TEAM COMPOSITION

RUS / Russia

Team manager	Erkhov Andrey
Coach	Marichev Iuriy
Assistant coach	Kurnosov Igor
2nd assistant coach	Ushakov Konstantin
Doctor	Rasskazov Sergey
Physiotherapist	Semenychev Nickolay

	No.	Name	Lastname	Shirt Name	Birthdate	Height	Weight	Spike	Block	Club
	1	Maria	Borodakova	Borodakova	08.03.1986	190	88	301	297	Dinamo-Kazan
	2	Anastasia	Salina	Salina	30.12.1988	181	67	295	288	Uralochka-UGMK
	3	Daria	Isaeva	Isaeva	29.03.1990	186	75	310	304	Fakel
	4	Irina	Zaryazhko	Zaryazhko	04.10.1991	196	78	305	290	Uralochka-NTMK
	5	Alexandra	Pasynkova	Pasynkova	14.04.1987	190	75	313	305	Uralochka-NTMK
	6	Anna	Matienko	Matienko	12.07.1981	182	68	298	292	Dinamo-Krasnodar
L	7	Svetlana	Kryuchkova	Kryuchkova	21.02.1985	174	63	290	286	Dinamo Krasnodar
	8	Nataliya	Goncharova	Obmochaeva	01.06.1989	194	75	315	306	Dinamo Moscow
	9	Kseniia	Bondar	Bondar	01.02.1990	190	73	305	300	Fakel
C	10	Ekaterina	Pankova	Pankova	02.02.1990	178	64	290	285	Zarechie-Odinzovo
	11	Victoriia	Chaplina	Chaplina	23.10.1988	188	77	301	295	Uralochka-NTMK
	12	Ekaterina	Orlova	Orlova	21.10.1987	193	77	307	301	Omichka Omsk
	13	Evgeniya	Startseva	Startseva	12.02.1989	185	68	294	290	Dinamo-Kazan
	14	Natalia	Dianskaia	Dianskaia	07.03.1989	185	69	297	292	Severstal
	15	Tatiana	Kosheleva	Kosheleva	23.12.1988	191	67	315	305	Dinamo-Moscow
	16	Regina	Moroz	Moroz	14.01.1987	188	70	310	303	Dinamo-Kazan
	17	Natalia	Malykh	Malykh	08.12.1993	187	65	308	297	Zarechie-Odinzovo
L	18	Alexandra	Vinogradova	Vinogradova	11.04.1988	175	72	295	287	Zarechie-Odinzovo
L	19	Anna	Malova	Malova	16.04.1990	175	59	286	290	Ufimochka
	20	Anastasia	Shlyakhovaya	Shlyakhovaya	05.10.1990	192	69	313	307	Omichka
	21	Valeriya	Goncharova	Goncharova	03.01.1988	188	70	308	301	Dinamo-Moscow
	22	Elena	Novik	Novik	23.03.1994	180	66	295	290	Dinamo Moscow

C = Captain L = Libero

Team profile

The Russian women’s team was founded in 1949 and until 1991 played as the USSR. That changed to the CIS in 1991 before becoming Russia in 1993. They have won the Olympic title four times, the World Championship seven times, the World Cup and the World Grand Champions Cup once, the World Grand Prix three times and the European Championship 17 times.

The world No. 6 took silver at the 2004 Olympic Games, after which a number of changes took place, leading to a terrific year in 2006. They placed second in the World Grand Prix before winning the World Championships. But they were unable to maintain their form and after the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, where they finished fifth, a number of young players were drafted in to help regenerate the team.

With respected coach Vladimir Kuzyutkin brought in to guide the team towards the 2012 Olympics, results improved immediately and Russia took second place in the 2009 FIVB World Grand Prix. They went even better in 2010, remaining undefeated in the process of defending their World Championship title. Tatiana Kosheleva was named Best Spiker and Ekaterina Gamova was voted MVP.

However Russia and the World Grand Prix seem to have not the same relationship. Having won the last of their three titles in 2002, Russia’s recent World Grand Prix appearances have included silver medals in 2003, 2006 and 2009 whilst not participating in 2005, 2008, 2010 and 2012. In their last appearance in 2011, the Russians finished fourth after losing their final two games 3-0 – to China and bronze-medallists Serbia.

Recent results have also been disappointing. In the 2011 European Championships, Russia crashed 3-0 to eventual bronze medallists Turkey in the quarterfinals before finishing fifth at the London Olympics - again going out at the quarterfinal stage after failing to convert six match balls in the fifth set against Brazil.

With new and ambitious coach in Yuri Marichev at the helm, he will be aiming to harness the immense talent with one eye on the World Championships in 2014 where Russia will be looking to make a three-peat of titles.

Former team leaders Ekaterina Gamova and Liubov Sokolova are no longer in the team however with Maria Borodakova and Nataliya Obmochaeva still there, Russia still packs plenty of punch.

Coach profile

Yuri Marichev, 52, was educated at Alma-Ata Institute of Physical Culture and played volleyball for CSKA Moscow (1981-89), Ekzichibashi of Turkey (1991-92), Lefty Tula (1993-96) and Oil Industry Bashkiria (1996-2001). He won two Russian Championships and the European Champions Cup.

As a coach, he has worked with Torch New Urengoy (2001-03), Ural Ufa Ch. (2003-09), Dinamo Krasnodar women’s team (2009-10) and Dinamo Krasnodar men’s team (2010-13). He was coach with the Russian team that won the 2005 World Youth Championship. He became coach of the Russian women’s team in January of this year.