It's Volleyball Showtime!
From hard-hitting spikers to skillful setters, the world's finest players will be showcasing their talents at the FIVB Road to Paris Women's Qualifiers, scheduled to take place from 16 to 24 September 2023 in three different locations: Ningbo (People's Republic of China), Tokyo (Japan), and Lodz (Poland).
From Türkiye's standout star Melissa Vargas, to Serbia's spiking sensation Tijana Boskovic, let's take a closer look at the top 10 stars to keep an eye on during the Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT), where spots at the Paris 2024 Games are on offer.
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Melissa Vargas of Türkiye during the 2023 VNL
Melissa Vargas (Türkiye)
The Cuban-born spiker has proven to be a remarkable addition to Daniele Santarelli's team.
Since becoming eligible to represent Türkiye earlier this year, Vargas has played a pivotal role in securing the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) and the CEV European Championship titles for the 'Sultans of the Net.'
At just 23 years old, she has made an instant impact, earning herself the title of Most Valuable Player (MVP) in both tournaments.
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 08: Tijana Boskovic #18 of Team Serbia celebrates after the play against Team South Korea during the Women's Bronze Medal Match on day sixteen of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Arena on August 08, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.
Tijana Boskovic (Serbia)
The Serbian superstar aims to guide the Balkan side to their fifth consecutive Olympic appearance, building on her past successes that include silver and bronze medals in Rio and Tokyo, respectively.
Despite opting to skip the recent VNL, the 26-year-old opposite added a fifth European championship medal to her impressive résumé by leading Giovanni Guidetti's team to the final. Boskovic concluded the tournament as their top scorer with an impressive total of 229 points (averaging 7.16 points per set) and also boasted the highest spike accuracy at 54.22%.
Annie Drews was USA's top scorer at the 2023 VNL
Annie Drews (USA)
The powerful left-handed opposite stands out as one of the leaders of the rejuvenated USA team.
At the home VNL finals in Arlington, Texas, the 29-year-old Olympic gold medallist emerged as the team's top scorer, amassing an impressive 37 points. Additionally, Drews contributed to the silver medal victory at the recent NORCECA Continental Championship.
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TOKYO, JAPAN - JULY 29: Yingying Li #12 of Team China attacks at the net against Team ROC during the Women's Preliminary - Pool B volleyball on day six of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Arena on July 29, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.
Li Yingying (The People's Republic of China)
Li was named the best outside hitter in the last VNL, powering the three-time Olympic champions to a silver medal – their best-ever finish in the tournament.
The 23-year-old star showcased her scoring prowess by finishing in the top three on the scoring charts, with a second place in the preliminary rounds and third in the final phase.
Following the Paris 2024 Qualifier, her next challenge is to lead her country in pursuit of their 12th title at the upcoming Asian Games, set to start at the end of this month in Hangzhou.
Ekaterina Antropova after her debut with Italy at the 2023 CEV European Championship
Ekaterina Antropova (Italy)
The 20-year-old opposite, born to Russian parents in Iceland, made her international debut during last month's European Championship, just weeks after acquiring Italian citizenship.
Throughout the tournament, the towering 2.02m-tall Scandicci spiker gradually progressively established herself as Davide Mazzanti's first choice, surpassing star player Paola Egonu in the coach's rankings. Although her performance dipped in the crucial matches, Antropova still emerged as her team's leading scorer with a total of 94 points.
With Egonu currently on hiatus from the national team, the spiker will try to lead Italy to a seventh consecutive Olympic qualification.
Brazil's spiker 'Gabi' in action during the 2023 VNL
Gabriela 'Gabi' Guimaraes (Brazil)
Can the star captain lead the two-time Olympic champions to a 12th consecutive participation in the Olympic Games?
The Brazilians finished fifth in the VNL 2023 and extended their supremacy in the home South American Championship by winning their 23rd title without dropping a single set.
29-year-old Gabriela Guimaraes, aka 'Gabi', remains a pivotal star in Ze Roberto's side, and her exceptional performances have earned her a place in the tournament’s Dream Team. She was also honoured with the titles of MVP and Best Outside Spiker.
Sarina Nishida of Japan in action during this year's VNL
Nishida Sarina - nee Koga (Japan)
Japan will look to their captain as they strive to solidify their position as the women's team with the most Olympic participations (13 in total so far).
As one of the team's veterans alongside Nagaoka Miyu and Inoue Arisa, Nishida - formerly known as Koga - has been a crucial player for the team coached by Manabe Masayoshi during the recent VNL campaign, where she emerged as Japan's top scorer with an impressive tally of 209 spikes. The Hinotori Nippon team finished in seventh place, even defeating the eventual champions Türkiye in one of the group matches.
Additionally, the 27-year-old contributed to the success of the six-time Olympic medallists by helping them secure the bronze medal in the AVC Asian Championship.
TOKYO, JAPAN - JULY 27: Brenda Castillo #5 of Team Dominican Republic competes against Team Brazil during the Women's Preliminary - Pool A volleyball on day four of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Arena on July 27, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.
Brenda Castillo (Dominican Republic)
The Dominican star shone in the recent NORCECA Continental Championship in Quebec, Canada, where she earned the titles of MVP, Best Digger, and Best Libero.
Castillo's exceptional defensive prowess was instrumental for 'Las Reinas de los Caraibes' in their gold-medal final victory against reigning Olympic champions, USA. In the crucial match, teammate Brayelin Martinez led the team's scoring with an impressive 20 points.
Joanna Wolosz (Poland)
Arguably the most prominent Polish player of the past decade, the star setter will undoubtedly be a hometown favourite in Lodz as the European side pursues its first Olympic qualification since 2008.
A hand injury sidelined the 33-year-old for the initial part of the season, during which the Polish team clinched the bronze at the 2023 VNL—a historic achievement for the women's team spanning over 50 years.
Now fully recovered, the Imoco Volley player returned to the court during the European Championship. Despite a disappointing fifth-place finish, Wolosz remains optimistic about the team's trajectory in securing a spot at the Olympic Games Paris 2024: "To me, this is the biggest goal and the biggest dream," she told Volleyballworld.com
APELDOORN, NETHERLANDS - JANUARY 09: Nika Daalderop of Netherlands serves during the Women CEV Tokyo Volleyball European Qualification 2020 match between Netherlands and Poland held at Omnisport on January 09, 2020 in Apeldoorn, Netherlands.
Nika Daalderop (Netherlands)
The 24-year-old played a significant role in the Netherlands' bronze medal win at this year's European Championship.
The Dutch outside hitter, who previously secured European silver in 2017, stood out as the leading scorer for her team with an impressive total of 110 points (4.78 per set). Daalderop now aspires to guide the 'Oranje' to their fourth Olympic appearance.
