Mikhail Omelchenko: "Baku" will be one of the best next season.

A new head coach of "Baku" volleyball club,Mikhail Omelchenko talked about the level of Azeri Super league,about plans of the team for next years and friendship between him and Faig Garayev.
"I know Faig Garayev from the USSR team,when Garayev led the Youth team and I was a coach of the Senior Women`s team. When Faig Garayev told me to come and work in Azerbaijan,I was very happy and received this offer with a great pleasure. I did not do that because of financial issues,to tell the truth we have not even talked about my contract yet. I want to help for improvement of the Azerbaijani volleyball.
The level of the Azeri Super league is quite high,all the teams transfer only top class players,what shows that Azerbaijani league will be one of the best in the World.
We started complication of the team very late,so we can not build such a strong team as Rabita or the others. Because all the strongest players have contract,and some of the leagues have already started. We try to make a team which will show nice and interesting game against the leaders,but we will do our best to have one of the strongest team not only in Azerbaijan,but also in the World,next season."

Cuban Noris Leydis Acea Cabrera joins Azerrail Baku.

Cuban diagonal player,captain of Youth National team and a member of Senior`s team Noris Leydis Acea Cabrera is the last transfer of Azerrail Baku.
24 years old Noris Leydis Acea Cabrera played for the cuban Senior`s National team in different international tournaments like" Boris Yeltsin`s Cup", Montreux Volley Masters and etc.
She will help Azerrail not earlier than the second round of the European "Challenge Cup".

Peruvian legend-Elena Keldibekova in Lokomotiv Baku.

Last finalist of Azerbaijani Superleague,Lokomotiv Baku realized a transfer of a very experienced setter, Peruvian National team member-Elena Keldibekova.
Peruvian Legend- this is how Kazakhstan born setter is called by volleyball fans. Elena Keldibekova (177 cm,1974)has been playing for Peru National Team for 20 years and she is one of the famous sportsmen in this country.
Note: Before Keldibekova,Lokomotiv Baku was interested to ink Bulgarian setter Evelina Tsvetanova,but the sides did not come to an agreement.

Czech Michaela Hasalikova changes Italy to Azerbaijan.

The Czech Republic National team player,middle-blocker of Italian Silver medalist Villa-Cortese,Michaela Hasalikova is a new transfer of "Baku" VC.

Michaela Hasalikova (194 cm,1984) played in Italy,last season. She won Italian Cup and Silver medal of Serie A with the team of international stars like Taismary Aguero,Paola Cardullo,Sara Anzanello,Lindsay Berg etc.
This season she will play for Azerbaijani Superleague team "Baku" VC which will be coached by Mikhail Omelchenko.

Crystal Matich signed for two months with Igtisadchi Baku.

Igtisadchi Baku which will participate in the European "Challenge Cup" signed a two-months contract with 25 years old American setter Crystal Matich.
Crystal Matich will play till the end of the Mundial,since German National team setter of Igtisachi Baku will join the team at the end of November. Another setter,Argentine NT player Yael Castiglione was hospitalized in Turkey. She feels better now and continues training with the team.But she still can not play with her real power,that`s why the transfer of Matich was realized.

Video link for Crystal Matich:

http://vimeo.com/3397001

Azerrail wins comfortably in Malta.

Azerrail has begun its quest for the European GM Challenge Cup in style, defeating Maltese champions Paola Hibernians in three straight sets, 25:7, 25:6, 25:10.

This was the very first European cup game for the Maltese team and it was a big difference in class and experience that predetermined the outcome. "If you had to compare the strength of our opponents in football terms, Azzerail Baku can be likened with top teams like Barcelona or Milan," Hibernians coach Mark Hili said before the game.
The return game will take place on October 17 in Baku.

Video from the match:

Rabita Baku takes revenge.

The last Azeri Champion Rabita Baku,which continues preparation to the European Champions league in Istanbul,played a friendly match against Vaklifbank Gunesh Sigorta Turk Telekom.
It was the second match between the teams this season. In the first match,Rabita lost to Vakifbank GSTT in the semi-final of "Errea Cup" in four sets: 3-1
This time Rabita Baku demolished the opponent in three sets: 3-0
Rabita will be back in Azerbaijan on the 11th of October and will play control matches against Azeri clubs.
Rabita also denied offers from Italian and Poland clubs to play friendly matches.

Azerrail Baku starts the season.

The last Azerbaijan Cup Winner Azerrail Baku officially starts the season with the first match of the European "Challenge Cup" in Malta.
After camps in the Czech republic and Turkey where Azerrail showed a great performance,the team moved to Malta to face the local team "Paola Hibs" today.
Azerrail announced the squad for next season,but one or two more players can be added in the following days.

10.10.2010 / 18:00 MLT PAOLA Hibs
17.10.2010 / 18:30 AZE Azerrail BAKU

Azerrail Baku team Squad 2010/11.



• Polina RAHIMOVA( AZE) - 198 cm (1990) Outside-hitter /Opposite
• Valeriya KOROTENKO (AZE) – 171 cm (1984) Libero
• Aynur KARIMOVA (AZE) – 189 cm (1988) Middle-blocker
• Odina ALIYEVA (AZE) – 185 cm (1990) Outside-hitter
• Natalia HANIKOGLU (TUR) - 190 cm (1975) Universal
• Angie MCGINNIS (USA) – 180 cm (1986) Setter
• Elisangela PEREIRA DE OLIVEIRA (BRA) – 187 cm (1980) Outside-hitter
• Iliana PETKOVA (BUL) – 191 cm (1977) Middle-blocker
• Jennifer JOINES-TAMAS (USA)-191 cm,Middle-blocker
• Aleksandra PERETYATKO (UKR) – 184 cm (1984) Setter
• Jana MATIASOVSKA (SVK) – 195 cm (1987) Diagonal
• Aneliya PASHINA (BUL)- 178 cm (1983) Libero
• Kseniya PAVLENKO (AZE) -185 cm (1993), Diagonal