International volleyball: Taylor Mims, Jaelyn Keene lead Nantes to French Cup title

This is our weekly update on USA women playing professional volleyball around the world. Most leagues are finishing their regular seasons and/or playoffs are underway:

France

Nantes earned the first trophy in club history by sweeping Mulhouse to win the French Cup. Taylor Mims and Jaelyn Keene — who hit .800 — were Nantes’ second-top scorers, as both had 12 kills. Carli Snyder had eight kills for Mulhouse, while Jaali Winters finished with three. Annayka Legros had six kills and two blocks

In league play, the best-of-five quarterfinal series started last week and Keene was perfect on 10 attacks as Nantes swept swept Marcq en Baroeul. Keene, named MVP, also had four aces and a block. Mims had nine kills and a block. Tristin Savage had four kills, one block and an ace for Marcq en Baroeul.

Nancy upset defending-champion Volero Le Cannet in five sets as Katelyn Evans had 12 kills, eight blocks and two aces, Haylie Bennett had 11 kills, three blocks and an ace, and Shayla Hoeft followed with 12 kills and two blocks. Breana Runnels had with five kills and setter Saige Ka’aha’aina-Torres had two blocks, one kill and an ace.

Winters had 16 kills as Mulhouse needed five sets to avoid an upset by Beziers. Snyder had 11 kills and three blocks and Legros had five kills and three blocks. Claire Hoffman of Beziers led all scorers with 23 kills (.512), two blocks and an ace. Serena Gray added seven kills, two blocks and two aces and substitute Molly Lohman had a kill.

Italy

Defending-champion Imoco Conegliano, Scandicci, Milano and Novara advanced to the semifinals.

Conegliano began its title defense against Roma in a best-of-three quarterfinal series and opened with a sweep as Kathryn Plummer hadd nine kills, two blocks and two aces and Kelsey Robinson Cook had four kills and a block. Roma’s Amber Igiede had three kills and a block.

Conegliano advanced with another sweep as Plummer had eight kills and two aces and Robinson Cook had six kills, three block, and an ace. Igiede had six kills, hitting .600, and a block.

Scandicci opened with a four-set win over Vallefoglia. Haleigh Washington had two kills. Scandicci then swept and Lindsey Ruddins appeared briefly.

Milano needed five sets to win in game one. Dana Rettke scored one block as a substitute. Milano earned their spot in the semifinals as they beat Pinerolo in four sets in the second match. Rettke and Kara Bajema did not play.

Chieri split their matches with Novara and they’ll play a winner-take-all third match. Chieri won the first in five as Avery Skinner thad 13 kills, two blocks and an ace and Madi Kingdon Rushel had five kills, two aces and a block. But Novara swept the second match. Skinner added 13 more kills and two blocks, while Kingdon had five kills and one block.

Brazil 

The Brazilian league playoffs began with best-of-three quarterfinal series.

Roni Jones-Perry had 16 kills and four aces as top-seeded SESC RJ beat Barueri in four and then Jones-Perry was named MVP in the second match after her 13 kills and a block led the way in a sweep.

Minas advanced as it swept Fluminese twice. Setter Jenna Gray had a block and an ace in the first match. In the second, Annie Mitchem was named MVP and. had 10 kills (.600) and block. Gray added four kills, one block and an ace.

Brionne Butler was named MVP as Osasco swept Pinheiros their opener, getting four blocks and five kills. Callie Schwarzenbach chipped in five kills, two blocks and an ace. Osasco then won in five to advance as Butler had 10 kills, two blocks and an ace and Schwarzenbach had  two kills and a block.

Germany

Stuttgart’s title defense continued with a trip to the semifinals after sweeping Munster. Krystal Rivers led all scorers with 15 kills (.464), two blocks and one ace and Alexis Hart added two blocks as a substitute. Gloria Mutiri was the top scorer for Munster with 12 kills. Setter Jenna Ewert had four kills and Zoe Fleck was credited with 38% positive reception.

Dresdner stayed alive by sweeping Wiesbaden after losing the opener of the best-of-three series and then advanced by winning the third match in four sets. In the second match, Tia Jimerson led Dresdner with nine kills (.615) and five blocks and Grace Frohling had seven kills and two blocks. Jaidyn Blanchfield had seven kills and a block for Wiesbaden, while Rachel Anderson added four kills and one block. Then Jimerson had six kills, two aces and one block in the clincher. Frohling added a kill. Blanchfield closed her season with Wiesbaden with 12 kills, three blocks and an ace and Anderson had nine kills and two blocks.

Potsdam advanced by sweeping Suhl behind Danielle Harbin, who had 14 kills and two aces. Breland Morrissette added two blocks and a kill. Justine Wong-Orantes was credited with 62% positive reception. Eleanor Holthaus was named silver MVP for Suhl, getting 11 kills (.625), two aces, and one block. Julia Brown added 14 kills and a block.

Poland

Mac May had 14 kills, two aces and a block in the quarterfinals as Budowlani Lodz swept and knocked out defending champion and bitter rival LKS Lodz.

Turkish League

VakifBank (24-2) finished the regular season by beating Nilufer in five sets. Ali Frantti came off the bench to have 17 kills (.536). Chiaka Ogbogu had seven kills (.636), two blocks and an ace and Jordan Thompson had four kills, two blocks and an ace and played in three sets. 

VakifBank will be the second seed in the four-team Turkish League playoffs.