As VNL gets going, a look at top performers for Manila leg

The Manila leg of the Volleyball Nations League kicks off on Tuesday at Mall of Asia Arena, with four teams hoping to start strong in the crucial third week of the nation-hopping showcase.

Brazil squares off with No. 4 Italy at 3 p.m. while crowd-favorite Japan takes on China in the 7 p.m. nightcap.

Apart from the ultra popular Ran Takahashi, here are eight (8) players to watch out for in this year’s VNL Manila Leg.

1. Yuki Ishikawa (JPN)

Japan’s unblemished record of 8-0 coming into Week 3 of VNL can be attributed to the vast improvement of Yuki Ishikawa.

After Week 2 of VNL, the Japanese outside hitter tallied a total of 142 points from 124 attacks, six blocks, and 12 aces, making him the second best scorer and attacker of the league so far. He is also the league’s best receiver with 30.20 percent reception efficiency from 61 successful receptions in eight games.

Ishikawa led Ryujin Nippon to a historic Olympic quarterfinals appearance in Tokyo 2020, a first since 1992. They eventually bowed to Rio Olympic gold medalist, Brazil, and failed to advance to the semifinals.

2. Bruno Rezende (BRA)

One of the most anticipated players in VNL Manila is Brazil’s playmaker Bruno Rezende.

Rezende currently leads the setting category in the whole tournament with 168 excellent sets and 29.47% setting success rate, which helped Brazil take the third spot in the standing with a 6-2 win-loss card. He also has six blocks and four aces so far.

In 2021, Bruno was hailed as VNL’s best setter after orchestrating Brazil’s run to its first title in the league.

Rezende had told the Inquirer he was excited to play in front of the Filipino crowd.

3. Klemen Cebulj (SLO)

Slovenia has already surpassed their five wins last year after winning six out of their eight matches this season.

One of the factors for this improved run is the presence of veteran spiker Klemen Cebulj. The 2019 Challenger Cup MVP is averaging 12.12 points per match after tallying 97 points from 84 spikes, seven blocks, and six aces so far.

Cebulj currently plays for Asseco Resovia Rzeszów in Polish PlusLiga and has earned several recognitions in the past such as Best Outside Hitter in 2019 Italian Cup and 2019 Challenger Cup, and Best Receiver in 2021 CEV Olympic Qualification. He led Slovenia to the silver medal in the 2019 European Championship and helped his squad rule the Challenger Cup that same year.

4. Bartosz Kurek (POL)

Polish skipper Bartosz Kurek is coming to Manila to help propel his team to another Finals berth in VNL. The Poles currently hold a 6-2 win-loss record and sits fifth in the VNL standing.

The 34-year-old opposite spiker, who only joined the team in Week 2, helped Poland win important matches against Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy after contributing 55 points from 52 attacks, with 50.49 percent attack efficiency, and three blocks.

Kurek led Poland to the gold in the 2018 World Championships and to a silver in the 2022 edition. He was named VNL MVP in 2021.

5. Simone Giannelli (ITA)

Italian setter Simone Giannelli is making a comeback on Philippine soil after making waves in VNL’s Manila Leg last year.

He finished his first VNL week this season in Rotterdam, Netherlands, with an average of 21.75 excellent sets per match and 18 points from eight attacks, seven blocks, and three service aces.

Giannelli, who currently plays for Sir Safety Susa Perugia in Italian SuperLega, led a young Italian squad to a World Championship title, which ended the 24-year world title drought of the team. He was named MVP and Best Setter of the tournament.

6. Nimir Abdel-Aziz (NED)

The Netherland’s opposite spiker Nimir Abdel-Aziz is currently dominating the scoring, attack, and serve departments of the tournament. He finished the first two weeks of preliminaries with 162 points from 134 attacks, five blocks, and 21 aces.

The Dutch scoring machine is averaging 20 points per match with an attack efficiency of 51.15%, which allowed his team to win four matches and avoid the possibility of relegation.

Abdil-Aziz has been consistent with his performance as one of the best opposite spikers in the world.

This is the second time that the 31-year-old spiker and his team will see action in Manila.

7. Stephen Maar (CAN)

Canada is on the brink of relegation after only winning two matches from their eight outings. To avoid this, outside hitter Stephen Maar will need to rally his team in their first Manila Leg stint.

The McMaster University alumnus is currently the top scorer and receiver of Maple Volleys in VNL, with 103 points and a 28.57 percent reception success rate.

The standout from Vero Volley Monza has been a vital cog to Canada’s system since he joined the team in 2015. He was part of the team’s bronze medal finishes at the 2017 World League and 2017 NORCECA Continental Championship.

8. Jingyin Zhang (CHN)

With a total of 130 points after Week 2, Jingyin Zhang is doing the heavy lifting for China in this year’s VNL as he tops all the scoring categories for the team. The 23-year-old outside hitter scored from 99 spikes, 17 blocks, and 14 aces.

Zhang’s stellar performance, however, hasn’t been enough for China, which carries a 2-5 win-loss record going into Week 3, with relegation looming for his team.

A familiar face in the Asian volleyball scene, Zhang has already proven his mettle in the past by carrying his team to a gold medal win in 2022 AVC Cup where he was also named as the Best Outside Hitter and MVP.

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