Pro Report, Including May, Frantti, Parsons, Eggleston, Markova, Samedy, Mutiri

This is our weekly update on USA women playing professional volleyball around the world. Most of the players are former NCAA standouts. Most pro leagues are coming back from winter breaks:

Poland

Budowlani Lodz (9-5) swept Tarnow (2-12) as Mac May led with 10 kills (.409) and an ace.

Türkiye

Ali Frantti had 14 kills and Chiaka Ogbogu had four kills and an ace as VakifBank (13-1) opened 2024 with a sweep of Karayollari (1-13). Jordan Thompson did not play.

Sarah Parsons had 16 kills, hit .467, and had a block and an ace as Kuzeyboru (10-4) beat PTT (4-10) in five. Payton Caffrey did not play, but newly signed Marta Levinska (Arizona State/Latvia) had two kills in her brief professional debut as a double sub.

Aydin (4-10) lost its fifth in a row after being swept by Fenerbahce (13-1). Setter Lauren Carlini had two kills and two blocks.

Logan Eggleston had 13 kills, two aces and a block as Galatasaray (7-7) swept Nilufer (6-8) for its fifth win in a row. Eggleston was also the best receiver in the match, passing 76% positive. Danielle Cuttino had 10 kills, two blocks and an ace. Russian Polina Shemanova, who played at Syracuse, was signed by Galatasaray.

Russian Marina Markova, who played at Syracuse and Florida, was top scorer with 28 kills, three blocks and two aces, and Stephanie Samedy had 18 kills and an ace as Muratpasa (7-7) snapped a two-match streak by beating Cukurova (3-11). Micaya White had a kill and an ace.

Italy

Avery Skinner had nine kills and a block and Madi Kingdon had six kills, a block and an ace as Chieri (9-6) swept Roma (6-9). Courtney Schwan was a Roma sub and  had a kill.

Lindsey Ruddins had 15 kills (hitting .484) and a block as Scandicci (13-2) overcame Busto Arsizio (4-11) in four sets. Haleigh Washington struggled after colliding with a Busto Arsizio player at the net early in the match, finishing with two kills and a block. Skylar Fields made her professional debut for Busto Arsizio as a brief substitute.

It might be a new year, but it was the same Conegliano (15-0), which swept Cuneo (5-10). Kathryn Plummer had nine kills and a block and Kelsey Robinson Cook had five kills and a block. Cuneo’s Anna Stevenson-Hall had four kills and a block and Madi Kubik added three kills.

Milano (14-1) won its 10th in a row as they swept Trentino (1-14) but neither Dana Rettke nor Kara Bajema played. Carly DeHood led Trentino with nine kills, two blocks and an ace and Madeleine Gates had two kills.

Firenze (7-8) beat Pinerolo (7-8) in four but Lauren Stivrins did not play. Firenze signed Stanford’s Kendall Kipp for the remainder of the season.

Japan

Annie Drews was only needed in a reserve role as JT Marvelous (13-0) won twice. Drews had seven kills and a block in the double sub as JT Marvelous swept Queenseis and then had 10 kills in a four-set win over Ageo.

Dani Drews had nine kills and tree blocks as NEC Red Rockets earned a key win in the playoff position battle by beating Hisamitsu Springs in four. McKenzie Adams led Hisamitsu Springs with 17 kills and four blocks.

Dani Drews then had 14 kills and four blocks as the Red Rockets (11-2) won their eighth win in a row with a sweep Hitachi Rivale.

Hisamitsu Springs (10-3) bounced back by beating Denso in five as Adams had 13 kills, four blocks and an ace.

Brazil

Roni Jones-Perry had 14 kills as SESC RJ (8-1) earned a key win in the Superliga by sweeping defending champions Praia Clube (7-2). 

Osasco (6-3) stayed in the hunt for a top-four finish by beating Minas (7-2) in four as Callie Schwarzenbach had four kills, three blocks and two aces. Brionne Butler added three kills and two blocks. Jenna Gray of Minas is still injured, but Annie Mitchem had three kills.

France

Jaali Winters led Mulhouse (11-3) with 14 kills, three ace and a block as her team needed a reverse sweep to beat Marcq en Baroeul (4-10). Annayka Legros added 11 kills, two blocks and two aces and Carli Synder had eight kills and a block.

Two former Pittsburgh players were the key as Sabrina Starks had 12 kills, hit .750, and had three blocks and Chamalieres (6-8) snapped its losing streak by sweeping Quimper (1-13). Courtney Buzzerio added 10 kills, one block, and an ace.

Levallois Paris SC (11-3) earned an important five-set win over Nancy (10-4) as Emily Thater had six kills and a team-high four blocks. Nancy’s Haylie Bennett led with 25 kills, three aces and a block and teammate Katelyn Evans had 22 kills, five aces and a block. Shayla Hoeft chipped in seven kills. Setter Saige Ka’aha’aina-Torres had two aces, two blocks and a kill.

Germany

Munster (4-9) kicked off the new year with a convincing 25-19, 25-21, 25-12 upset of Potsdam as Gloria Mutiri led with 17 kills (.667). Zoe Fleck was credited with 29% positive reception. Setter Jenna Ewert was named MVP for Munster after her team hit .384. Danielle Harbin led Potsdam with nine kills and an ace. Breland Morrissette added a kill and an ace. Justine Wong-Orantes was credited with 63% positive reception.

Potsdam (8-6) then swept Neuwied (0-14). Morrissette had seven kills and three blocks and Harbin and Wong-Orantes did not play.

Krystal Rivers had 18 kills, hit .500, and had two aces and a block as Stuttgart (12-1) got back into first place by sweeping Suhl (7-6). Eleanor Holthaus had seven kills for Suhl. Julia Brown added two aces while Jenny Mosser had a kill.

Aachen (3-10) swept Neuwied as Gabby Goddard had six kills and a match-high three blocks.

Wiesbaden (5-8) couldn’t pull off the upset of Schwerin (11-2) and lost in five. Rachel Anderson was named silver MVP with 15 kills (.625) and an ace. Jaidyn Blanchfield had 12 kills, three aces and two blocks.

Dresdner (11-2) won its fourth in a row by sweeping Vilsbiburg (5-8) as Tia Jimerson had nine kills (.818), four blocks and an ace. Grace Frohling added six kills and an ace. Serena Bruin had one kill for Vilsbiburg.

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