Women’s pro volleyball: Cuttino, Lowe come up big in Japan; Payne leads in Türkiye 

This is our weekly update on USA women playing professional volleyball around the world. Most of the players are former NCAA standouts:

Japan

It was a big weekend for former Purdue star Danielle Cuttino and former UCLA standout Karsta Lowe.

Hitachi Rivale was swept in both matches by perennial league favorite Toray. Toray took the first 25-20, 25-18, 25-21. Hannah Tapp was limited to four kills and one block for Rivale. Toray won the second match in another sweep 25-22, 25-19, 25-16. Tapp had three kills.

Toyota Autobody Queenseis earned a split with PFU. PFU won the first match 23-25, 25-22, 25-18, 25-17. Cuttino had 18 kills and four blocks for Queenseis. Queenseis bounced back to win a reverse sweep 27-29, 12-25, 25-22, 25-20, 15-11. Cuttino had 30 kills (.429) and one block.

JT Marvelous beat Ageo twice, sweeping the first 25-23, 25-22, 25-11. Karsta Lowe was top scorer with 17 kills (.515), two blocks, and an ace. JT Marvelous then won 25-20, 17-25, 25-23, 21-25, 16-14 and Lowe was top scorer again as she had 22 kills and two blocks.

NEC Red Rockets and Sarah Wilhite-Parson were off this weekend.

Italy

On the first match day, Cuneo earned its first win by beating Bergamo 26-28, 25-22, 27-25, 22-25, 15-13. Anna Stevenson-Hall was second top scorer for Cuneo nine kills, three aces, and two blocks. Dani Drews had eight kills as she continued in the opposite position. For Bergamo, Khalia Lanier returned from injury and had 16 kills and a block. Mac May had two kills in a brief appearance.

Image: https://ww2.legavolleyfemminile.it/photogallery/pg1710/0973.jpg
Source: LVF

Conegliano stormed back from an early eight-point deficit in set one and swept rival Novara 27-25, 25-11, 25-23. Kelsey Cook had an errorless performance as she had 12 kills (.631) and passed 75% positive. Kathryn Plummer added five kills and two aces for Conegliano. McKenzie Adams had eight kills for Novara, while Jordyn Poulter started as setter again.

On the second match day, Milano swept Vallefoglia 25-19, 25-10, 25-18. Jordan Thompson was top scorer for Milano with 15 kills (.481) and a block. Dana Rettke did not play. Micha Hancock had one kill for Vallefoglia. The biggest news of the week for Milano was not the victory and unbeaten start to the season, but that USA Olympian Jordan Larson will rejoin the team soon.

Chieri’s hot start to the season continued by dismantling Novara 25-16, 25-18,…