Men’s pro volleyball report: Michelau, Petty, Gooch, Direitto, Gyimah faring well in Finland

This is Blair Lambert’s VolleyballMag.com weekly men’s professional volleyball report, featuring Americans around the world. Most are former NCAA players. Got a note about a player or a comment for Blair? Email him at blairlambert2@gmail.com

This past weekend another American player won a domestic cup competition when Mike Michelau, who had 12 kills, four blocks and an ace, and Savo Volley defeated Raision Loimu in four sets in Finland. Felix Egharevba started the second set for Raision Loimu but did not score any points.

Greg Petty of Hurrikaani Loimaa and Michelau are currently rated as the top two outside hitters in Finland. Troy Gooch, also of Hurrikaani Loimaa, has the best passing percentage in the league, and it also the top-rated libero.

Egharevba, Kofi Gyimah, and Chase Direitto have the top three kill percentages. 

Gyimah, a Canadian All-American at UCLA, joined Gooch and Petty at Hurrikaani Loimaa at the end of December after a three-year hiatus from volleyball to pursue a career in music. He is hitting .586 with 1.85 kills per set through his first seven matches.

Petty was named the MVP of the league for the month of February. Petty, Gooch, and Gyimah were all named to the team of the month.

CEV Champions League

Erik Shoji passed 52 percent positively and 33 percent perfectly as ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle needed a fifth set to beat visiting Halkbank Ankara in the first leg. Dave Smith finished with three kills and an ace. Micah Ma’a set Halkbank to a .371 hitting percentage to go with a kill, a block and an ace. The two teams play Wednesday in Ankara.

CEV Cup

TJ DeFalco had a mach-high 13 kills as Asseco Resovia Rzeszów swept Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie in the first leg of the quarterfinals.

SVG Lüneburg beat AONS Milon as Gage Worsley passed 80 percent positively and 20 percent perfectly. Blake Leeson had four kills in as many attacks and two aces.

Poland

ZAKSA was depleted by injuries and illness to the point where a member of the training staff, Justin Ziółkowski, had to suit up as outside hitter. So it was not a surprise that Resovia swept as DeFalco hit .600 on his way to 10 kills, two blocks and an ace. Smith had no kills on five attempts, but finished with an ace. Shoji passed 58 percent positively and 17 percent perfect.

Josh Tuaniga made a rare appearance on the bench but Indykpol AZS Olsztyn swept PGE GiEK Skra Bełchatów.

Jake Hanes had one kill and one ace but hit…