Zurich, Switzerland, May 8, 2015 – Rexona-AdeS Rio de Janeiro gave a display of power in rolling over Mirador Santo Domingo 3-0 (25-14, 25-19, 25-18) and Dinamo Krasnodar provided plenty of drama in edging past Hisamitsu Springs Kobe 3-1 (21-25, 25-21, 25-14, 25-18) on the closing day of pool play at the 2015 FIVB Volleyball Club World Championship.
Both Rexona-AdeS and Dinamo thus qualifed to tomorrow’s semifinals, joined by hosts Volero Zurich and Eczacibasi VitrA Istanbul. Mirador and Hisamitsu Springs rank fifth in the tournament and will be heading home.
With reserve setter Roberta in charge of the game (so as to give Fofao a well-deserved rest) and despite the necessary changes that coach Bernardinho had to make, in order to keep the team fresh for the semifnals, Rexona-AdeS had absolutely no trouble disposing of the Caribbean side. With Gabi and Natalia on the sides and Carol down the middle earning the bulk of the points, the Brazlian side completely overwhelmed the Dominicans including as many as 10 stuffs and six aces.
Later in the day Hisamitsu Springs had come within one set of becoming the first ever Japanese team to make it to the semifinals of a Club World Championship when they won the first set (and needed just one more to eliminate the Russians and qualify themselves). But once Dinamo got their reception sorted with drastic improvement as the match wore on, and the block began to work, it felt like almost plain sailing.
But Dinamo were still playing under par and Serbian opposite Brankica Mihajlovic, the only foreigner on Hisamitsu Springs' roster was creating all sorts of problems for the Russian block and defence. Evetually, Dinamo wore Mihajlovic down and when it counted most, at 21-18 in the fourth, they delivered: Fe Garay scored two consecutive aces, followed by a block by Tatiana Kosheleva on Miyu Nagaoka and a brilliant kill by Yuliya Podskalnaya to bring the match home.
Semifinals schedule:15:30 (13:30 GMT): Eczacibasi VitrA Istanbul v Volero Zurich18:00 (16:00 GMT): Rexona-AdeS Rio de Janeiro v Dinamo Krasnodar
Top Scoring Performances
28 - Olesia Rykhliuk (Volero Zurich - SUI) v Rexona-AdeS - BRA (May 7)
24 - Yuki Ishii (Hisamitsu Springs Kobe - JPN) v Eczacibasi VitrA Istanbul - TUR (May 6)
21 - Tatiana Kosheleva (Dinamo Krasnodar - RUS) v Hisamitsu Springs Kobe - JPN (May 8)
20 - Olesia Rykhliuk (Volero Zurich - SUI) v Mirador Santo Domingo - DOM (May 6)
20 - Fe Garay (Dinamo Krasnodar - RUS) v Hisamitsu Springs Kobe - JPN (May 8)
20 - Brankica Mihajlovic (Hismaitsu Springs Kobe - JPN) v Dinamo Krasnodar (May 8)
Top Blocking Performances
6 - Yuliya Podkslanaya (Dinamo Krasnodar - RUS) v Hisamitsu Springs Kobe - JPN (May 8)
5 - Christiane Fuerst (Eczacibasi VitrA Istanbul - TUR) v Hisamitsu Springs Kobe - JPN (May 6)
5 - Carol (Rexona-AdeS Rio de Janeiro - BRA) v Volero Zurich - SUI (May 7)
5 - Olesia Rykhliuk (Volero Zurich - SUI) v Rexona-AdeS Rio de Janeiro - BRA (May 7)
4 - Rachel Sanchez (Volero Zurich - SUI) v Mirador Santo Domingo - DOM (May 6)
4 - Candida Aris (Mirador Santo Domingo - DOM) v Volero Zurich - SUI (May 6)
4 - Maja Poljak (Eczacibasi VitrA Istanbul - TUR) v Dinamo Krasnodar - RUS (May 7)
4 – Natalia (Rexona-AdeS Rio de Janeiro - BRA) v Mirador Santo Domingo - DOM (May 8)
Top Blocking Performances by Team
14 - Eczacibasi VitrA Istanbul - TUR v Hisamitsu Springs Kobe - JPN (May 6)
14 - Volero Zurich - SUI v Mirador Santo Domingo - DOM (May 6)
13 - Rexona-AdeS Rio de Janeiro - BRA v Volero Zurich - SUI (May 7)
13 - Dinamo Krasnodar - RUS v Hisamitsu Springs Kobe - JPN (May 8)
12 - Eczacibasi VitrA Istanbul - TUR v Dinamo Krasnodar - RUS (May 7)
Top Serving Performances
4 - Jordan Larson-Burbach (Eczacibasi VitrA Istanbul) - TUR v Dinamo Krasnodar - RUS (May 7)
4 - Carol (Rexona-AdeS Rio de Janeiro - BRA) v Mirador Santo Domingo - DOM (May 8)
3 - Ayano Nakaoji (Hisamitsu Springs Kobe - JPN) v Eczacibasi VitrA Istanbul - TUR (May 6)
3 - Maja Poljak (Eczacibasi VitrA Istanbul - TUR) v Hisamitsu Springs Kobe - JPN (May 6)
3 - Rachel Sanchez (Volero Zurich - SUI) v Mirador Santo Domingo - DOM (May 6)
3 - Fe Garay (Dinamo Krasnodar - RUS) v Hisamitsu Springs Kobe - JPN (May 8)
Top Serving Performances by Team
10 - Rexona-AdeS Rio de Janeiro - BRA v Mirador Santo Domingo (May 8)
7 - Volero Zurich - SUI v Mirador Santo Domingo - DOM (May 6)
6 - Hisamitsu Springs Kobe - JPN v Eczacibasi VitrA Istanbul - TUR (May 6)
5 - Eczacibasi VitrA Istanbul - TUR v Hisamitsu Springs Kobe - JPN (May 6)
5 - Eczacibasi VitrA Istanbul - TUR v Dinamo Krasnodar - RUS (May 7)
Highest Scorers by day
24 - Yuki Ishii (Hisamitsu Springs Kobe - JPN) v Eczacibasi VitrA Istanbul - TUR (Day 1, May 6)
28 - Olesia Rykhliuk (Volero Zurich - SUI) v Rexona-AdeS - BRA (Day 2, May 7)
21 - Tatiana Kosheleva (Dinamo Krasnodar - RUS) v Hisamitsu Springs Kobe - JPN (May 8)
Highest Set Score
35-33 - Volero Zurich - SUI v Rexona-AdeS Rio de Janeiro - BRA (3rd set, May 7)
30-28 - Rexona-AdeS Rio de Janeiro - BRA v Volero Zurich - SUI (1st set, May 7)
28-26 - Hisamitsu Springs Kobe - JPN v Eczacibasi VitrA Istanbul - TUR (2nd set, May 6)
26-24 - Eczacibasi VitrA Istanbul - TUR v Dinamo Krasnodar - RUS (2nd set, May 7)
Highest Scoring Matches
220 - Rexona-AdeS Rio de Janeiro - BRA v Volero Zurich - SUI 3-1 (30-28, 25-22, 33-35, 25-22)
206 - Hisamitsu Springs Kobe - JPN v Eczacibas VitrA Istanbul - TUR 3-2 (12-25, 28-26, 25-20, 19-25, 15-11)
174 - Dinamo Krasnodar - RUS v Hisamitsu Springs Kobe - JPN 3-1 (21-25, 25-21, 25-14, 25-18)
167 - Volero Zurich - SUI v Mirador Santo Domingo - DOM 3-1 (20-25, 25-17, 25-15, 25-15)