Angie McGinnis and Ashley Engle in Azerbaijan!

Last Azerbaijani Cup Winner Azerrail Baku transferred one more player from the USA National team- setter Angie McGinnis who played for Igtisadchi last season will play for success of Azerrail Baku next season.
Angie McGinnis(180 cm,1986) profile:
MAJOR INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION: 2009 – FIVB World Grand Prix (9th). 2008 – Tour of China…Pan American Cup (Fifth Place)…U.S. Olympic Team Exhibition for Volleyball versus Brazil…FIVB World Grand Prix (Fourth Place). 2005 – Pan American Cup (Fourth Place).

INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS: 2009 – Played in 17 sets of the FIVB World Grand Prix, starting the opening two matches against Germany (July 31) and Puerto Rico (Aug. 1)...Totaled 24 assists and six points (2 kills, 2 aces, 2 blocks) during the World Grand Prix. 2008 – Started the majority of eight-match tour of China leading to a 5-3 overall record against Chinese club teams…Helped USA to a 41 kill percent for the tour, while providing 14 kills, four blocks, one ace and 35 digs during the three-week event…Earned Best Setter award at Pan American Cup after averaging 4.38 assists per set with just five faults…Added 21 points during the Pan American Cup with 10 kills on 22 attacks, four aces and seven blocks…Totaled 18 digs during the Pan American Cup as part of 0.64 dig average…Started four sets and played in seven total sets in three-match exhibition series with Brazil…Started fifth set of victory over Brazil on June 13…Played in 10 sets during the first two weekends of the FIVB World Grand Prix, recording one ace. 2005 – Played for the USA Women's National Team during the summer of 2005 in the Pan American Cup in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.



Another capital team,newly renamed team "Baku" VC transferred another setter from USA,Ashley Engle who is also one of the most perspective players of USA.

HONORS & AWARDS
• 2008 AVCA All-America First Team
• Two-time Volleyball Magazine All-America First Team (2006, 2008)
• Two-time AVCA All-Central Region First Team (2006, 2008)
• Three-time All-Big 12 First Team (2006-08)
• 2008 Academic All-Big 12 Second Team
• Four-time Big 12 Player of the Week (Oct. 13, 2008; Nov. 17, 2008; Nov. 12, 2007 and Nov. 6, 2006)
• Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week (Nov. 10, 2008)
• Two-time Time Warner Cable Texas Invitational All-Tournament Team (2006, 2008)
• 2008 AVCA Showcase All-Tournament Team
• 2007 AVCA All-Central Region Second Team
• 2007 NCAA Gainesville Regional All-Tournament Team
• 2006 AVCA All-America Second Team
• 2006 NCAA All-Austin Regional Team
• 2006 Big 12 Freshman of the Year
• CVU.com National Player of the Week (Nov. 14, 2006)
• 2009 Collegiate Nationals Beach Volleyball Championship participant with Lauren Paolini
• 2008 Collegiate Nationals Beach Volleyball Championship A-Flight Champion with Kiley Hall
• 2007 PowerAde Collegiate Nationals Beach Volleyball Championship participant with Alyson Jennings
• Member of the 2007 U.S. Women's Junior National Volleyball Team with Jennifer Doris
• Ranked No. 3 recruit nationally by PrepVolleyball.com (2006)

INTERNATIONALLY
Selected to the 2007 U.S. Women's Junior National Team and represented Team USA at the FIVB U-20 World Championships July 19-27 in Nakhonratchasima, Thailand ... played on the 2005 U.S. Youth National Team that finished fourth in the FIVA Youth U-18 World Championships in Macau, China in July 2006 -- helping the USA equal its best finish ever at the World Championships ... collected 15 points in the 2006 bronze-medal game.

Very nice movie by fan

Natalya Mammadova:

Rabita and Igtisadchi defeated in Turkey

Azerbaijan champions Rabita Baku and bronze medalists Igtisadchi played their first games at the international pre-season tournament "Errea Cup" in Samsun, Turkey.

Organized by the Turkish affiliate of the Italian sports apparel manufacturer "Errea", the "2010 Errea Cup" has four teams - two from Turkey (Eczacibashi and Vakifbank Gunesh) and two from Azerbaijan - competing for the top prize.

In the first match of the tournament, Rabita Baku met Vakifbank Gunes and lost 1:3 (21:25, 18:25, 25:17, 22:25). In the second game of the day, Eczacibashi defeated Igtisadchi in a very close game 3:2 (25:15, 25:23, 19:25, 22:25, 15:11).
Note: Igtisadchi played without setter Yael Castiglione as she was hospitalized before the match. As the other setter Kathleen Weiss was in the camp with the German National team,Igtisadchi Baku asked Rabita`s setter Diana Nenova to play for that team. Another accident happened to Igtisadchi`s middle-blocker Aleoscar Iriarte who was injured and stopped the match in the middle.


In the final match tomorrow, Eczacibasi will meet Vakifbank Gunes, while Rabita and Igtisadchi will play for bronze.

Rabita will face Turkish National team twice in Samsun.

Rabita Baku will play two friendly matches against Turkish National team which will participate in the World Championship this month.
After two days "Errea Cup" tournament Rabita Baku will face Turkish National team 0n the 5th and 7th October. Rabita came to Turkey without 4 players which will also participate in the World Championship which will take place in Japan. Libero Silvija Popovic and middle-blocker Natasa Krsmanovic will play for the Serbian,outside-hitter Kimberly Glass for the USA and another middle-blocker Mirela Delic for the Croatian National team in Mundial.

Errea Cup schedule.

"Errea" Cup will start tomorrow in Samsun,Turkey with the match Rabita Baku- Vakifbank GSTT at 16:00 in local time. The two days tournament will take part in Yashar Dogu Sport hall.
Schedule of the matches:
02 October 2010
16:00 Rabita Baku-Vakifbank GSTT
18:00 Igtisadchi Baku-Ecazcibashi Vitra

03 October 2010
16:00 Bronze medal match
18:00 Final

All the matches will shown live on Sky Turk Tv.

Former Russian coach Mikhail Omelchenko signs with "Shakhdag-Guba"

The debutant of Azerbaijani Superleague, "Shakhdag-Guba" signed a contract with the former Russian National team coach,Mikhail Omelchenko. Before that Mr. Omelchenko was a candidate for the head coach post of Azerrail and Baku team,but at the last moment he signed with the debutant of the Superleague. Mikhail Omelchenko will mostly work with the young Azeri players and will try to prepare young players for the Azerbaijani Nation team.
Mikhail Omelchenko worked with legendary Nikolai Karpol and won 1988 Seoul Olympic Games` Gold Medal. He also worked in the teams like Eczacibashi Turkey,Dinamo and etc.
His last work place was Dinamo Krasnodar where played Azeri Star Natalya Mammadova last season. He left his post in the middle of the season.
We wish him the best in his new job and we hope that he will prepare new talented players for the future of Azeri volleyball.

Azerbaijan National Team members` profiles.

Our site, www.azerivolley.com now has full profiles of all Azerbaijani National team members:

Link: http://azerivolley.com/teams/wnational.php

Note:We are working on the other squads of Azeri Superleague teams. Rabita and Igtisadchi`s squads have already been updated in our official site.

You may also visit the updated "Gallery" section. Our first folder of pics: "Zubr Cup" in Czech Republic.

The Azerbaijani Superleague starts on the 25th November.

The Azerbaijani Volleyball Federation announced the start date and reglament of next Super-league season.
First day of the Super-league will start on the 25th of November. The Super-league main phase will consist of two rounds,5 tours for each round. The best four teams in the ranking will continue their way to the main prize.
These teams will play two rounds of the "Play-off" phase among each other. After these rounds the first team in the ranking will face the fourth one,and the second team will compete with the third one. The winners of these pairs will be known after the "Best of three" (two wins).
The winner will play in the finals which will be played till three wins with the formula "Best of Five". The losers will meet for the bronze medals with the same formula.
The last day of Azerbaijani Super-league is the 10th of May.
Participants for the 2010/11 season:
Rabita
Lokomotiv
Igtisadchi
Azerrail
Baku VC
Shakhdag -Guba