Polina Rahimova: Great Server!

Azerbaijani Superleague second round schedule released

The Azerbaijani volleyball federation released the schedule for the second round of the Azerbaijani Superleague. The national championship will resume on Tuesday, January 18. The schedule of remaining matches, including playoff schedule, will be announced at a later date.

Round VI. January 18, 2011

Baki - Azerrail
Igtisadchi - Rabita
Shirvan - Lokomotiv

Round VII. January 22, 2011

Shirvan - Baki
Igtisadchi - Lokomotiv
Rabita - Azerrail

Round VIII. January 28, 2011

Baki - Igtisadchi
Shirvan - Azerrail
Lokomotiv - Rabita

Round IX. February 11, 2011

Igtisadchi - Shirvan
Rabita - Baki
Lokomotiv - Azerrail

Round X. February 16, 2011

Shirvan - Rabita
Baki - Lokomotiv
Igtisadchi - Azerrail

Dogum Gunun Mubarek- Joana Mello!

Today is the birthday of Joana Mello - She is one of the best and nicest girls I have ever met. You can ask why I am writing it here,on my volley blog,but I have a very very nice answer to you.
Joana,is the one who almost knows EVERYTHING about volleyball and makes us happy with her great interviews,infos on her blog http://voleisemfronteiras.blogspot.com/ and in our International Family http://www.inside-volley.com/wbb/
I can say just this: This very very and very sincere,cordial lady deserves only the best of this life!!! I wish her so many sweet moments in her life from ALLAH!!!

AD Gunun Mubarek,Jo!!!

Scavolini defeats Rabita 3:2

In a Champions League match that came down to the wire, Rabita Baku suffered a 2:3 (25:20, 21:25, 19:25, 25:23, 6:15) setback to Italian champions Scavolini Pesaro.

Natalya Mammadova was the best scorer of the match with 26 points and Sanja Starovic added 21 points of her own. Destinee Hooker and Manon Flier duo of Scavolini scored 20 points each.

In the first set, Rabita jumped to a quick 5:2 edge and pushed its lead to seven at the 14:7 mark. Scavolini battled back behind an 8:1 run to tie the set at 15, but Azerbaijani champions answered quickly with a 6:1 counter-rally capped by a double-block that put Rabita in front, 21:16. Two powerful spikes from Hooker and Ferretti cut Rabita's lead to three, but Natalya Mammadova clinched the set for Rabita, 25:20.

Rabita started the second set slow as the host team, paced by a pair of quick kills from Hooker and Manzano took a slim 8:6 advantage. Scavolini then went on to widen the margin to 13:6 midway through the set. Rabita desperately tried to close the gap, but Italians kept a firm grip on the lead, finishing the set 25:21.

Sanja Starovic kept Rabita alive early in the third set, scoring four of the first five Rabita points. With the set tied at seven, Scavolini managed a 7:2 run, forcing Rabita into a timeout, down 14:9. The Azerbaijani team fought back, leveling the score at 16, but Scavolini promptly answered with a set-closing 9:3 run that lifted Scavolini to a 25:19 set victory.

Facing the risk of returning to Baku empty handed, Rabita came out aggressive in the fourth set, but Scavolini responded with a resilient offensive effort, keeping the score close - 8:8, 10:10, 16:15, 20:20. A kill from Starovic and a block from Krsmanovic got Rabita back up 22:20, forcing Scavolini timeout. The sides went on to exchange points, with Rabita emerging on top, 25:23.

Scavolini jumped ahead early in the fifth set, 3:1, but Rabita quickly evened the set at four. Unfortunately, this was it for Rabita for today, as the team scored only two more points in the remaining minutes of the match, allowing Italians to take the set and the match, 15:6.

Despite the loss, Rabita maintained the lead at the top of Pool E, and barring unexpected result next week against Romanian Dinamo Romprest, Azerbaijani champions are poised to finish first in the group.

Scavolini Pesaro - Rabita Baku 3:2 (20:25, 25:21, 25:19, 23:25, 15:6)

Scavolini Pesaro: Usic Jogunica 18, Olivotto, De Gennaro (L), Manzano 9, Ferretti 2, Flier 20, Guiggi 14, Hooker, 20

Rabita Baku: Nenova 1, Doganjic 2, Krsmanovic 10, Popovic (L), Mammadova 26, Glass 11, Golubovic 10, Starovic 21, Zhukova

Notes: Set duration: 25min, 24min, 23min, 26min, 11min (total: 109min).
Service errors: Rabita Baku 11, Scavolini 7
Aces: Scavolini 7, Rabita Baku 4

Injury takes one player from each team.

Injury -is one of the biggest problems of the teams.

American setter of Azerrail Baku who plays her second season in Azerbaijan probably will not be able to end the season here in Baku.
Angie McGinnis injuried her knee in of the matches of the Azeri Super league and will not be able to help her team till the end of this season. Azerrail is looking for a player to substitute her.
Anotehr American player, young and very perspective outside-hitter Julie Rubenstein could not recover from the injury which she got at the Pre-season torunament "Baku Volley Cup". The sides separated the ways,Rubenstein left Baku for her home town last month.
Turkish player of Igtisadchi Baku Filiz Ozgur also had problems with an injury and left the team before the beginning of the season. Igtisadchi resigned with her and now is looking for a player to replace her.
Note: Last month also Olga Ativi got injuried and can not play for two months.

Video: Azerrail Baku 3-2 Igtisadchi Baku (23.12.10)

Note: Video starts from the second set due to technical problems.

Set 2



Set 3



Set 4



Set 5

Lokomotiv defeats Austrian Linz-Steg, 3:0

In the first leg of the GM Challenge Cup round of 16, Lokomotiv Baku needed only an hour and three minutes to top Austrian Linz-Steg in three sets, 25:15, 25:11, 25:18.

Lokomotiv jumped out to an early 8:2 lead to start the match and went up 16:7 by the time of the second technical time-out. Azerbaijani team maintained the lead, eventually taking the set 25:15.

The second set was very similar to the first as Lokomotiv again quickly jumped to an 8:2 lead. Despite all efforts from the host team, the gap only grew wider as Lokomotiv finished the set 25:11.

In the third set, Austrian team tried to keep the distance as close as possible, trailing only 3 points - 5:8. It didn't last long, however, as Lokomotiv went on a 11:4 run to take the decisive 18:9 lead. Both teams exchanged points before Lokomotiv pushed through with a 25:18.

The return match will take place in Baku next week on January 12.

Meanwhile, Azerrail and Igtisadchi have reached an agreement with Greek Olympiacos and Serbian Tent teams to play both legs of their GM Challenge Cup round 16 games in Baku. Matches will take place next week on January 12-13.

Lokomotiv defeats Rabita coming back from 0-2!

With the postponed match Lokomotiv-Rabita the first Round of the Azerbaijani Super league Regular season came to the end.
Lokomotiv Baku started the match with fast combinations of attack with Nancy Metcalf and Yelena Parkhomenko. Rabita was trying to equal the score, but Lokomotiv had 4 points average till the end of the set,but Rabita held the equality at 22-22 and with Natalya Mammadova`s mortal spikes ended the set 25-23.
The second set passed much easier for Rabita Baku which took 9 points advantage till the end of the set with great performance by Krsmanovic and Kimberly Glass. But Lokomotiv could take some points with Kristin Richards not to lose the set,Mira Golubovic and Mammadova closed the set 25-21.
Rabita Baku started the third set very sure of the win,but Lokomotiv Baku was not going to give up and lose the match. Shining Kristin Richards and Yelena Parkhomenko played their best game in the following two sets with the help of experienced setter Monika Smak and Nancy Metcalf and took these sets 25-21: 25-18
Rabita was shocked with the opponents amazing game and having some errors on the back line,Rabita could not neutralize the attacks of Kseniya Poznyak (Kovalenko) and Yelena Parkhomenko from the second zone. Krsintin Richards did her best Lokomotiv to close the match for their side. 15-12 and 3-2. Lokomotiv did great "Come Back" and introduced Rabita to the first defeat.
The best players of the match were: Kristin Richards from Lokomotiv and Natalya Mammadova from Rabita Baku.
Despite of losing this match Rabita became the Winter Champion with the set average.

28 December 2010 / Postponed match (3.leg)
Lokomotiv Baku - Rabita Baku 3-2 (23-25, 21-25, 25-21, 25-18, 15-12)

Rabita Baku: Zhukova,Starovic,Mammadova,Glass,Golubovic,Krsmanovic,Popovic (L)
Lokomotiv Baku: Smak,Metcalf,Richards,Kamenova,Parkhomenko,Poznyak (Kovalenko), Filipova (L)

Ranking
Rabita Baku 9 (4-1) (14 - 4 )
Azerrail Baku 9 (4-1) (13 - 5 )
Igtisadchi Baku 8 (3-2) (11 - 8 )
Lokomotiv Baku 7 (2-3) (8 - 12 )
VC Baku 6 (1-4) (5 - 12 )
VC Shirvan Guba 6 (1-4) (4 - 14 )