FIVB Released: Alekno Selects 17 Players For VNL

Russian coach Vladimir Alekno, who joined the Iranian team in mid-April, has been closely working with the players during their training camp, and on Friday he selected 17 players who will participate in the third edition of the FIVB Volleyball Nations League in Rimini Italy.

Their veteran stars Saied Marouf, Amir Ghafour, Milad Ebadipour and Seyed Mohammad Mousavi, who all had club stints abroad this season, are back and lead a team composed of several young and new faces.

Iran have participated in the previous two editions of the VNL and their best finish was fifth, when they made it to the final round in 2019. Six other players – Pourya Fayazi, Mohammadjavad Manavinejad, Masoud Gholami, Ali Shafiei, Aliasghar Mojarad and Mohammadreza Hazratpour – will be returning in the 2021 edition, where they will face their Asian rivals Japan on May 28.

Setters: Saeid Marouf, Mohammad Taher Wadi

Opposites: Amir Ghafour, Saber Kazemi, Bardia Saadat

Outside Hitters: Milad Ebadipour, Pourya Fayazi, Meysam Salehi, Amir Hossein Esfandiar, Mohammadjavad Manavinejad

Middle Blockers: Seyed Mohammad Mousavi, Masoud Gholami, Ali Shafiei, Aliasghar Mojarad, Reza Abedini

Liberos: Mohammadreza Hazratpour, Arman Salehi