Europeans Abroad: Inneh-Varga shines in Korean League All-Star Game

European volleyball players are spread all over the world during the 2022-2023 club season, playing big roles in their teams. Many of them are currently away from the continent, competing in some of the top leagues on the planet, and we’ll help you follow their journeys by providing periodic updates on how they’re doing.

Korea

Romanian opposite Elizabet Inneh-Varga was the female top scorer of the All-Star Game of the Korean V-League, which took place on Sunday in Incheon.

The 22-year-old opposite, who plays for Daejeon Korea Ginseng Corp and is in her second season in the country, produced seven points (five kills, two blocks) and had a better output than any other female player to take part in the event.

The Korean League All-Star Game has a unique format, with both men and women being split into two teams – the veterans (born up to 1995) and the youngsters (born from 1996 on). The women play the first two 15-point sets and the men get on the court for two more.

Despite Inneh-Varga’s seven points, the veterans won the duel by a single point, outscoring the youngsters by 53-52.

The Romanian was also the ‘Spike Serve Queen’, firing a serve that reached 89km/h in the Korean League festive weekend.

Brazil

Dutch national team captain Anne Buijs was on fire with Dentil Praia Clube this weekend as the outside hitter led the league leaders to a strong victory over SESI Volei Bauru on Saturday.

Buijs produced a match-high 19 points (all in kills) as Praia Club topped Bauru in three sets at home. The Dutch star took home the Most Valuable Player award.

On Friday, Polish opposite Malwina Smarzek also contributed to the victory of her team’s Osasco São Cristovão Saúde over Esporte Clube Pinheiros. The Polish had nine points as Osasco won in three sets.

Japan

The weekend round of the Men’s Japanese V. League had an interesting duel involving European players with Slovenian outside hitter Tine Urnaut and his team JTEKT Stings facing Hungarian opposite Krisztián Pádár and his Toray Arrows teammates twice.

The teams split wins, with Pádár producing 15 points (12 kills, two blocks, one ace) in the Arrow’s 3-0 victory on Saturday and Urnaut leading the Stings’ offensive efforts in their 3-1 Sunday triumph with 20 (18 kills, one block, one ace).

Russian Olympic champion Dmitriy Muserskiy returned from injury in great form as he helped defending champions Suntory Sunbirds sweep the Tokyo Great Bears twice. The London 2012 Olympic champion opposite fired 18 points (all in kills) on Saturday and improved his production to 23 (18 kills, five blocks) on Sunday.

In the women’s league, Azeri opposite Jana Kulan was one of the most productive players of the weekend. She tallied an impressive 31 points (30 kills, one ace) on Saturday, when her Toray Arrows team topped the Kurobe AquaFairies 3-1, and added another 25 (22 kills, two blocks, one ace) on Sunday, but saw her team fall in four sets.

Belgian outside hitter Lise van Hecke also had an excellent weekend in the Japanese League as she led the Hisamitsu Springs to back-to-back victories over the NEC Red Rockets. Van Hecke registered 22 points (18 kills, two blocks, two aces) on Saturday, when the Springs won 3-1, and was even better on Sunday, delivering 29 (23 kills, six blocks) in her team’s five-set triumph.