Pool 1
Argentina
Argentina will carry only one opposite, Anahi Tosi, in week 1. Their middles are the soul of this team.
- Setters: Helena Vidal, Clarisa Sagardia
- Opposites: Anahi Tosi
- Middle Blockers: Julieta Lazcano, Victoria Michel Tosi, Victoria Zabala, Florencia Busquets
- Outside Hitters: Elina Rodriguez, Sol Piccolo, Antonela Fortuna, Camila Hiruela,Agostina Soria
- Liberos: Tatiana Rizzo, Morena Martinez
Netherlands
The Dutch have weapons all over the place, and setter Laura Dijkema is the cog that makes it all run.
- Setters: Laura Dijkema, Britt Bongaerts
- Opposites: Lonneke Sloetjes
- Middle Blockers: Yvon Belien, Nicole Koolhaas, Tessa Polder, Juliet Lohuis
- Outside Hitters: Celeste Plak, Maret Balkestein-Grothues, Anne Buijs, Marritt Jasper, Nicole Oude Luttikhuis
- Liberos: Kirsten Knip, Myrthe Schoot
Russia
Still strong in the middle, but where will offense come from without Tatyana Kosheleva? They didn’t find it last year, not sure they’ll find it this year.
- Setters: Romanova Tatiana, Rysseva Darya
- Opposites: Anna Kotikova, Daria Malygina, Natalia Malykh
- Middle Blockers: Ekaterina Yefimova, Angelina Lazarenko, Irina Fesitova
- Outside Hitters: Olga Biriukova, Irina Voronkova, Julia Kutyukova, Ksenia Parubets
- Liberos: Kristina Kurnosova, Daria Talysheva
Thailand
Thailand prizes its middle blockers.
- Setters: Pornpan Guedpard, Soraya Phomla
- Opposites: Malika Kanthong, Pimpichaya Kokram
- Middle Blockers: Pleumjit Thinkaow (C), Hattaya Bamrungsuk, Chitaporn Kamlangmak, Watchareeya Nualjam
- Outside Hitters: Ajcharaporn Kongyot, Onnuma Sittirak, Chatchu-on Moksri, Wipawee Srithong
- Liberos: Supattra Pairoj, Piyanut Pannoy
Pool 2
China
Zhu Ting won’t even ride the bench for the home-country fans this weekend in Ningbo. This is a great opportunity for China to develop some new young outside weapons on a team loaded with teenagers.
- Setters: Xia Ding, Di Yao,
- Opposites: Yingying Li, Fangxu Yang, Xiangyu Gong,
- Middle Blockers: Xinyue Yuan, Yuanyuan Wang, Yi Gao, Mingyuan Hu
- Outside Hitters: Xiaotong Liu, Yanhan Liu, Yichan Zhang,
- Liberos: Li Lin, Zixuan Meng
Belgium
Belgium has been so kind as to even announce their starting lineup: Herbots, Lemmens, van Gestel, Grobelna, Vandewiele, and Van de Vyver. They’ll only travel with 12 players to China, with Grobelna being the focus offensively.
- Setters: Ilka van de Vyver (C)
- Opposites: Karolina Goliat, Kaja Grobelna
- Middle Blockers: Marlies Janssens, Nathalie Lemmens, Iris Vandewiele
- Outside Hitters: Laure Flament, Jodie Guilliams, Manon Stragier, Britt Herbots, Celine van Gestel
- Liberos: Lisa Neyt
Dominican Republic
The DR has said they’ll rely on young players the first week, including exciting young hitter Vielka Peralta. Brenda Castillo, the team captain, isn’t on their week 1 roster.
- Setters: Niverka Marte, Camil Dominguez,
- Opposites: Gaila Gonzalez, Jeoselyna Rodriguez
- Middle Blockers: Jineiry Martinez, Annerys Vargas, Candida Arias
- Outside Hitters: Brayelin Martinez, Yonkaira Pena, Lisvel Elisa Eve, Natalia Martinez, Vielka Peralta
- Liberos: Winifer Fernandez, Ana Binet
South Korea
Pool 3
Italy
- Setters: Ofelia Malinov, Carlotta Cambi
- Opposites: Serena Ortolani, Camilla Mingardi
- Middle Blockers: Rossella Olivotto, Sarah Fahr, Marina Lubian, Beatrice Berti
- Outside Hitters: Anastasia Guerra, Elena Pietrini, Miriam Sylla and Alice Degradi
- Liberos Beatrice Parrocchiale, Ilaria Spirito.
Poland
Both of Poland’s setters play on the same club team, Bielsko-Biala. Bold spending strategy for a team consistently in the bottom half of the league.
- Setters: Marlena Pleśnierowicz (C) (Bielsko-Biała, Poland), Julia Nowicka (Bielsko-Biała, Poland)
- Opposites: Martyna Grajber (Grot Budowlani Łódź, Poland), Julia Twardowska (Grot Budowlani Lodz, Poland), Emilia Mucha (Bielsko-Biała, Poland)
- Middle Blockers: Agnieszka Kąkolewska (Grot Budowlani Łódz, Poland) (C), Gabriela Polańska (Grot Budowlani Łódź, Poland), Zuzanna Efimienko-Młotkowska (ŁKS Comercecon Łódź)
- Outside Hitters: Martyna Łukasik (Trefl Proxima Krakow, Poland), Natalia Mędrzyk (Chemik Police, Poland), Malwina Smarzek (KPS Chemik Police, Poland), Monika Bociek (Polish Cukier Muszynianka Muszyna, Poland),
- Liberos: Agata Witkowska (Grot Budowlani Łódź, Poland), Maria Stenzel (Impel Wrocław, Poland)
Turkey
When Turkey said they were going young, they meant it. The average age of players on their roster is 23 years old, with 3 teenagers in tow. That means a lot of players, including lasts year’s Grand Prix captain Fatma Yildrim, are being left home.
- Setters: Gamze Alikaya, Cansu Özbay
- Opposites: Meryem Boz Calik, Ebrar Karakurt
- Middle Blockers: Eda Erdem Dündar (C), Beyza Arıcı, Kübra Çalışkan, Zehra Güneş
- Outside Hitters: Meliha İsmailoğlu, Şeyma Ercan, Mislina Kılıç, Saliha Şahin
- Liberos: Şebnem Simge Aköz, Hatice Gizem Örge
United States
The Americans will continue to lament no Destiny Hooker, but this is a good offensive roster anyway. 3 Nebraska alumni will play in their old stomping grounds in week 1
- Setters: Carli Lloyd, Micha Hancock
- Opposites: Kelly Murphy, Annie Drews
- Middle Blockers: Foluke Akinradewo, Rachael Adams, Tori Dixon, Lauren Gibbemeyer
- Outside Hitters: Jordan Larson(C), Kim Hill, Kelsey Robinson, Michelle-Bartsch-Hackley
- Liberos: Amanda Benson, Justine Wong-Orantes
Pool 4
Brazil
14-Player roster not yet revealed. Dani Lins returns to the expanded roster, after giving birth to her first child, but that’s mostly for training purposes – she’s targeting the World Championships.
- Setters: Roberta, Macris
- Opposites: Tandara and Monique,
- Middle Blockers: Ana Carolina da Silva, Bia, Mara, Thaisa
- Outside Hitters: Gabi, Rosamaria, Drussyla, Amanda and Natália,
- Liberos: Suelen, Jaqueline and Gabi Guimarães.
Germany
Louisa Lippmann gives a thin German roster a lot of firepower at the top. Set her early, and set her often.
- Setters – Denise Hanke, Pia Kästner
- Opposites – Louisa Lippmann, Kimberly Drewniok
- Outside Hitters – Maren Fromm, Lena Stigrot, Hanna Orthmann, Jennifer Geerties, Jana-Franziska Poll
- Middle Blockers – Jennifer Pettke, Lisa Gründing and Marie Schölzel
- Liberos – Lenka Dürr, Anna Pogany
Japan
Japan’s entire 14-player roster plays in the domestic league, meaning that there is plenty of synergy and continuity.
- Setters: Kanami Tashiro (Torray Arrows, Japan), Koromi Tominaga (Ageo Medics, Japan)
- Oppsites & Outside Hitters: Sarina Koga (Red Rockets, Japan), Yuki Ishii (Hisamitsu Springs, Japan), Saori Takahashi (Queenseis, Japan), Mari Horikawa (Toray Arrows, Japan), Arisa Inoue (Hisamitsu Springs, Japan), Ai Kurogo (Toray Arrows, Japan)
- Middle Blockers: Nana Iwasaka (C) (Hisamitsu Springs, Japan), Aika Akutagawa (JT Marvelous, Japan), Haruyo Shimamura (Red Rockets, Japan), Mai Okumura (JT Marvelous, Japan)
- Liberos: Akane Yamagashi (Ageo Medica, Japan), Kotoe Inoue (JT Marvelous, Japan)
Serbia
- Setters: Ana Antonijevic (Volero Zurich, Switzerland), Sladjana Mirkovic (Chemik Police, Poland)
- Opposites: Ana Bjelica (Volero Zurich, Switzerland), Tijana Boskovic (Eczacibasi, Turkey)
- Outside Hitters: Brankica Mihaljovic (JT Marvelous, Japan), Bjanka Busa (Chemik Police, Poland), Bojana Milenkovic (Red Star, Serbia), Jelena Blagojevic (Zesuv, Poland)
- Middle Blockers: Stefan Veljkovic (Chemik Police, Poland), Jovana Stevanovic (Pomi Cassalmagiore, Italy), Mina Popovic (Volley Bergamo, Italy), Maya Aleksic (Vizura, Serbia)
- Liberos: Silvija Popovic (Volero Zurich, Switersland), Teodora Pusic (Stuttgart, Germany)
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