Women’s pro volleyball: Cuttino, Lowe come up big in Japan; Payne leads in Türkiye 

This is our weekly update on USA women playing professional volleyball around the world. Most of the players are former NCAA standouts:

Japan

It was a big weekend for former Purdue star Danielle Cuttino and former UCLA standout Karsta Lowe.

Hitachi Rivale was swept in both matches by perennial league favorite Toray. Toray took the first 25-20, 25-18, 25-21. Hannah Tapp was limited to four kills and one block for Rivale. Toray won the second match in another sweep 25-22, 25-19, 25-16. Tapp had three kills.

Toyota Autobody Queenseis earned a split with PFU. PFU won the first match 23-25, 25-22, 25-18, 25-17. Cuttino had 18 kills and four blocks for Queenseis. Queenseis bounced back to win a reverse sweep 27-29, 12-25, 25-22, 25-20, 15-11. Cuttino had 30 kills (.429) and one block.

JT Marvelous beat Ageo twice, sweeping the first 25-23, 25-22, 25-11. Karsta Lowe was top scorer with 17 kills (.515), two blocks, and an ace. JT Marvelous then won 25-20, 17-25, 25-23, 21-25, 16-14 and Lowe was top scorer again as she had 22 kills and two blocks.

NEC Red Rockets and Sarah Wilhite-Parson were off this weekend.

Italy

On the first match day, Cuneo earned its first win by beating Bergamo 26-28, 25-22, 27-25, 22-25, 15-13. Anna Stevenson-Hall was second top scorer for Cuneo nine kills, three aces, and two blocks. Dani Drews had eight kills as she continued in the opposite position. For Bergamo, Khalia Lanier returned from injury and had 16 kills and a block. Mac May had two kills in a brief appearance.

Image: https://ww2.legavolleyfemminile.it/photogallery/pg1710/0973.jpg
Source: LVF

Conegliano stormed back from an early eight-point deficit in set one and swept rival Novara 27-25, 25-11, 25-23. Kelsey Cook had an errorless performance as she had 12 kills (.631) and passed 75% positive. Kathryn Plummer added five kills and two aces for Conegliano. McKenzie Adams had eight kills for Novara, while Jordyn Poulter started as setter again.

On the second match day, Milano swept Vallefoglia 25-19, 25-10, 25-18. Jordan Thompson was top scorer for Milano with 15 kills (.481) and a block. Dana Rettke did not play. Micha Hancock had one kill for Vallefoglia. The biggest news of the week for Milano was not the victory and unbeaten start to the season, but that USA Olympian Jordan Larson will rejoin the team soon.

Chieri’s hot start to the season continued by dismantling Novara 25-16, 25-18, 25-23. Brionne Butler did not play for Chieri, while Novara’s McKenzie Adams was injured. Poulter had one ace as she set the first two sets for Novara.

Bergamo finished with a 22-25, 25-14, 25-19, 25-23 win over Busto Arsizio. Lanier had 14 kills and a block for Bergamo. May made a brief substitute appearance, recording 33% positive reception. Carli Lloyd had a kill, a block, and an ace for Busto Arsizio.

Conegliano overcame a secondset hiccup to beat Casalmaggiore 25-19, 22-25, 25-17, 25-10. Cook came off the bench and had 10 kills and two blocks. Plummer made only a brief substitute appearance. Ali Frantti was top scorer for Casalmaggiore as she had 13 kills and an ace. Lauren Carlini had two kills and an ace.

Scandicci faced no trouble from Macerata 25-18, 25-11, 25-21. Haleigh Washington. Symone Abbott had eight kills for Macerata.

Perugia avoided a reverse sweep against Pinerolo 25-21, 25-18, 23-25, 19-25, 15-10 as Stephanie Samedy had 10 kills and three blocks. Tori Dilfer added three kills, two aces, and a block.

Cuneo beat Firenze 20-25, 25-23, 16-25, 25-21, 15-12. Stevenson-Hall finished with three kills, two blocks, and one ace for Cuneo. Teammate Dani Drews added four kills and a block. Rhamat Alhassan had seven kills and four blocks for Firenze.

Türkiye 

PTT held off SigortaShop 25-23, 20-25, 25-23, 15-25, 15-9. Kelsie Payne was the top scorer for SigortaShop as she had 24 kills, two aces, and one block.

THY bounced back from last weekend’s defeat to sweep Kuzeyboru 25-11, 26-24, 25-22. Madi Kingdon was second top scorer for THY 15 kills (.500) and no errors. Annie Mitchem was top scorer for Kuzeyboru with 13 kills and two blocks.

VakifBank dispatched Ilbank 25-19, 25-11, 25-15. Kara Bajema played the first two sets for VakifBank and had seven kills, two blocks, and an ace. Chiaka Ogbogu did not play.

Galatasaray overcame Bolu 25-19, 25-15, 21-25, 25-18. Khat Bell contributed four kills for Galatasaray. Tori Dixon had five kills, two aces, and one block for Bolu.

On the second match day, Kuzeyboru bounced back with a sweep over Cukurkova 25-19, 27-25, 25-18. Mitchem was limited to five kills.

Aydin overcame Bolu 22-25, 25-23, 27-25, 25-19 as Dixon had five kills, three blocks, and one ace.

Galatasaray beat SigortaShop 25-18, 23-25, 25-20, 25-9 as Bell had seven kills, one block, and an ace for Galatasaray. Across the net, Payne had 11 kills and a block.

THY swept Nilufer 25-11, 25-18, 25-15. Kingdon did not play. Sherridan Atkinson was the top scorer for Nilufer with six kills.

VakifBank avenged their SuperCup defeat as they beat Fenerbahce 25-21, 25-20, 23-25, 25-22 to end the weekend. Ogbogu and Bajema did not play.

France

Chamalieres upset TFOC 25-19, 25-19, 25-23. Taylor Fricano had 12 kills and an ace for TFOC, while Shannon Scully had 10 kills and two aces. Libero Kendall White passed 43% positive.

Beziers swept Nancy 25-16, 28-26, 25-21 in their first match without the league’s leading scorer but injured Avery Skinner. Former Kentucky teammate and setter Madison Lilley had two aces, two kills, and a block for Beziers while Blake Mohler had five kills and two blocks. Justine Wong-Orantes was credited with 75% positive reception. Annayka Legros had 10 kills and two blocks for Nancy, while teammate Lauren Page added two kills and a block.

Vennelles ended its winless streak by beating Levallois 25-13, 25-19, 20-25, 25-19. Katelyn Evans was top scorer for Venelles with 13 kills, three aces and a block. August Raskie added an ace. Haylie Bennett was top scorer for Levallois with 19 kills, two blocks, and an ace.

Paris SC defeated Cannes in their first encounter of the season 25-23, 22-25, 25-17, 25-18. Carli Synder had 14 kills, two aces, and a block for Cannes. Madeleine Gates contributed four kills and one block while Claire Felix had a kill, three blocks, and an ace. Jenna Gray set for Cannes while also adding three kills and two aces in the defeat.

Mulhouse upended the league leaders Nantes and handed them their first loss of the season (25-23, 25-16, 25-23). Taylor Mims had 10 kills and an ace for Nantes. Alli Stumler came off the bench to contribute two kills and a block. Jaelyn Keene was limited to two kills and a block.

On the second match day, Nantes bounced back to beat Levallois 25-15, 25-22, 18-25, 25-18. Taylor Mims was named MVP. No match statistics were available.

TFOC overcame a poor first set to beat Paris SC 14-25, 25-21, 25-22, 25-22. Fricano had 11 kills and one block while Scully was limited to five kills. Scully, however, was the top passer as she was credited with 70% positive reception. White was credited with 54%.

Venelles won again by sweeping Chamalieries 25-17, 25-16, 25-20. Evans was top scorer again as she had 12 kills.

Cannes finished with a 25-18, 26-24, 19-25, 25-22 win over Marcq en Barouel. Snyder was top scorer with 20 kills and a block. Felix had a match high nine blocks along with three kills. Gates added seven kills and one block. Gray set and had a block.

Volero Le Cannet overcame a shorthanded Beziers squad 25-23, 23-25, 25-20, 25-19. Mohler had five kills and one block for Beziers while Lilley added a block.

Germany

League: Aachen won for the first time by sweeping Munster 25-20, 26-24, 25-23. Ashley Evans was named MVP after having a kill and two blocks.

Schwerin continued its unbeaten start by sweeping Vilsbiburg 25-14, 25-15, 25-13. Lindsey Ruddins was second top scorer for Schwerin with 10 kills (.625).

Germany Cup: Stuttgart swept Neuwied 25-12, 25-12, 25-20. Simone Lee had nine kills (.538) and two blocks in just two sets. Alexis Hart added seven kills and a block. Stuttgart’s Krystal Rivers did not play.

Schwerin advanced to the next round by sweeping Friesen 25-13, 25-10, 25-10. No stats were available.

Aachen also advanced by beating Borken 25-20, 25-19, 25-19. No stats were available.

Poland

Polish Cup: Wroclaw beat Legionowo 20-25, 25-16, 25-15, 25-20 as Melissa Evans had 19 kills and two blocks.

League: Bielsko-Biala came back to overcome Wroclaw 25-23, 17-25, 22-25, 25-20, 15-6. Evans was second top scorer for Wroclaw with 17 kills and an ace. T’Ara Ceasar had three kills for Bielsko-Biala before leaving the match with an injury in the first set.

Greece

PAOK ended Markopoulo’s unbeaten start to the season with a 25-16, 25-22, 25-18. Payton Caffrey was the top scorer with 16 kills (.520), five aces, and one block. Audriana Fitzmorris was the top scorer for Markopoulo with 13 kills and a block.

Olympiacos won its third match in a row by sweeping Ilisiakos 25-17, 25-15, 25-18. Jaali Winters had nine kills (.500) and two aces and was also the top passer for Olympiacos, 43% positive.

AEK ended Panathinaikos’ winning streak 25-23, 12-25, 25-20, 25-12. Adora Anae was top scorer for Panathinaikos with 12 kills, two blocks, and two aces.

AO Thiras ended the weekend with a 20-25, 25-23, 25-23, 25-20 win over ASP Thetis as Mariena Hayden had 19 kills, five aces and a block. Leah Hardeman added 15 kills and three blocks for Thetis.

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