Rabita Baku Song and clip! Great!!!

Rabita BAKU, Scavolini PESARO and VakifGunes complete draw for Playoffs 6

Luxembourg, February 10, 2011. Scavolini PESARO and VakifGunesTTelekom ISTANBUL scored this afternoon a second consecutive win in the Playoffs 12 of the 2011 CEV Champions League to advance to the next round of the competition and try there to book a spot for the final four coming up next March 19-20 at the “Burhan Felek” Volleyball Hall. Scavolini needed once again five sets to cruise past Dinamo MOSCOW in what was unanimously considered the most exciting and unpredictable clash of the Playoffs 12. In Azerbaijan, Rabita BAKU was able to reverse the outcome of the previous round and a classy performance of Natalya Mammadova sealed a perfect 3:0 as well as the golden set in the clash against VK Modranska PROSTEJOV of the Czech Republic.

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Rabita BAKU (AZE) vs. VK Modranska PROSTEJOV (CZE) 3:0 (25-21, 25-13, 25-19); golden set: 15-11

Azerbaijan’s Rabita BAKU qualified this afternoon to the Playoffs 6 of the 2011 CEV Champions League by reversing the outcome of the first leg played last week in the Czech Republic and defeating VK Modranska PROSTEJOV in straight sets before adding also the golden set to the final count.
The match, played in front of 3,000 spectators, started with great attacks of Mira Golubovic, but PROSTEJOV stayed tuned with the contribution of Slovenian outside hitter Tina Lipicer Samec. Azerbaijani star Natalya Mammadova claimed the final break with her aces and attacks for the provisional 1:0 (25-21). In set nr 2 experienced setter Iryna Zhukova opted very often for her middle blockers and Serbians Krsmanovic and Golubovic helped Mammadova and Starovic claim also the second set (25-23).
Mammadova and Starovic did a great job in the third set to contribute the final 25-19. The golden set started once again with Mammadova shining out in attack and with the killing blocks of Mira Golubovic. On the other hand, Kimberly Glass and Silvija Popovic did a great job in defence and won that set for Rabita.
“We are so happy, our team and especially our fans were great. They did half of our work. I am just proud of my team” noted Rabita’s star Natalya Mammadova. Coach Dejan Brdjovic added: “We did our best and showed that Rabita is really a strong team. I feel satisfied with this result, as our players applied the plan we had prepared”.
Solange Soares commented for PROSTEJOV: “We came here to win and to qualify to the next round, but Rabita was just incredible with its players, especially with an outstanding Mammadova”.
Czech coach Miroslav Cada: “I want to congratulate Rabita on their perfect game, they played strongly. Their captain Natalya Mammadova was attacking from all positions, she was just great”.

Dinamo MOSCOW (RUS) vs. Scavolini PESARO (ITA) 2:3 (17-25, 25-19, 28-26, 12-25, 8-15)

Some 2,000 fans decided to challenge the very cold weather that is ruling in Russia’s capital city to resume to the “Druzhba” sports hall to cheer for the girls of Dinamo in their return game of the Playoffs 12 against Scavolini PESARO of Italy. Dinamo struggled with some nervousness already in the opening set, as the Russians did know very well that they had no alternative than to score a win after losing last week in Italy. With a few aces and the contribution of Simona Gioli, Anna Matienko, Lesya Makhno and Carolina Costagrande – playing against her former team – Dinamo claimed set 2. Costagrande scored the last couple of rallies in a tight and exciting final rush of the third set, but after that Dinamo was no longer that consistent and Scavolini could score a second win to advance to the Playoffs 6 without having to go for the golden set.
Oksana Parkhomenko stated after the game: “I think we lost this game psychologically and mentally, because a team with a roster like ours should never face any technical problems”.

VakifGunesTTelekom ISTANBUL (TUR) vs. Aluprof BIELSKO-BIALA (POL) 3:1 (22-25, 25-20, 25-21, 25-18)

With about 1,800 spectators in attendance at the “Burhan Felek” Volleyball Hall, VakifGunesTTelekom ISTANBUL scored a second consecutive win over Poland’s Aluprof BIELSKO-BIALA to advance to the Playoffs 6 and play there the compatriots of Eczacibasi VitrA.
The guests from Poland started the match pretty well, with good blocks, and forcing coach Giovanni Guidetti to go for an early time-out. However, BIELSKO-BIALA could maintain full control of the operations and claim the opening set 25-22. Malgorzata Glinka and Maja Poljak set the pace for VakifGunes in the second set (16:11) and with the help of the many errors committed by the Poles, the hosting team could tie the count. VakifGunes was forced to storm back in set nr 3 as BIELSKO-BIALA displayed good momentum there; after trailing down 10:16, VakifGunes drew to 21 all with Glinka and after that scored 4 consecutive rallies to avoid a close ending of the set. The Turks were not to stop in set nr 4 and delighted their supporters with a classy performance for the final 3:1. Maja Poljak was the best scorer of the game with 20 points.
VakifGunes coach Giovanni Guidetti commented: “I think Eczacibasi is the best team on paper, however all matches are to be played on the court. We will play with our discipline, power, emotion and heart like we did today”.
Team captain Gozde Sonsirma added: “Our supporters were perfect tonight, we returned back in the third set with their help. Like we did in the national league, we will beat Eczacibasi VitrA once again also in the 2011 CEV Champions League”.
Polish mentor Grzegorz Wagner stated: “We should have won the third set but we lost it, it was the key point of today’s match. If you compare the budget of the Turkish and Polish clubs, you can see the difference there”.
Captain Katarzyna Skorupa concluded: “We had to play better to resist to VakifGunes. We lost our concentration in the third set and then it was a disaster”.

Rabita advances to the Playoff 6 round of the Champions League

In the return leg of the of the Champions League Playoff 12 round, Rabita Baku defeated Czech champions Modranska Prostejov 3:0 (25:21, 25:23, 25:19) in regulation and then snatched a 15:11 victory in the golden set to earn the ticket to the next round of the Champions League.

The first set started out with neither team able to develop any momentum and take a convincing lead, until a block by Ssuschke put Modranska up by three, 16:13. Coming from a technical timeout, Rabita responded with a 9:1 run, courtesy of Mammadova, Glass and Golubovic, for a 22:17 lead. Two back-to-back kills by Natasa Krsmanovic put Rabita in set-point position, 24:18. Modranska held off three set-points, but eventually Rabita prevailed 25:21.

Set two was much like the first, with neither team taking control early. With the score tied at 13:13, a series of well put blocks put visiting team up by three, 17:14. Two kills by Mammadova cut Modranska's lead to one, 17:16. Moments later, a block by Kim Glass tied the set at 18. American outside hitter will prove to be the decisive factor in the last minutes of the set. Three kills and a block from Glass (who spent last season at Modranska!) down the stretch helped to wrap up the set 25:23.

Czech champions kept the score tight to start the third set, until Sanja Starovic and Natasa Krsmanovic fueled a 5:1 rally to give Rabita a 13:8 advantage. Modranska battled back to narrow the margin to 15:12, but two kills by Starovic pushed Rabita up again by five points, 20:15. A 4:1 Modranska rally narrowed the gap to two late in the set, 21:19 forcing Dejan Brdjovic call a timeout. Following the timeout, Starovic and Golubovic secured a 25:19 third set win and send the game into the "golden set".

With a spot in Playoff 6 on the line, Rabita started the golden set aggressively and took an early 3:1 lead. But relentless Czech team responded with a quick 4:0 run to erase the deficit and put Modranska in front, 5:3. Two kills and an ace from team captain Natalya Mammadova tied the game at six and then a double-block gave the host team the 7:6 lead. The teams exchanged points twice before a solo block from Glass gave Rabita a two point lead, 10:8. A timeout taken by Modranska's head coach couldn't stop Rabita and Azerbaijani champions finished the golden set strong, 15:11, taking the team one step closer to the Final Four.

Rabita will take on Polish Bank BPS Fakro in the next round of the Champions League.

Rabita Baku - Modranska Prostejov 3:0 (25:21, 25:23, 25:19)

Rabita Baku: Doganjic, Krsmanovic 11, Popovic (L), Mammadova 13, Glass 11, Golubovic 10, Starovic 14, Zhukova 3

Modranska Prostejov: Velikiy 9, Kubinova 2, Novakova 2, Chlumska (L), Tomasekova 5, Ssuschke 13, Soares 4, Lipicer 11, Bramborova, Artemenko 11 Notes: Set duration: 24min, 26min, 24min (total: 74min) Service errors: Modranska Prostejov 9, Rabita Baku 0 Aces: Rabita Baku 8, Modranska Prostejov 3

Golden Set 15:11

Sanja's Diary

The phone is ringing... I pick up the phone.

A voice on the phone is asking: "Hello?... Sanja?"
I reply, "Yes?"
The voice: "Would you like to play in Azerbaijan...?"

(At this moment I am thinking... Azerbaijan?! No, no way! I remember when I was there in 2002 for the Final Four of the Top Teams Cup. It's very far away and I don't even know if the quality of volleyball is good in Azerbaijan.)

As, I am trying to imagine myself going to Azerbaijan in my head, the memories of 2002 are turning the idea down.

The voice said: "Sanja?" and I remembered that I was still on the phone and I said: "Oh... I am sorry, but I cannot accept your offer. Thank you very much."

Back in 2002 when we traveled to Baku, we qualified for the final tournament of the Top Teams Cup. It was a big surprise to everyone. We were a young team and we were very anxious to show our best game, and we did! We made it to final against the home team and I remember the final match...

Just walking to the sports hall was spectacular. There were lots of people waiting in front of the arena, and also inside. You could not squeeze a needle through the crowd! The people were dressed in black and gray (mostly men) but they all cheered together, and it was so powerful! We were very impressed with that atmosphere! Unfortunately, we lost the final game 0:3, but the cheering and the energy of the fans really left a great impression on us. With this in mind, I began to think that maybe Azerbaijan is worth a shot? Hmm...

Two days later, the phone rang again...

"Sanja, would you like to come? Because if you don't like it, you can always go back home."

(It sounded fair to me) "Hmmm... OK!" I said, "I will give it a try!"

Of course my family supported me in my decision. They always have and always will. They are amazing! Without their unconditional love and support, I would not be the person who I am today. While my family accepted my decision, it was very interesting to see how other people reacted. I heard reactions like, "Oh no! Why are you going so far away?", "Couldn't you have chosen something closer?", "Are you going there by yourself?", and the funniest of all, "ISN'T THERE A WAR?!?!" (referring to the war in Afghanistan) :))

I remember getting ready, and wondering who and what was waiting there for me. The people I talked with over the phone were kind and friendly. We spoke English, although, in Azerbaijan they speak Russian and Azerbaijani (the latter is similar to the Turkish language). I did not study the Russian language in school, so I was thinking that I could use Turkish, which I learned while playing two years in Antep, Turkey. I figured, if anything, I would be able to ask some basic questions. You know... "How's your day?", "What time is it?", etc. Simple everyday things. ;)

But enough of joking. I am on my trip from Gacko to Belgrade to Istanbul and then to Baku.

I needed an entire day to get there, as if I was flying all the way from Australia, or somewhere far away, where one would expect such a long journey :)

After I do not know how many hours, I have finally arrived! The man I spoke with on the phone was waiting for me (now I know that his name is Shahlar :)) and I went to a hotel to get some sleep and wait for my first training.

When I first met my new team, I greeted the coach and I realized that I could understand Russian perfectly! Who knew! (it is similar to Serbian.)

I started to stretch and a girl came to me (Kyama) to say "Hi". She smiled to me, and I smiled back and I saw that we both had shiny braces on our teeth! :) Haha!

Very soon I adjusted to the team and a month after I had arrived, Bojana Doganjic joined us and that is when our "European adventure", called the Challenge Cup, began. We managed to advance to the quarterfinal stage, but to our dismay, we were kicked out of the tournament because one of our two middle blockers got injured, and we did not have enough players to play. But we did not embarrass ourselves, which was very important.

Another interesting fact is that there was no national league. There were four teams and each played in the European cups, so there was no need for a domestic league.

But, thank God, the problem was soon solved and within a month all teams were playing in the national tournament. The final result? We, Rabita, are the Champions! :)

One year later, many people heard about us, and many more foreign players began to come here. Players from Serbia, Bulgaria, United States, Brazil, Thailand etc. A great bunch of top players. The national league has risen to a higher level and the games have become more interesting. More and more people came to watch us play. In addition to the expanding league, we also now had a new challenge in front of us: the CEV Cup!

We made it to the Final Four of the CEV Cup, which, thanks to our club directors, was organized in Baku. A big event for volleyball and for the city of Baku as well. Another way to showcase the high level volleyball to the people of Baku, who come to watch and enjoy the games. The fans lived up to our expectations and they did not let us down. Do you remember that story about supporters from 2002? :) Now I am happy that they are my supporters, and I also know how the opponent team feels when they play on our court! With our fans it is impossible to play bad! Big thanks to them!

As for me, this is my third year here. The league continues to get stronger. It is much more competitive than before and all of the clubs became even stronger. Any team can win on any given day. Every team is good. As for our team, we are staying strong :) Currently, we are the first in the league, and, with God's help, we will be first at the end of the season. It is easier to win the title than to defend it. I believe in our team, our staff, and people at the club. We can do it! :)

But the most prestigious competition, for sure, is the Champions League. We finished first in the pool of four teams in the first round. Now, we are playing against Prostejov, a team from the Czech Republic. We will do our best to show what we can do! "Inshallah," as they say here ;)

I first came in November 2008. It is now February 2011 and I am still here, and I am happy!

It has been a challenge and I enjoy it!

Sanja Starovic

Oksana Parkhomenko crushing

Will Azeri NT play in "Boris Yeltsin Cup" 2011?

Azerbaijani National team can be the 6th participant team of the traditional tournament- "Boris Yeltsin Cup" which will take place from the 22nd June till the 26th in Yekaterinburg,Russia.
Except the hosts the other strong National teams from Brazil, Netherlands,Italy and China will come to fight for the main prize. The sixth team can be Azerbaijan or Ukraine.

Azerbaijani trio continues to roll in the GM Challenge Cup

All three Azerbaijani clubs in the GM Challenge Cup have successfully completed second matches of the Round of 8 and advanced to the quarterfinal round of the competition.

In the first match of the day in Baku, Igtisadchi has overcome the resistance of Romanian Stiinta Bacau in four sets - 25:17, 26:24, 23:25, 25:10. Igtisadchi won the first match 3:0.

In the second match, Azerrail outclassed Ukrainian Khimik in straight sets just like a week ago in Ukraine, 25:15, 25:14, 25:18.

Finally, Lokomotiv traveled to Cyprus for the return leg against Apollon Limassol. Baku team won the first game 3:0 and managed to repeat the last week's result again - 25:19, 25:23, 25:19.

Our club's quarterfinal opponents will be determined in the next few days.

Vladimir Zinichev: The main problem for Dinamo- Oksana Parkhomenko`s injury!

General Director of Dinamo Moscow Vladimir Zinichev about Oksana Parkhomenko`s injury.

Vladimir, there's been some changes: someone is injured, someone entered the club, someone now will not play. Tell us about all of this.
- Global change does not happen, though, of course, life is making adjustments in our reality, and not always joyful. I'll start with the main thing: Our key player Oksana Parkhomenko is injured . We are actively doing everything for treating her, because due to the nearest important game against Scavolini it occupied all of our concern. Today, this theme is in the sphere of attention of the management, coaching staff and physicians. It is clear that this moment is the biggest key of many things .

- Oksana has an elbow injury, right?
- Yes, she has an elbow injury, so she is having difficulty in performing her basic game functions. It's sad for us,except that this match will be the decisive, it affects on our future in terms of continuing the struggle in the Champions League. We are all worried.

For more: http://www.championat.ru/other/_volley/article-77630.html