Volero Zürich

Swiss volleyball club
Volero Zurich
Full nameVolero Zurich
Founded1973
GroundSporthalle Im Birch and Saalsporthalle,
both in Zürich
ChairmanStav Jacobi
Head coachAvital Selinger
LeagueLigue A
WebsiteClub home page
Uniforms
Home
Away
2017–18

Volero Zürich is a Swiss volleyball club based in Zürich. It has many teams (men's, women's and youth volleyball) with the women's team being the most successful and currently playing in the National League A. Since the mid 2000s, the club has also frequently participated in European competitions, most notably the CEV Women's Champions League. In 2018 the elite women's team joined Entente sportive Le Cannet-Rocheville, forming Volero Le Cannet, a team located in Le Cannet, France[1] (Volero Zürich kept an elite team, but it restarted in a lower league).[2]

Previous names

The club have competed under the following names:

  • VBC Voléro Zürich (1973–2011), still used by the men's team[3]
  • Volero Zürich (2011–), used by the women's team[3]

History

Established in 1973 as VBC Voléro Zürich, the early success came from the men's team which won a national championship in 1977 and two national cups (in 1975 and 1978).[4]

From the late 1990s, the women's team started to progress in the national leagues arriving at the National League A (NLA), but after just a couple seasons, due to financial reasons, the club was relegated. In 2003, part of the club (female elite squad and more than 120 young volleyball talents) was professionalized by founding the independent Volero Zürich AG, and the rest of the club remained as VBC Voléro Zürich (male and youth teams).[4][5] Soon after the women's team started dominating the national league and cup, winning each on 12 occasions.[6][7] The national success allowed the club to take part in European competitions, playing the Women's CEV Cup twice (in 2005–06 and 2009–10) and the CEV Women's Champions League over ten times with a best result of fourth place in 2006–07.[8][9] The club also participated in multiple editions of the FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championship finishing third place in 2015 and 2017.[10] The club has won the Women's Top Volley International (a minor international tournament) twice, in 2007 and in 2010.[11]

Venues

Volero Zürich AG hosts matches in two main venues, both located in Zürich:

  • Sportanlage Im Birch (National League / Swiss Cup) - 850 capacity[12]
  • Saalsporthalle (Champions League) - 2,500 capacity[13]

Honours

Men

National competitions
1976–77
  • Swiss Cup: 2
1974–75, 1977–78

Women

National competitions
2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17
  • Swiss Cup: 12
2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17

Team

2017–2018 Team[14]
No. Name Date of birth Height Weight Spike Block Position
1 Russia Angelina Lazarenko (1998-04-13) 13 April 1998 (age 26) 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) 80 kg (180 lb) 320 cm (130 in) 305 cm (120 in) Middle-blocker
2 Finland Tiiamari Sievänen (1994-07-19) 19 July 1994 (age 29) 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) 60 kg (130 lb) 275 cm (108 in) 287 cm (113 in) Libero
3 Serbia Ljubica Milojević (1999-02-13) 13 February 1999 (age 25) 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) 70 kg (150 lb) 300 cm (120 in) 300 cm (120 in) Middle-blocker
4 Brazil Samara Almeida (1992-07-16) 16 July 1992 (age 31) 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) 61 kg (134 lb) 293 cm (115 in) 278 cm (109 in) Outside-spiker
5 Bulgaria Gergana Dimitrova (1996-02-28) 28 February 1996 (age 28) 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) 71 kg (157 lb) 305 cm (120 in) 288 cm (113 in) Outside-spiker
6 Switzerland Gabi Schottroff (1997-02-08) 8 February 1997 (age 27) 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) 78 kg (172 lb) 302 cm (119 in) 285 cm (112 in) Middle-blocker
7 Serbia Ana Antonijević (1987-08-26) 26 August 1987 (age 36) 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) 71 kg (157 lb) 282 cm (111 in) 269 cm (106 in) Setter
8 Serbia Silvija Popović (1986-03-15) 15 March 1986 (age 38) 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) 65 kg (143 lb) 286 cm (113 in) 276 cm (109 in) Libero
11 Bulgaria Mira Todorova (1994-04-12) 12 April 1994 (age 30) 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) 77 kg (170 lb) 312 cm (123 in) 300 cm (120 in) Middle-blocker
12 Russia/Cuba Rosir Calderón (1984-12-28) 28 December 1984 (age 39) 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) 73 kg (161 lb) 330 cm (130 in) 325 cm (128 in) Opposite
13 Russia Anastasia Kornienko (1992-09-09) 9 September 1992 (age 31) 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) 71 kg (157 lb) 290 cm (110 in) 278 cm (109 in) Setter
14 Switzerland Julie Lengweiler (1998-11-06) 6 November 1998 (age 25) 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) 70 kg (150 lb) 302 cm (119 in) 285 cm (112 in) Opposite
17 Switzerland Laura Unternährer (1993-07-11) 11 July 1993 (age 30) 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) 70 kg (150 lb) 303 cm (119 in) 285 cm (112 in) Outside-spiker
18 Sweden Alexandra Lazić (1994-09-24) 24 September 1994 (age 29) 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) 72 kg (159 lb) 318 cm (125 in) 307 cm (121 in) Outside-spiker
Head coach: Brazil Anderson Rodrigues (until December 2017) / Netherlands Avital Selinger (from December 2017)[15]
2016–2017 Team[16]
# Player Position Height (m) Birth date
1 Switzerland Julie Lengweiler Wing Spiker 1,86 m 06/11/1998
3 Brazil Fabíola de Souza Setter 1,84 m 03/02/1983
4 Serbia Bojana Živković Setter 1,86 m 29/03/1988
5 Bulgaria Dobriana Rabadzhieva Wing Spiker 1,94 m 14/06/1991
6 Switzerland Gabi Schottroff Middle Blocker 1,92 m 08/02/1997
7 Ukraine Olesia Rykhliuk Opposite 1,96 m 11/12/1987
8 Serbia Silvija Popović Libero 1,75 m 15/03/1986
9 Azerbaijan Natalya Mammadova Wing Spiker 1,95 m 02/12/1984
10 Russia Irina Malkova Middle Blocker 1,92 m 05/01/1989
12 Brazil Mari Paraíba Wing Spiker 1,81 m 30/07/1986
13 Turkey Gizem Karadayi Libero 1,76 m 14/01/1987
14 Cuba Kenia Carcaces Wing Spiker 1,89 m 23/01/1986
15 Russia Ekaterina Orlova Middle Blocker 1,93 m 21/10/1987
16 United States Foluke Akinradewo Middle Blocker 1,91 m 05/10/1987
17 Switzerland Laura Unternährer Wing Spiker 1,79 m 11/07/1993
Head coach: Serbia Zoran Terzić
2014–2015 Team[17]
# Player Position Height (m) Birth date
1 Ukraine Yevgeniya Nyukhalova Opposite 1,93 m 23/05/1995
2 Switzerland Laura Unternährer Wing Spiker 1,79 m 11/07/1993
3 Serbia Nađa Ninković Middle Blocker 1,92 m 01/11/1991
5 Bulgaria Dobriana Rabadzhieva Wing Spiker 1,90 m 14/06/1991
7 Ukraine Olesia Rykhliuk Opposite 1,96 m 11/12/1987
8 Serbia Silvija Popović Libero 1,75 m 15/03/1986
9 Azerbaijan Natalya Mammadova Wing Spiker 1,95 m 02/12/1984
11 United States Natalie Hagglund Libero 1,74 m 01/07/1992
12 Serbia Ana Antonijević Setter 1,85 m 26/08/1987
14 Cuba Rachel Sanchez Middle Blocker 1,88 m 09/01/1989
15 United States Courtney Thompson Setter 1,70 m 04/11/1984
16 Switzerland Ines Granvorka Wing Spiker 1,79 m 13/08/1991
17 United States Emily Hartong Wing Spiker 1,89 m 04/02/1992
18 Russia Anna Kupriianova Middle Blocker 1,90 m 20/11/1987
19 Croatia Ana Grbac Setter 1,87 m 23/03/1988

Notable players

References

  1. ^ "Volero spielt ab nächster Saison in Frankreich" (in German). Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen. 2018-03-02.
  2. ^ "NLA-Ranglisten seit 2008 / Classement de LNA depuis 2008" (PDF) (in German). SwissVolley.
  3. ^ a b "Die Nationalliga B (NLB)" (in German).
  4. ^ a b "Vereinsportrait - Voléro - ein Zürcher Traditionsverein" (in German). VBC Voléro Zürich. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  5. ^ "VOLERO ZÜRICH - MEHR ALS NUR VOLLEYBALL" (in German). Volero Zürich AG. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  6. ^ "NLA Schweizermeister seit 1957" (PDF) (in German and French). Swiss Volley (SV). Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  7. ^ "Swiss Volley Cup - Cupsieger" (PDF) (in German and French). Swiss Volley (SV). Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  8. ^ "Volero Zürich - Team History". CEV. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  9. ^ "Aus der erfolgreichen Geschichte von Volero Zürich" (in German). Volero Zürich AG. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  10. ^ "Volero Zürich - Team Profile". FIVB. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  11. ^ "Die Sieger in 25 Jahren topvolley". Women’s Top Volley International (in German). Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  12. ^ "Sportanlage Im Birch". Stadt Zürich (in German). Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  13. ^ "Sportanlage Saalsporthalle". Stadt Zürich (in German). Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  14. ^ "Team Roster – Voléro Zürich 2016–17". CEV. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  15. ^ "Selinger wird erneut Head Coach von Volero Zürich" (in German). Volero Zürich AG. 14 December 2017. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  16. ^ "Team Roster – Voléro Zürich 2016–17". CEV. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  17. ^ "Team Roster – Voléro Zürich 2014–15". CEV. Retrieved 14 December 2017.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Volero Zürich.
  • Volero Zürich AG Official website (in German) - Women's professional team
  • VBC Voléro Zürich Official website (in German) - Men's and youth teams