USA’s Taylor Sander Named A Top Player In The World League

2017 FIVB WORLD LEAGUE

• June 16-18, 2017
• Schedule/Results

The third week of the World League ended and a number of players stepping up for their teams in crucial moments of the tournament. One these players was Taylor Sander of the United States, whose 17 points against Poland helped Team USA to a victory over the Polish and a spot in the Final Six of Group 1.

Group 1  Top Players

• Taylor Sander (USA) – Sander’s 17 points against Poland in the United States final match of the preliminary rounds helped lift the team to the Final Six in Brazil. Overall, Sander has posted 146 points in the competition on 118 kills, 15 blocks and 13 aces. His consistency throughout the World League kept the Americans in the fight. Sander ranked second in scoring, fifth in attacking, seventh in serving, 10th in passing and fifth in receiving.
• Stephen Boyer (FRA) – A solid rock for the French team, Boyer took charge over the past three weeks, as the team’s strong man, Earvin Ngapeth has been dealing with an injury. Ngapeth returned in the final week of the World League and will be much more rested by the finals. The tandem of Boyer/Ngapeth will put a dent in their competitions play, as Boyer is the top scorer so far in the tournament with 165 points on 135 kills, 13 blocks and 17 aces.
• Ilyas Kurkaev (RUS) – Matched the output of Nikolay Nikolov of Bulgaria’s blocking feat with 25 blocks over the nine matches. Kurkaev’s blocks were able to propel the Russians into the Final Six.
• Bruno Rezende (BRA) – Rezende was the driving force behind a strong Brazilian offense, coming in as the best setter in Group 1. He ranks considerably higher than any other setter in the group, with 6.58 assists per set.

Group 2 Top Players

• Chuan Jiang (CHN) – Though, Jiang ended the nine matches with the most posts scored in Group 2, it was not enough to bring the Chinese to the finals. Despite that, Jiang was able to produce 164 points on 131 kills, 18 blocks and 15 aces. Jiang’s 32 points against Turkey in the first week was the most points scored in a single match by one player the entire competition (so far).
• Wouter Ter Maat (NED) – Ter Maat was a dominant force for the Dutch squad, scoring 151 points in the competition on 131 kills, 11 blocks and nine aces. This ranks him second overall, with the chance to surpass Jiang, as the Netherlands made the Group 2 final four.
• Paul Carroll (AUS) – The Australian helped his team to the final four of Group 2 with a total of 133 points scored in the competition so far. Carroll put down 122 kills, five blocks and six aces.
• Masahiro Yanagida (JPN) – Not an overall top kills leader but the most efficient, Japan’s Yanagida has put down 98 kills with a 58.33 success rate. After the team’s match against China, Yanagida moved from the third position to the first in efficiency.

Group 3 Top Players

• Ardo Kreek (EST) – Kreek put down 24 blocks in the competition, on the way to Estonia winning Group 3 of the World League in their debut year. Teammate Andri Agantis put down an additional 21 blocks for the Estonians.
• Andres J. Villena (ESP) – At the conclusion of Group 3 play, Villena came out as the points leader, despite a loss in the championships. Villena put down 124 points on 110 kills, nine blocks and five aces.
• Simon Hirsch (GER) – Hirsch came in second of most scored points in Group 3 with 119 on 92 kills, 16 blocks and 11 aces. His performance over the three weeks of play was well enough to give Germany an edge and the bronze medal of the competition.