VolleyMob Year in Review: October 2017

As 2017 winds down, VolleyMob is taking a look back at the past year in volleyball with a month by month recap of the year that was. Attendance records, upsets and win streaks highlighted the collegiate volleyball landscape in October, while the 2018 World Championships field was set, the FIVB tested new beach rules and announced two drug-related reinstatements on the international scene.

• The United States and Dominican Republic earned their spots in the 2018 Men’s World Championships with their efforts at the NORCECA Qualifier.  The Americans won the qualifier with a sweep of the Dominicans, while Canada finished third. Micah Christenson was named tournament MVP, headlining the Dream Team.
• The Serbian women took the CEV European Championship with a four-set effort over the Netherlands, including an MVP effort by Tijana Boskovic. Turkey rounded out the podium with a bronze medal victory over Azerbaijan.
• In Pac-12 action, No. 16 USC swept No. 6 Washington, holding the Huskies to a .131 hitting effort while Brittany Abercrombie amassed a team-high 13 kills.
• Missouri State’s Lily Johnson notched her 2,000th career kill.  Texas Tech libero Kate Klepetka joined the 2,000 dig club, making her one of just three active players to reach the milestone.
• The 30 nominees for the Senior CLASS Award were announced, including two nominees each for Penn State, Washington, Wichita State and Western Kentucky.
• Wisconsin officially announced that All-American outside hitter Molly Haggerty would redshirt the 2017 season.
• Two members of the Turkish women’s national team – Gozde Kirdar and Neriman Ozsoy – announced their retirement following the team’s bronze medal finish at the CEV European Championship.
• The FIVB announced it was lifting Serbia’s Ana Antonijevic’s suspension following a positive drug test at the 2017 World Grand Prix. Antonijevic missed the team’s gold medal run at the CEV European Championships, but it was later determined the positive test was a result of tainted food.  A doping accusation against Italy’s Myriam Sylla also was dropped for the same reason.
• No. 17 Utah posted its first ever win in Seattle, upsetting No. 8 Washington in five sets with help from 25 kills by Adora Anae.
• Sir Safety Conad Perugia defeated Cucine Lube Civitanova in four sets to claim the 2017 Del Monte Italian Super Cup.
• AVP champions John Hyden and Ryan Doherty announced they were splitting up and that Hyden would be playing with Theo Brunner in 2018.
• Hurricane Maria left much of Puerto Rico without power and the island looking to regain its footing, the Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation announced the Liga de Voleibol Superior Masculino would be cancelled for the year.
• The FIVB changed the rules for the 2018 beach season by testing out a new block touch rule, allowing teams three touches after a block, instead of the previous rule which counter the block as the first touch. The trial period began in Qinzhou China at a three-star event Oct. 11-15.
• No. 14 Wisconsin upset No. 4 Nebraska as four players turned in double-digit kill efforts and the Badgers outdid the Huskers 13-8 on the block.
• In the Brazilian Supercup finals, Sada Cruzeiro topped EMS Taubate after dropping the first set to claim its third Supercup title. The trophy followed wins in the Minas State Championship and Ciudad de Bolivar Cup competitions.
• The FIVB Volleyball Nations League, a 16-team, 130-match round robin tournament, was introduced at the FIVB’s 70th anniversary celebration in Paris. The event is set to make its debut in May 2018. More details on the event were released at a USA Volleyball board of directors meeting later in the month with the U.S. women set to host a pool May 15-17 and the men from June 15-17.
• Western Kentucky and VCU became the first Division I programs to reach the 20-win plateau in 2017.
• North Carolina volleyball draws NCAA record crowd of 19,246 fans for a regular season game against Virginia Tech, in conjunction with the Late Night with Roy basketball kickoff event.
• Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago earned their spots in the 2018 World Championship with their efforts at the NORCECA Continental Championship in Group C. The ticket to Worlds is the first for T&T.  Puetro Rico and the Dominican Republic excelled in Group A to claim their Worlds berths.  The full 24 team field was set after the NORCECA and CSV qualification tournaments ended.
• No. 9 Kentucky issued No. 1 Florida its first loss of the season, besting the Gators in four sets in Gainesville. The Gators were the lone remaining undefeated team in the country heading into the match. The Wildcats outhit them .309 to .200 and had help from 18 Leah Edmond putaways in the win.
• An Air Force veteran with more than 20 years of officiating experience was suspended for 18 months by the Indiana High School Athletics Association for walking out on his duties as a line judge when an athlete in the match kneeled for the national anthem.
• Volero Zurich’s 185 game domestic league win streak, which dated to January 2012, came to an end as the team fell to VC Kanti Schaffhausen in a five-set battle.
• Western Kentucky extended its Conference USA win streak to 50 matches with a sweep of UTSA.
• History was made on October 23, as the AVCA Top 25 poll remained unchanged for the first time since 1983.
• Penn State became the lone team nationally with three active members of the 1,000 kill club as middle blocker Haleigh Washington joined outside hitters Ali Frantti and Simone Lee.
• Emilce ‘Mimi’ Sosa, who had been with the Argentinian national team for the last eight years and was a member of the country’s first ever Olympic team in 2016, played her final game on Oct. 15 as Argentina punched its ticket to the 2018 FIVB World Championships. The 30-year old middle announced her retirement from the national team following the match, but will continue her club career in Brazil.
• Missouri State captured its 29th straight Missouri Valley Conference victory with a four-set win over Valparaiso.
• USA volleyball won the Pan American Sitting Volleyball championships with a perfect 5-0 mark and a sweep of Brazil in the women’s final. On the men’s side, Brazil took gold followed by a USA silver.