Lima and Poglajen among Argentinean call-ups

The Argentinean men’s national team begin preparations for the 2021 FIVB Volleyball Nations League on Monday with 17 players called up to work under head coach Marcelo Mendez at the country’s training facility in Buenos Aires.

The list of players includes young athletes who stood out in the 2020-2021 Argentinean League, which ended with UPCN Voley’s eighth victory. Two veterans who have already completed their club seasons in Turkey are also featured in opposite Bruno Lima and outside hitter Cristian Poglajen.

Lima, a 25-year-old Rio 2016 Olympian, and Poglajen, a 31-year-old, two-time Olympian who finished fifth with Argentina at both the London 2012 and the Rio 2016 Games, both spent the last club season with Afyon Belediye Yuntas. The team finished 12th in the Turkish League and 11th in the country’s National Cup.

The other 15 players selected by Mendez were setters Matias Giraudo, Gaspar Bitar and Pablo Urchevich, opposites Manuel Balague and Juan Barrera, outside hitters Manuel Armoa, Ignacio Luengas, Luciano Vicentin and Mauro Zelayeta, middle blockers Joaquin Gallego, Nicolas Zerba, Flavio Rajczakowski and Franco Medina and liberos Franco Massimino and Tobias Scarpa.

They will be joined by other players once the club season is completed.

The country’s women’s team will also start their preparations for the 2021 international season on Monday. Las Panteras are set to appear at the Tokyo Olympics, just like the men’s team.

Head coach Hernan Ferraro selected 14 players, all of them young prospects. They are: setters Aylen Ayub and Tatiana Vera, opposites Bianca Cugno and Agustina Oliva, outside hitters Angeles Ligorria, Juliana Ocana, Maria Jose Prunetti and Lucia Verdier, middle blockers Florencia Giorgi, Ariana Gonzalez, Josefina Jappert and Balbanera Ulla, and liberos Martina Castro and Agostina Pelozo.

They will be joined by more players at the conclusion of the Argentinean League, this weekend, and as other leagues come to an end.