clubs. She has played for Slovakian National team for a long time. It will be her first experience in Azerbaijan.
Monika Smak took part in the camp of her new team in Cyprus. Another setter Evelina Tsvetanova will join the team after FIVB World Grand Prix 2011 Qualification round,where will participate Bulgarian National team.

Super transfer! Yuko Sano in Azerbaijan!!!

Transfer bomb!!! Flying baby-Japanese amazing libero Yuko Sano signed with Igtisadchi Baku for the next game season. It is one of the best transfer news that realized in Azerbaijan Superleague.
Yuko Sano (1979,159 cm) is one of the best,top class liberos of the World. She won different titles and award in the International Arena.
This will be the second libero transfer of Igtisadchi Baku. Before Sano,the team resigned with another great libero-Thailandese Wanna Buakaew,who was the best libero of the last season of Azeri Superleague.


Individual awards (Yuko Sano)

* 2003 9th V.League : Best Libero award, Serve receive award.
* 2006 Women's CEV Champions League : Best Libero award.
* 2007 2006-07 V.Premier League : Best Libero award.
* 2007 AVC Club Championships : Best Receiver award
* 2007 14th Asian Volleyball Championship : Best Receiver award
* 2007 Volleyball World Cup : Best Receiver award, Best Digger award.
* 2008 2007-08 V.Premier League : Best Libero award, Serve receive award
* 2008 FIVB World Grand Prix "Best Libero"
* 2008 Olympic Qualifier "Best Digger"
* 2008 Olympic Qualifier "Best Receiver"
* 2009 2008-09 V.Premier League : Best Libero award, Serve receive award, Excellent Player award

Alice Blom is also in Igtisadchi Baku!!!

Igtisadchi Baku builds a very strong team for 2010/11 season and signed with the member of the Netherlands National Alice Blom who spent her last year in Turkish Fenerbahche Acibadem.
Alice Blom is an outside-hitter who was born in 1980. Her height is 178 cm. She won silver medal of the European Championship in 2009 and became the champion of the "World Grand Prix" in 2007.
Blom also won Turkish Championship gold medal,Turkish Super Cup and Cup, in the European arena she won the silver medal of the "Indesit European Champions" league with Fenerbahche Acibadem. She will be the first Dutch player in Azerbaijan Superleague.
Gal Sneek Holland 1996-2000
Arke Polux Holland 2000-2003
ULM Aliud Pharma Germany 2003-2004
USC Münster Germany 2004-2005
Dimeglio Brums Busto Arsizio Italy 2005-2006
DELA Martinus Amstelveen Holland 2006-2008
Mc-Carnaghi Villa Cortese Italy 2008-2009
Fenerbahçe Acıbadem Turkey 2009-2010

Tayyiba Haneef denied Lokomotv Baku`s offer,but signed with igtisadchi Baku.

Tayyiba Haneef who agreed to play in Lokomotiv Baku,denied the offer of Azeri Vice Champions and signed a year contract with another team of Azerbaijan-Igtisadchi Baku.
Igtisadchi Baku will participate in the European GM Challenge Cup.
Tayyiba Mumtaz Haneef-Park,diagonal player (born March 23, 1979- 200 cm) is an American National team ex-player. She is a silver medalist of Beijing Olympic Games 2008 and World Championship 2002.

New setter for Azerrail Baku.

Because of Natavan Gasimova`s injury Azerrail Baku had problems with the position of a setter. Azerrail Baku tries to solve this problem transferring a new setter from Russian Dinamo Yantar,Ukrainian Aleksandra Peretyatko.
Aleksandra Peretyatko (1984,185 cm) played for Dinamo Yantar of Russian Superleague last season and was the main setter of the team for the whole season. Whether she will be the main setter of Azerrail Baku or not,time will show.
There are rumours that one American setter is very close to sign with Azerrail Baku too. Who is she-we will try to write about that as soon as it is confirmed.

Ilyana Petkova and Elisangela Pereira de Souza join Azerrail Baku.

Last Azerbaijan Cup winner Azerrail Baku continiues building of the new squad for the new season.
Bulgarian National team member,middle blocker Ilyana Petkova (1977,191 cm) and Brasilian outside-hitter Elisangela Pereira de Souza (1980,187 cm) signed a year contract with Azerrail Baku.
Ilyana Petkova had played in Italian Serie A for 8 seasons and 5 of them for strong Monteschiavo Jesi. She is also a member of Bulgarian National team.
2009-2010 Samorodok Khabarovsk Russia
2008-2009 A1 Cgf Recycle Florens Castellana Grotte
2007-2008 A1 Infotel Banca Di Forlì
2006-2007 A1 Monte Schiavo Banca Marche Jesi
2005-2006 A1 Monte Schiavo Banca Marche Jesi
2004-2005 A1 Monte Schiavo Banca Marche Jesi
2003-2004 A1 MonteSchiavo Banca Marche Jesi
2002-2003 A1 Monte Schiavo Banca Marche Jesi
2001-2002 A1 Caffè Sesso Reggio Calabria
2000-2001 A Post-Wien (AUT)
1999-2000 A France Poste Telecom (FRA)
1998-1999 A R.C. Villebon (FRA)

Elisangela Pereira de Souza,is a strong Brasilian outside-hitter who also played in Italy,Japan,Brasil, in different teams.
2009-2010 A2 Cedat 85 San Vito
2008-2009 A1 Cgf Recycle Florens Castellana Grotte
2007-2008 A2 Florens Castellana Grotte
2006-2007 A2 Mancini Iveco Florens Castellana Grotte BRA
2005-2006 A Japan Tobacco Osaka (JPN)
2004-2005 A Ssk Ankara (TUR)
2003-2004 A Besiktas Istanbul (TUR)
2002-2003 A Numene Ankara (TUR)
2001-2002 A Suzano Sao Paulo (BRA)
2001-2002 A Upis Brasilia (BRA)
2000-2001 A Macaè S. Rio de Janeiro (BRA)
1996-2000 A Forca Olimpica Brasilia (BRA)

Kremena Kamenova stays in Lokomotiv Baku.

Bulgarian player Kremena Kamenova renewed contract with the vice-champion of Azerbaijan,Lokomotiv Baku.
Kremena Kamenova,is a 22 years-old outside-hitter who played for Bulgarian National team in the European League matches.
The next season will be her second season in Azerbaijan. Last season she became the vice-champion of Azeri Superleague.
Lokomotiv Baku will participate in the European GM Capital Challenge Cup in 2010/11 season.

Nagliyyatchi Baku transfers 4 Bulgarian players and Turkish coach of Azerrail Baku

Adnan Kistak,who coached Azerrail Baku last season will work in Nagliyyatchi Baku which finished 5th in the last season.
Adnan Kistak worked in Turkish National Women team and Fenerbahce Acibadem and twice became the silver medalist of Turkish league . His results with Azerail Baku were Azerbaijan Cup Championship and 4th place in the Superleague.
Nagliyyatchi also transferred four Bulgarian players-Tanya Sabkova from Lokomotiv Baku and Vesela Boncheva,Aneliya Pashina and Viktoria Grigorova from Levski Siconco.

Before that Azeri National team players-diagonal player Darya Zamanova ( 194 cm,1987) and outside-hitter Lada Maksimova ( 182 cm,1987) signed with Nagliyyatchi Baku for the next season.

The first camp of Rabita in Baku.

Rabita Baku started new season preparations from this week. A new head coach Dejan Brdjovic trained his girls for the first time in Baku Olympic Complex.
Rabita Baku started trainings with 8 players: Natalya Mammadova,Bojana Doganjic,Sanja Starovic,Natalya Kulikova,Mira Golubovic,Olga Attivi,Lidiya Dyachenko and Irina Zhukova joined the camp.
Five players miss the camps:Silvija Popovic,Natasa Krsmanovic,Mirela Delic and Kimberly Glass will join the team after World Championship and Diana Nenova after Qualification Round for World Grand Prix 2011.

Olga Attivi: "Azerbaijan is very nice place to live."

Olga Attivi (Tocko) who changed her surname after marriage talked about her impressions on the first day of Rabita Baku`s camp in Baku.
Olga Attivi:"We have the best conditions in the club,our heads did their best for us to feel comfortable and not to need anything. We have very strong team and we need just to show our real performance to make our heads be satisfied.
Azerbaijan is a very beautiful place to live. Azeri falk is very hospitable and polite that makes you feel good here."
Talking about her new plans,Olga noted:" My friends advise me to continiue playing and they say that I am in a good shape. That`s why I am going to play at least three years more and then I will take a break for maternity vacation"
Olga Attivi (Tocko) played in different countries and became the champion of France,Switzerland,Romania and Azerbaijan.

Evelina Tsvetanova-From Rabita to Lokomotiv Baku.

Bulgarian setter of Rabita Baku in the last season Evelina Tsvetanova ,will play for another team of Azerbaijan Super league. She signed a year contract with Lokomotiv Baku which will participate in European Challenge Cup.
Evelina Tsvetanova played for different clubs of Italy,Russia,Turkey and was awarded as the "Best Setter" of different tournaments.
Last season she won Azerbaijan Super league tropy,became silver medalist of Azerbaijan Cup and won CEV CUP bronze medal in the roster of Rabita Baku.



Date of birth 22/04/1974
Place of birth Bulgaria
Nationality Bulgaria
Height / Weight 180cm - 64 kg
Current club Lokomotiv Baku



Former clubs

Rabita Baku (AZE) (2009-10)
Karsiyaka Dyo Izmir (2007-08)
Muszynianka - half seson (2007)
Universitat de Valencia (2006)
Cajasur Spain (2005-06)
Kazanochka Russia (2004-05)
Levski Sikonko Bulgaria (2003-04)
Soliera A2 Italy (2002-03)
Kreklingen Germany (2001-02)
Levski Sikonko Bulgaria (1992-01)

Trophys and awards


CEV Cup 2009/10 - Bronze medal
Championship of Azerbaijan 2009/10
European league 2009 - Bronze medal
3 x Champion of Bulgaria
3 x Cup winner Bulgaria
1 x Champion of Russia
Best setter of Bulgaria - 1997.,1998. and 1999.

Natavan Gasimova and Tunc Afshar`s love!

Azerbaijan National team setter Natavan Gasimova and 'Shining Stars" Agency agent Tunc Afshar are going to get married very soon.
Tunc Afshar: " I am very happy that I found the girl of my dreams. First time,we met during a camp of Azerbaijan National team. Natavan attracted me with her beauty and sincere character. Then we began to contact by Facebook,but at the beginning our talks were only about volleyball. I did not want to open my heart then,because we needed to learn each other more closely. But after,I realized that Natavan is the one whom I was waiting all my life long. She is the ideal girl for me.
I told about it to my father and brother and they were very happy for that,especially my father who used to say very often that it was time for me to get married and to begin a new page in my life.
We plan to celebrate our wedding party in one of the following months. We can do that both in Azerbaijan and in Turkey. I will do as Natavan wants"
We,Azerivolley family wish Natavan and Tunc the best in the Future.They deserve to be one of the happiest pairs. ALLAH xoshbext etsin!!!

Natalya MAMMADOVA The BEST!

New Statistic for Rabita Baku!

Last Azerbaijan Champion Rabita Baku signed with the statistics trainer Artem Borisenko for the next season.
Mr. Borisenko is a husband of the Russian National Team player,middle-blocker Mariya Borisenko (Borodakova)who will play in Dinamo Kazan in Russia. Artem Borisenko also worked in Russian National team.
We wish success both him and his wife in the Future.

Two Azeri clubs in "Errea Cup"

Last Azerbaijan Champion Rabita Baku and bronze medalist Igtisadchi Baku will take part in the "Errea Cup" in Samsun,Turkey.
The tournament will take place in 1st October and will be played in one round till the 4th October. The participants are: "Rabita" and "Igtisadchi" from Azerbaijan and "Eczacibashi" and Vakifbank Gunesh STT" from Turkey.

Azerbaijan National team goes to Cyprus.

Azerbaijan National team goes to Cyprus for camp on the 9th of August till the 20th of this month. It will be the first camp with all the members of National team after Qualification rounds of the European Championship.
Oksana Parkhomenko and Natalya Mammadova recovered after injuries and joint the camp. Another setter Natavan Gasimova will not join the camp because of operation of knee that was done in June of this year.

Nostalgia-Azerbaijan ws. Serbia ECH 2009

From Zarechie Odintsovo to Rabita Baku.

Last Azerbaijan Champion Rabita Baku signed a year contract with the trainer for physical preparation Ivica Syelkoc from Montenegro.
He worked in Zarechie Odintsovo from 2005 till 2009 and won different titles both in local and European arena.Good luck to Mr. Ivica in his new job.