Gabi (receiving) and Natalia playing for Brazil at the FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship Italy 2014. They are both with Rexona-AdeS Rio de Janeiro for Zurich 2015.
Lausanne, Switzerland, April 30, 2015 - As many as 31 players at last year's edition of the FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship are registered to play at next week's FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championship. And all six teams competing in the Swiss city feature atleast four international stars, bringing the shine of Italy 2014 to Zurich 2015.
Although the final rosters are yet to be verified and are subject to confirmation at the Preliminary Inquiries prior to the start of the competition, the preliminary lists are a sure indication of the quality on display at Zurich 2015.
Dinamo Krasnodar, Eczacibasi VitrA Istanbul and Mirador Santo Domingo each have six internationals from the last World Championship on their preliminary rosters, followed by five each for Japan’s Hisamitsu Springs and hosts Volero Zurich. Rexona-AdeS Rio de Janeiro have just four, but are among the favourites to win the competition in Switzerland.
The tournament will also play host to two Italy 2014 gold medal winners. Eczacibasi’s outside hitter Jordan Quinn Larson-Burbach and Volero’s setter Courtney Thompson were both on the USA team that beat China 3-1 in the final in Milan. From the bronze-winning team of Brazil, outside hitters Gabi [Gabriela Guimaraes] and Natalia [Natalia Pereira], plus middle blocker Carol [Ana Carolina da Silva] will play for Rexona-AdeS. Their teammates in Milan, outside hitter Fe Garay [Fernanda Rodriguez] and setter Fabiola [Josefa Fabiola Almeida de Sousa Alves] play for Dinamo Krasnodar.
And there’s even a little bit of Poland 2014 at Zurich 2015: Bernardo Rezende, who coached Brazil to the silver medals at the FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship in Poland last year, will be in charge of Rexona-AdeS next week in Zurich.