Volero Zürich
# Volero Zürich

Volero Zürich is a Swiss volleyball club based in Zürich. It has many teams (men's, women's and youth volleyball) with the women's team being the most successful and currently playing in the National League A. Since the mid 2000s, the club has also frequently participated in European competitions, most notably the CEV Women's Champions League. In 2018 the elite women's team joined Entente sportive Le Cannet-Rocheville, forming Volero Le Cannet, a team located in Le Cannet, France (Volero Zürich kept an elite team, but it restarted in a lower league).

## Previous names

The club have competed under the following names:

* VBC Voléro Zürich (1973–2011), still used by the men's team
* Volero Zürich (2011–), used by the women's team

## History

Established in 1973 as VBC Voléro Zürich, the early success came from the men's team which won a national championship in 1977 and two national cups (in 1975 and 1978).

From the late 1990s, the women's team started to progress in the national leagues arriving at the National League A (NLA), but after just a couple seasons, due to financial reasons, the club was relegated. In 2003, part of the club (female elite squad and more than 120 young volleyball talents) was professionalized by founding the independent Volero Zürich AG, and the rest of the club remained as VBC Voléro Zürich (male and youth teams). Soon after the women's team started dominating the national league and cup, winning each on 12 occasions. The national success allowed the club to take part in European competitions, playing the Women's CEV Cup twice (in 2005–06 and 2009–10) and the CEV Women's Champions League over ten times with a best result of fourth place in 2006–07. The club also participated in multiple editions of the FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championship finishing third place in 2015 and 2017. The club has won the Women's Top Volley International (a minor international tournament) twice, in 2007 and in 2010.

## Venues

Volero Zürich AG hosts matches in two main venues, both located in Zürich:

* Sportanlage Im Birch (National League / Swiss Cup) - 850 capacity
* Saalsporthalle (Champions League) - 2,500 capacity

## Honours

### Men

**National competitions**

* National League A: 1

    1976–77
* Swiss Cup: 2

    1974–75, 1977–78

### Women

**National competitions**

* National League A: 12

    2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17
* Swiss Cup: 12

    2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17

## Team

2017–2018 Team :

| No. | Name | Date of birth | Height | Weight | Spike | Block | Position |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Angelina Lazarenko | (1998-04-13) 13 April 1998 (age 25) | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | 80 kg (180 lb) | 320 cm (130 in) | 305 cm (120 in) | Middle-blocker |
| 2 | Tiiamari Sievänen | (1994-07-19) 19 July 1994 (age 29) | 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) | 60 kg (130 lb) | 275 cm (108 in) | 287 cm (113 in) | Libero |
| 3 | Ljubica Milojević | (1999-02-13) 13 February 1999 (age 24) | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | 70 kg (150 lb) | 300 cm (120 in) | 300 cm (120 in) | Middle-blocker |
| 4 | Samara Almeida | (1992-07-16) 16 July 1992 (age 31) | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | 61 kg (134 lb) | 293 cm (115 in) | 278 cm (109 in) | Outside-spiker |
| 5 | Gergana Dimitrova | (1996-02-28) 28 February 1996 (age 27) | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | 71 kg (157 lb) | 305 cm (120 in) | 288 cm (113 in) | Outside-spiker |
| 6 | Gabi Schottroff | (1997-02-08) 8 February 1997 (age 26) | 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) | 78 kg (172 lb) | 302 cm (119 in) | 285 cm (112 in) | Middle-blocker |
| 7 | Ana Antonijević | (1987-08-26) 26 August 1987 (age 35) | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | 71 kg (157 lb) | 282 cm (111 in) | 269 cm (106 in) | Setter |
| 8 | Silvija Popović | (1986-03-15) 15 March 1986 (age 37) | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | 65 kg (143 lb) | 286 cm (113 in) | 276 cm (109 in) | Libero |
| 11 | Mira Todorova | (1994-04-12) 12 April 1994 (age 29) | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | 77 kg (170 lb) | 312 cm (123 in) | 300 cm (120 in) | Middle-blocker |
| 12 | / Rosir Calderón | (1984-12-28) 28 December 1984 (age 38) | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | 73 kg (161 lb) | 330 cm (130 in) | 325 cm (128 in) | Opposite |
| 13 | Anastasia Kornienko | (1992-09-09) 9 September 1992 (age 30) | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | 71 kg (157 lb) | 290 cm (110 in) | 278 cm (109 in) | Setter |
| 14 | Julie Lengweiler | (1998-11-06) 6 November 1998 (age 24) | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | 70 kg (150 lb) | 302 cm (119 in) | 285 cm (112 in) | Opposite |
| 17 | Laura Unternährer | (1993-07-11) 11 July 1993 (age 30) | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) | 70 kg (150 lb) | 303 cm (119 in) | 285 cm (112 in) | Outside-spiker |
| 18 | Alexandra Lazić | (1994-09-24) 24 September 1994 (age 28) | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | 72 kg (159 lb) | 318 cm (125 in) | 307 cm (121 in) | Outside-spiker |
| Head coach: Anderson Rodrigues (until December 2017) / Avital Selinger (from December 2017) ||||||||

2016–2017 Team :

| # | Player | Position | Height (m) | Birth date |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Julie Lengweiler | Wing Spiker | 1,86 m | 06/11/1998 |
| 3 | Fabíola de Souza | Setter | 1,84 m | 03/02/1983 |
| 4 | Bojana Živković | Setter | 1,86 m | 29/03/1988 |
| 5 | Dobriana Rabadzhieva | Wing Spiker | 1,94 m | 14/06/1991 |
| 6 | Gabi Schottroff | Middle Blocker | 1,92 m | 08/02/1997 |
| 7 | Olesia Rykhliuk | Opposite | 1,96 m | 11/12/1987 |
| 8 | Silvija Popović | Libero | 1,75 m | 15/03/1986 |
| 9 | Natalya Mammadova | Wing Spiker | 1,95 m | 02/12/1984 |
| 10 | Irina Malkova | Middle Blocker | 1,92 m | 05/01/1989 |
| 12 | Mari Paraíba | Wing Spiker | 1,81 m | 30/07/1986 |
| 13 | Gizem Karadayi | Libero | 1,76 m | 14/01/1987 |
| 14 | Kenia Carcaces | Wing Spiker | 1,89 m | 23/01/1986 |
| 15 | Ekaterina Orlova | Middle Blocker | 1,93 m | 21/10/1987 |
| 16 | Foluke Akinradewo | Middle Blocker | 1,91 m | 05/10/1987 |
| 17 | Laura Unternährer | Wing Spiker | 1,79 m | 11/07/1993 |
| Head coach: Zoran Terzić |||||

2014–2015 Team :

| # | Player | Position | Height (m) | Birth date |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Yevgeniya Nyukhalova | Opposite | 1,93 m | 23/05/1995 |
| 2 | Laura Unternährer | Wing Spiker | 1,79 m | 11/07/1993 |
| 3 | Nađa Ninković | Middle Blocker | 1,92 m | 01/11/1991 |
| 5 | Dobriana Rabadzhieva | Wing Spiker | 1,90 m | 14/06/1991 |
| 7 | Olesia Rykhliuk | Opposite | 1,96 m | 11/12/1987 |
| 8 | Silvija Popović | Libero | 1,75 m | 15/03/1986 |
| 9 | Natalya Mammadova | Wing Spiker | 1,95 m | 02/12/1984 |
| 11 | Natalie Hagglund | Libero | 1,74 m | 01/07/1992 |
| 12 | Ana Antonijević | Setter | 1,85 m | 26/08/1987 |
| 14 | Rachel Sanchez | Middle Blocker | 1,88 m | 09/01/1989 |
| 15 | Courtney Thompson | Setter | 1,70 m | 04/11/1984 |
| 16 | Ines Granvorka | Wing Spiker | 1,79 m | 13/08/1991 |
| 17 | Emily Hartong | Wing Spiker | 1,89 m | 04/02/1992 |
| 18 | Anna Kupriianova | Middle Blocker | 1,90 m | 20/11/1987 |
| 19 | Ana Grbac | Setter | 1,87 m | 23/03/1988 |

## Notable players

* Valeriya Korotenko
* Oksana Parkhomenko
* Anja Spasojević
* Slađana Erić
* Tijana Malešević
* Nina Rosić
* Bojana Živković
* Brankica Mihajlović
* Foluke Akinradewo
