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 , 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 TeamNo.NameDate of birthHeightWeightSpikeBlockPosition Middle-blocker Libero Middle-blocker Outside-spiker Outside-spiker Middle-blocker Setter Libero Middle-blocker 12 / Opposite 13 Setter 14 Opposite 17 Outside-spiker 18 Outside-spiker Head coach: Anderson Rodrigues (until December 2017) / Avital Selinger (from December 2017)
2016–2017 Team # Player Position Height (m) Birth date1 Julie LengweilerWing Spiker1,86 m06/11/19983 Fabíola de SouzaSetter1,84 m03/02/19834 Bojana ŽivkovićSetter1,86 m29/03/19885 Dobriana RabadzhievaWing Spiker1,94 m14/06/19916 Gabi SchottroffMiddle Blocker1,92 m08/02/19977 Olesia RykhliukOpposite1,96 m11/12/19878 Silvija PopovićLibero1,75 m15/03/19869 Natalya MammadovaWing Spiker1,95 m02/12/198410 Irina MalkovaMiddle Blocker1,92 m05/01/198912 Mari ParaíbaWing Spiker1,81 m30/07/198613 Gizem KaradayiLibero1,76 m14/01/198714 Kenia CarcacesWing Spiker1,89 m23/01/198615 Ekaterina OrlovaMiddle Blocker1,93 m21/10/198716 Foluke AkinradewoMiddle Blocker1,91 m05/10/198717 Laura UnternährerWing Spiker1,79 m11/07/1993Head coach: Zoran Terzić
2014–2015 Team # Player Position Height (m) Birth date1 Yevgeniya NyukhalovaOpposite1,93 m23/05/19952 Laura UnternährerWing Spiker1,79 m11/07/19933 Nađa NinkovićMiddle Blocker1,92 m01/11/19915 Dobriana RabadzhievaWing Spiker1,90 m14/06/19917 Olesia RykhliukOpposite1,96 m11/12/19878 Silvija PopovićLibero1,75 m15/03/19869 Natalya MammadovaWing Spiker1,95 m02/12/198411 Natalie HagglundLibero1,74 m01/07/199212 Ana AntonijevićSetter1,85 m26/08/198714 Rachel SanchezMiddle Blocker1,88 m09/01/198915 Courtney ThompsonSetter1,70 m04/11/198416 Ines GranvorkaWing Spiker1,79 m13/08/199117 Emily HartongWing Spiker1,89 m04/02/199218 Anna KupriianovaMiddle Blocker1,90 m20/11/198719 Ana GrbacSetter1,87 m23/03/1988
Notable players
Valeriya Korotenko Oksana Parkhomenko Anja Spasojević Slađana Erić Tijana Malešević Nina Rosić Bojana Živković Silvija Popović Brankica Mihajlović Foluke Akinradewo Melisa Vargas
References
External links
Volero Zürich AG Official website - Women's professional team VBC Voléro Zürich Official website - Men's and youth teams