Out of 21 players announced as part of an expanded French roster for World League play, French men’s volleyball head coach Laurent Tillie has selected 16 to participate in the upcoming European qualifier for the World Championships.
The group will see its first action in an international friendly with Belgium on May 13th, with European qualifying starting with pool play in Lyon from May 24th-28th. The friendly with Belgium will be held in the Palais de Sports in Tours – where the team’s training camp also begins on May 8th.
The team was selected with consideration of needed rest for players who began their club season immediately after the Rio Olympics and are just now completing their club commitments. In total, just 6 members of the 2016 Olympic Team will be on the squad of 16 for Worlds qualifying. That includes Olympic captain Benjamin Toniutti, one of the best setters in the world, and reigning European Most Spectacular Player Earvin Ngapeth, who recently signed an extension to remain with Italy’s Modena until 2020.
France finished 4th at the 2014 World Championships, and a year later won the World League title. In Rio, they placed just 9th after failing to escape the preliminaries in a challenging Pool A that included All three eventual medalists: Brazil, Italy, and the United States.
Olympians
- Jenia Grebennikov
- Trevor Clevenot
- Benjamin Toniutti (Captain)
- Earvin Ngapeth
- Nicolas le Goff
- Thibault Roussard
Outline of France’s Summer Schedule:
- May 13: FRANCE / BELGIUM – 19h (friendly) – TOURS
- May 24 to 28: QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT WORLD – LYON >> info
- June 2 to July 8: WORLD LEAGUE // June 9-11 in PAU, FRANCE >> info
- August 25 – September 3: EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP – POLAND >> info
- 12-17 September: WORLD GRAND CHAMPIONS CUP – JAPAN
France’s Roster for Worlds Qualifying (With Jersey Numbers)
1 – AGUENIER Jonas – Middle Blocker – 28/04/92 – CHAUMONT VB 52 (FRA)
2 – GREBENNIKOV Jénia – Libero – 13/08/90 – A.S VOLLEY LUBE SRL (ITA)
4 – PATRY Jean – Opposite – 27/12/96 – MONTPELLIER VOLLEY UC (FRA)
5 – CLEVENOT Trévor – Receiver/Attacker – 28/06/94 – PIACENZA BIANCOROSSO VOLLEY (ITA)
6 – TONIUTTI Benjamin – Setter – 30/10/89 – ZAKSA KEDZIERZYN-KOZLE (POL)
8 – LYNEEL Julien – Receiver/Attacker – 15/04/90 – GS PORTO ROBUR RAVENNA (ITA)
9 – NGAPETH Earvin – Receiver/Attacker – 12/02/91 – MODENA VOLLEY (ITA)
10 – LE ROUX Kévin – Middle Blocker – 11/05/89 – MODENA VOLLEY (ITA)
11 – BRIZARD Antoine – Setter – 15/06/94 T.O.A.C. T.U.C. VB (FRA)
12 – BOYER Stephen – Opposite – 10/04/96 – CHAUMONT VB 52 (FRA)
14 – LE GOFF Nicolas – Middle Blocker – 15/02/92 – ISTANBUL BBSK (TUR)
15 – D’ALMEIDA Horacio – Middle Blocker – 11/06/88 – AS CANNES VB (FRA)
17 – QUESQUE Guillaume – Receiver/Attacker – 29/04/89 – FENERBAHCE SK (TUR)
18 – ROSSARD Thibault – Receiver/Attacker – 28/08/93 – RESOVIA RZESZOW (POL)
20 – ROSSARD Nicolas – Libero – 23/05/90 T.O.A.C. T.U.C. VB (FRA)
21 – CHINENYEZE Barthelemy – Middle Blocker – 28/02/98 T.O.A.C. T.U.C. VB(FRA)
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