Who's out, who's in: Superleague roster changes

A look at mid-season changes in the Azerbaijani Superleague rosters:

Azerrail

Added: Nootsara Tomkom (Setter, Thailand)
Gone: Angie McGinnis (Setter, USA) - injury

VK Baki

Gone: Sanja Tomasevic (Outside hitter, Serbia), Ashley Engle (Setter, USA) - transferred to Scavolini Pesaro (Italy), Stacey Gordon (Outside hitter, Canada)

Igtisadchi

Added: Jan de Brandt (Head coach, Belgium)
Gone: Resat Yaziciogullari (Head coach, Turkey), Filiz Ozgur (Outside hitter, Turkey) - injury, Crystal Matich (Setter, USA) - end of contract

Lokomotiv

Added: Dragutin Baltic (Head coach, Serbia)
Gone: Aleksandr Chervyakov (Head coach, Azerbaijan), Julie Rubenstein (Outside hitter, USA) - injury

Ashley Engle leaves VC "BAKI" and joins Scavolini Pesaro. Francseca Mari left Italians.

American setter of "VC BAKI" leaft the team from capital and joint the last Italian Champion Scavolini Pesaro.
Due to some internal problems the sides decided to part the ways. Baku will play with experienced Vilmarie Mojica from the Puerto Rican National team.
The second setter of Scavolini Pesaro Francesca Mari left the team explaining that with the lack of game practise recently. She joined another team from Italian Seri A2.

Champions League Play- Off: Rabita Baku-Modranska Prostejov

First round

Scavolini Pesaro-Dinamo Moscow

Eczacıbaşı VitrA-RC Cannes

Vakıfbank GSTT- Bielsko Biala

Volero Zürich-Zarieche Odıntsovo

Rabita Baku-Modranska Prostejov

Villa Cortese -Fakro Muszyna

Note: If Rabita Baku wins then we are meeting with the winner of the pair Villa Cortese -Fakro Muszyna. INSHALLAH we will reach Final Four!!!

Azerrail and Igtisadchi join Lokomotiv in the next round of the GM Challenge Cup

Azerrail and Igtisadchi topped Greek Olympiacos 3:0 (25:14, 25:11, 25:20) and Serbian Tent 3:0 (25:22, 25:16, 25:14), respectively, on Thursday afternoon to join Lokomotiv in the next round of the GM Challenge Cup. Both Baku teams won their first leg games a day before with a similar, 3:0, scoreline.

In the Round of 8, Azerrail will meet Ukrainian "Khimik", while Igtisadchi will square off against Romanian Stiinta.

Matches are scheduled for the first week of February.

Challenge Cup: Azerbaijan 9-0 Europe.

Lokomotiv Baku advanced to the next round of the GM Challenge Cup with a 3:0 (25:8, 25:9, 25:12) win over Austrian Linz-Steg in the second match of the Round of 16.

Their first leg match in Austria last week also ended 3:0 in favor of Lokomotiv.

In the Round of 8, Lokomotiv will face Apollon Limassol from Cyprus.

Azerrail and Igtisadchi played their first games of the GM Challenge Cup Round of 16 on Wednesday in Baku.

Igtisadchi defeated Serbian Tent 3:0 (25:15, 25:15, 25:15) and Azerrail dropped Greek Olympiacos with a similar scoreline, 3:0 (25:7, 25:15, 25:13).

Earlier, Azerrail and Igtisadchi have reached an agreement with Greek and Serbian teams to play both legs of their GM Challenge Cup Round of 16 games in Baku. The return matches will take place tomorrow on January 13.

Super transfer: Tomkom Nootsara replaces Angie McGinnis in Azerrail Baku.

Azerrail Baku found a player who can substitute American Angie McGinnis and strengthen the team game of the team.
25 years old Tomkom Nootsara (1985, 169 cm) is the starting setter of the Thailand National team which was voted to be the "BEST SETTER" of 2010 all over the World, according to volleywood.net (the link below).
Angie McGinnis had serious knee injury and she could not continue playing for Azerrail Baku this season.

Link: http://www.volleywood.net/2010-thebestawards/thailands-nootsara-wins/

Two-time defending champion Norda Foppapedretti BERGAMO is out as starting field for Playoffs 12 is completed 2011 CEV Champions League - Women

Luxembourg, January 11, 2010. After the last round of play, the starting field for the Playoffs 12 of the 2011 CEV Champions League – Women is finally determined and all Volleyball fans can start waiting for the Drawing of Lots coming up on Friday at 2.30 pm where the organizer of the final four slated for next March will be also announced.
The line-up for the Playoffs 12 includes: VakifGunesTTelekom ISTANBUL and Bank BPS Fakro MUSZYNA from Pool A; FenerbahceAcibadem ISTANBUL and Dinamo MOSCOW from Pool B; Eczacibasi VitrA ISTANBUL and Voléro ZÜRICH from Pool C; MC-Carnaghi VILLA CORTESE and RC CANNES (Pool D) plus Rabita BAKU and Scavolini PESARO from Pool E. VK Modranska PROSTEJOV and Aluprof BIELSKO-BIALA continue their campaign via the “repechage” of the two best third-ranked teams, while Zarechie ODINTSOVO is likely to replace the organizer of the final four in the grid of the Playoffs 12. The major sensation of the prelims is that the winner of the last two editions, Norda Foppapedretti BERGAMO, struggling with injuries and bad lack from the start of the season, is finally out of contention.

Zarechie ODINTSOVO (RUS) vs. Bank BPS Fakro MUSZYNA (POL) 2:3 (25-19, 25-18, 14-25, 27-29, 11-15)
VakifGunesTTelekom ISTANBUL (TUR) vs. Crvena Zvezda BEOGRAD (SRB) 3:0 (25-8, 25-15, 25-16)
Norda Foppapedretti BERGAMO (ITA) vs. FenerbahceAcibadem ISTANBUL (TUR) 0:3 (13-25, 23-25, 19-25)
ZOK SPLIT 1700 (CRO) vs. Dinamo MOSCOW (RUS) 0:3 (7-25, 12-25, 11-25)
CV Jamper Aguere LA LAGUNA (ESP) vs. ASPTT MULHOUSE 0:3 (15-25, 17-25, 14-25)
Voléro ZÜRICH (SUI) vs. Eczacibasi VitrA ISTANBUL (TUR) 3:2 (25-19, 23-25, 25-23, 9-25, 15-13)
RC CANNES (FRA) vs. VK Modranska PROSTEJOV (CZE) 2:3 (25-13, 22-25, 21-25, 25-17, 13-15)
MC-Carnaghi VILLA CORTESE (ITA) vs. Organika Budowlani LODZ (POL) 3:1 (18-25, 25-19, 25-15, 25-21)
Rabita BAKU (AZE) vs. Dinamo Romprest BUCHAREST (ROU) 3:0 (25-18, 25-16, 25-14)
Aluprof BIELSKO-BIALA (POL) vs. Scavolini PESARO (ITA) 2:3 (25-21, 12-25, 21-25, 25-21, 11-15)

Rabita sweeps Dinamo Romprest

Rabita Baku advanced to the playoff round of the 2010-11 CEV Champions League with a 3:0 (25:18, 25:16, 25:14) victory over Romanian Dinamo Romprest on Thursday afternoon. Azerbaijani champions topped Pool E with 14 points, while Italian champions Scavolini Pesaro finished second with 12 points.

Sanja Starovic and Kim Glass led Rabita with 17 and 13 points, respectively. Mira Golubovic added 11 points and had match-high three blocks.

Rabita jumped out to a 9:2 lead to start the match and kept Dinamo at bay going 16:10 by the time of the second technical timeout. After the timeout, Romanians managed to up their offensive effort, cutting Rabita's lead to three, 21:18. Rabita retaliated immediately with five back-to-back points, taking the first set, 25:18.

Rabita grabbed a 5:2 lead in the second set and held onto a three-point lead until a 4:0 Rabita run put hosts up by seven, 16:9. The two teams went back and forth with Rabita maintaining at least a five-point advantage. With a 20:15 lead, Starovic started a 5:1 run to close out the set for a 25:16 victory.

Set three started out close with Romanian team hanging tight only two points behind, 10:8, before Rabita, fueled by powerful serves from Natasa Krsmanovic went on a 9:1 run for a decisive 19:9 advantage. Down 23:13, Marcovici put away one final kill for Dinamo before Glass and Starovic closed out the match for Rabita, 25:14.

Dejan Brdjovic, Rabita head coach

"It was a very important match for us and we are very happy with the result. We have several injured players - Natalya Mammadova played with a shoulder injury last week in Pesaro and tonight, and also Olga Ativi is still recovering."

Atanas Petrov, Dinamo head coach

"Rabita is a very strong team and they have improved a lot. I wish them good luck in the next stages of the competition."

Rabita Baku will learn its playoff opponent on Friday, February 14. The line-up for the playoffs includes: VakifGunes, Fenerbahce Acibadem, Eczacibasi (all Turkey), Scavolini Pesaro, Villa Cortese (both Italy), Bank BPS Fakro, Aluprof (both Poland), RC Cannes (France), Dinamo Moscow (Russia), Volero Zurich (Switzerland) and VK Modranska (Czech Republic). Meanwhile, Russian Zarechie Odintsovo is likely to replace the organizer of the final four in the playoff grid.

Rabita Baku - Dinamo Romprest Bucharest 3:0 (25:18, 25:16, 25:14)

Rabita Baku: Doganjic 2, Krsmanovic 10, Popovic (L), Mammadova 6, Glass 13, Golubovic 11, Starovic 17, Zhukova 2

Dinamo Romprest: Hatinova 8, Hincu 3, Marcovici 9, Minca, Vesovic 7, Smarandache, Radu 5, Gligorovic 2

Notes: Set duration: 22min, 21min, 20min (total: 63min)
Service errors: Rabita Baku 7, Dinamo Romprest 4
Aces: Rabita Baku 11, Dinamo Romprest 1