Nataliya Goncharova will lead Dinamo Moscow, who will make their FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championship debut at the 2017 edition to be held in Kobe, Japan from May 9 to 14
Lausanne, Switzerland, April 27, 2017 – Russia’s Dinamo Moscow have been named as the eighth and final team in this year’s FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championship.
The Russian 2016 Super League champions, who are also 1:1 in the best of five-match final against Dinamo Kazan in the 2017 Russian Super League finals, replace former wild card selection VakifBank Istanbul, who ended up qualifying for the FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championship Japan 2017 via the European qualification spot after winning the European Champions League title in Treviso on Sunday.
FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championship
FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championship - Teams
Moscow, who finished fourth in Treviso, join three other wild card picks Volero Zurich, Eczacibasi VitrA Istanbul and Volei Nestle Osasco (which were already announced on April 3) for the annual international club competition, which will take place in Kobe, Japan from May 9-14.
The three other participating clubs include hosts Hisamitsu Springs of Kobe, reigning Asian champions NEC Red Rockets of Kawasaki and South American champions Rexona Sesc Rio de Janeiro.
All eight participating teams are in rich form
Last year’s World Championship bronze medalists and 2013 world champions VakifBank Istanbul claimed their third European Champions League title on Sunday by beating Italy’s Imoco Volley Conegliano 3-0 (25-19, 25-13, 25-23) in Treviso.
Their Turkish counterparts Eczacibasi VitrA Istanbul, who will be gunning for their third consecutive FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championship gold medal in Kobe, finished third in Treviso after beating Dinamo Moscow in the bronze medal match 3-1 (25-19, 19-25, 25-23, 25-22).
Meanwhile, Rexona Sesc Rio de Janeiro and Volei Nestle Osasco fought out a tough five setter in Sunday’s Brazilian Superleague final at Rio Arena with Rexona Sesc Rio de Janeiro clinching the 3-2 (25-19, 22-25, 25-22, 18-25, 15-6) victory that earned them their 12th overall and fifth straight Brazilian title.
In March, the Red Rockets claimed the 2017 Japan V.Premier League title by beating Hisamitsu Springs in the final while Volero Zurich finished fifth in the European Champions League having earlier claimed their 12th Swiss National Cup title, which extended their winning streak across all domestic competitions to 180.
Russian Super League Finals
Dinamo Moscow play Dinamo Kazan on Friday and Saturday in games three and four of the
best of five finals with Kazan having won the first game on April 17, 3-0 (25-18, 25-19, 25-18) and Moscow claiming the second game one day later 3-0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-20).