2016 FIVB CWC: Pool A

International volleyball is back in Manila! Athough we've had a few hosting stints the past few years, this, by far, is the biggest yet! The chance to get to watch the best volleyball players in the world! We are talking about Olympians, MVPs, FIVB heroes, and world-class volleyball idols. This is an amazing event especially for real volleyball fans and very much a thing the Philippines could be proud of.

So which club teams are playing here and what can we expect from them?

With our own club team (F2) included in this pool, we should know who we're up against.

Pomi Casalmaggiore 

🇮🇹

League: Serie A1 Italian Pallavolo

Qualified via: 2016 CEV Champions

CWC participation: First

Watch out for: Jovana Stevanovic (MB), Lucia Bosetti (WS), Carli Lloyd (S)

Pomi Casalmaggiore won the 2015 Pallavolo Serie A1 (one of the most challenging and one of the oldest leagues in the world, founded 1946) and qualified for the 2016 CEV Champions League. They proceeded to defeat Vakifbank Istanbul in straight sets in the finals, backed by Francesca Piccinini (not in the lineup) and Serbian Jovana Stevanovic. The team is boosted by American setter Carli Lloyd and coached by Giovanni Caprara, a celebrated coach not just in the club leagues around Italy but also around the world as head coaches of various national teams. The club is relatively young, having been established only last 2008.

Lineup:

#	Name	Pos	Height	Spike	Block
1	Lucia Bacchi	WS	181	301	276
3	Carli Lloyd	S	180	313	295
4	Klara Peric	S	185	301	286
5	Immacolata Sirressi	L	175	290	220
6	Carmen Marinela Turlea	OP	183	310	302
8	Lauren Gibbemeyer	MB	187	307	293
9	Lucia Bosetti	WS	175	316	286
10	Giulia Gibertini	L	173	281	264
12	Anastasia Guerra	WS	187	314	239
13	Samanta Fabris	OP	190	326	313
15	Jovana Stevanovic	MB	192	308	295
16	Valentina Tirozzi ©	WS	181	304	292
18	Tamara Susic	MB	193	318	308

Eczacibasi Vitra 🇹🇷

League: Turkish Volleyball League 1

Qualified via: Wildcard

CWC participation: Second (defending champions)

Watch out for: Tijana Boskovic (OP), Jordan Larson-Burbach (WS), Tatiana Kosheleva (WS)

Considered one of the best European club teams, defending champions Eczacibasi Vitra are back in the club world championships. This is only their second trip to CWC (first by being 2015 CEV Champs, this time via wildcard). Their first CWC was stellar as they ended up being champions after defeating Dinamo Krasnodar with American Jordan Larson-Burbach taking home the MVP award (she was also the MVP in the 2015 CEV Champions League). As if their roster was not loaded enough, the club beefed up by signing four Rio 2016 Olympians in Tatiana Kosheleva (from Dinamo Krasnodar), Rachael Adams (from Imoco Volley), Thaisa Daher (from Molico Osasco) and Maja Ognjenovic (from Rebecchi in Pallavolo). With powerful wingers and solid middles, they are definitely one of the teams to beat - the young Boskovic (only 19 years old!!!) is a rising star who helped Serbia get to the finals in Rio. Not only is she a great attacker but also a great digger which is very rare for her height at 193cm. Thaisa and Adams will be hard to beat at the blocking department, so setters from the other clubs -- get ready. The outside hitters are very experienced (Kosheleva and Larson) and we're expecting Larson to be one of the better defenders on the floor. The club is coached by Massimo Barbolini, Pomi Cassalmaggiore's previous head coach (who had led Pomi's 2015 Pallavolo championship).

Lineup:

#	Name	Pos	Height	Spike	Block
1	Gizem Misra Asci	S	178	250	220
2	Gülden Kayalar Kuzubasioglu	L	167	281	275
3	Tijana Boškovic	OP	193	310	300
5	Simge Sebnem Akoz	WS	168	250	245
6	Thaisa Daher Pallesi	MB	196	316	301
7	Hande Baladin	WS	189	295	293
8	Rachael Adams	MB	188	318	307
9	Büsra Kiliçli	MB	188	297	291
10	Jordan Larson-Burbach	WS	188	302	295
11	Nilay Ozdemir	S	179	286	280
14	Gözde Yilmaz	WS	195	306	299
15	Tatiana Kosheleva	WS	191	315	305
16	Ceylan Arisan	L	193	306	297
17	Neslihan Demir ©	OP	187	307	300
18	Maja Ognjenovic	S	183	300	293

Rexona-Sesc Rio 🇧🇷

League: Superliga Brasileira

Qualified via: 2016 SouthAm Club Champions

CWC participation: Third

Watch out for: Gabi Guimaraes (WS), Fabi Oliveira (L), Anne Buijs (WS)

Rexona-Sesc Rio (aka Rexona Ades) has always been the team to beat in the Brazilian Superliga. The almost all-Brazilian squad is equipped with experienced players, with most of them in the national team pool of Brazil. Brazil has been in the top seeds of the volleyball world so expect these players to be in top shape. Gabi has replaced some of the older open hitters in the lineup of national team so she is one of Rexona's main guns. Juicely and Carol are very good middle blockers. Dutch import Anne Buijs is part of the upstart Netherlands national team which finished fourth in Rio. They are coached by Bernardo Rezende, the head coach of Brazil’s men’s national team which finished gold in Rio.

Lineup:

#	Name	Pos	Height	Spike	Block
1	Gabriela Braga Guimaraes	WS	176	295	274
2	Mayhara Francine Da Silva	MB	184	320	270
5	Regiane Bidias ©	OP	189	304	286
6	Juciely Cristina Barreto	MB	184	312	289
7	Camilla Barreto Adão	S	174	318	298
9	Vitória Trindade Figueiredo Lage	L	165	230	230
10	Monique Marinho Pavao	OP	178	294	285
11	Anne Buijs	WS	191	317	299
12	Roberta Silva Ratzke	S	185	287	278
13	Heloiza Pereira	OP	187	305	288
14	Fabiana Oliveira	L	169	276	266
15	Ana Carolina Da Silva	MB	183	290	290
16	Stephanie Cristina Apolinário Corrêa	MB	188	295	279
17	Drussyla Andressa Felix Costa	WS	186	310	270
18	Mikaella Da Silva Costa	S	175	275	270

PSL-F2 Logistics Manila 🇵🇭

League: Philippine Superliga (Ad Hoc)

Qualified via: Hosts

CWC participation: First

Watch out for: Jaja Santiago (MB), Ekaterina Krivets (MB), Yevgeniya Nyukhalova (OP)

Home team PSL-F2 Logistics Manila is set to battle it out in the CWC with a lineup mash between local players and imports. Among the local players to watch out for is Jaja Santiago, the tallest player in the team (yes, taller than the imports!). The team is reinforced by 7 foreign players from all over the world: Tichaya Boonlert (setter from Thailand’s 3BB Nakhonnont), American Stephanie Niemer, Japanese Yuri Fukuda (from Hiroshima Oilers of V.Challenge League), Ekaterina Krivets (from Dinamo Krasnodar), Puerto Rican Lynda Morales (current import of Cignal in PSL Grand Prix), Ukrainian Yevgeniya Nyukhalova (from Volero Zurich), and American Lindsay Stalzer (most recently helped Foton Tornadoes in its campaign in the 2016 AVC Clubs). They are coached by Moro Branislav, a seasoned coach from Serbia, assisted by Japanese Shun Takahashi.

Lineup:

#	Name	Pos	Height	Spike	Block
1	Tichaya Boonlert	S	178	275	271
3	Alyja Daphnie Santiago	MB	196	280	277
4	Stephanie Niemer	WS	186	309	295
5	Yuri Fukuda	L	154	255	250
6	Mika Aereen Reyes	MB	182	279	267
7	Frances Xinia Molina	WS	180	280	270
8	Jovelyn Gonzaga	OP	170	273	274
9	Kim Fajardo	S	170	272	257
10	Ekaterina Krivets	MB	193	309	300
11	Lynda Morales	MB	188	302	296
12	Jennylyn Reyes	L	155	258	240
13	Rachel Anne Daquis ©	WS	181	277	268
14	Yevgeniya Nyukhalova	OP	193	310	296
15	Lindsay Stalzer	WS	185	280	277