Uralochka-NTMK (Russian: «Уралочка-НТМК») is a Russian professional women's volleyball club based in Yekaterinburg and currently plays in the Super League, the top Russian league. It was established in 1966 and is the most successful club in the USSR and Russian women's volleyball combined history with 25 national championship titles (11 Soviet and 14 Russian).[citation needed]

Uralochka-NTMK
Full nameVolleyball Club Uralochka-NTMK
Founded1966
GroundMetallurg-Forum, Nizhny Tagil, Russia
(Capacity: 3,200)
ChairmanAleksey Kushnarev
ManagerMikhail Karpol
LeagueWomen's Super League
2021–222nd
WebsiteClub home page
Uniforms
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Previous names edit

  • Uralochka Sverdlovsk (1966–1991)
  • Uralochka Yekaterinburg (1991–2001)
  • Uralochka-NTMK (2001–present)

History edit

Soviet years edit

In 1966 the Transport Engineering Sverdlov plant (now Uraltransmash) decided to create a women's volleyball team to represent Sverdlovsk Oblast. It was named Uralochka (an endearment form for Ural woman) and in December that same year it was allowed to compete at the national championship, Alexander Kilchevsky became the club's first coach.[1]

During its first years, the results were inconsistent with the team being relegated and promoted and in 1969, Nikolay Karpol was appointed head coach and it was only by the end of the 1973 season when the club gained promotion to the highest USSR championship that results begin to become consistent.[2] During the early and mid-1970s Dinamo Moscow was the dominant force in Soviet women's volley but Uralochka become very competitive and begin to challenge Dinamo's dominance. By the late 1970s the club won its first national title (in 1978) and went on to win the national titles for another four consecutive seasons (1979, 1980, 1981, 1982). European success came next, the club started to assert itself as a European force by winning the CEV Champions League for three consecutive years (1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83) and the Cup Winners Cup of 1985–86. A first national Cup title came in 1986, during the same season another national championship was won, with another five consecutive ones arriving in the following seasons (1987, 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1991). Two more cups (in 1987 and 1989) and three CEV Champions league (in 1986–87, 1988–89 and 1989–90) were added and by the time of the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the club had established itself as one of the strongest teams in the continent.[3]

Russian years edit

When Sverdlovsk became Yekaterinburg, the club name changed from Uralochka Sverdlovsk to Uralochka Yekaterinburg. The club would dominate the newly created Russian Women's League winning the tournaments first 14 seasons (from 1991–92 to 2004–05), which when added to the titles of the last 6 seasons of the USSR makes the club the national championship winner for 20 consecutive years. In the European competitions, the club has reached the semifinal or later stages of the CEV Champions league in six consecutive seasons (from 1991–92 to 1996–97) winning the title in two occasions (1993–94 and 1994–95).[1]

In 2001 the club was renamed Uralochka-NTMK, with NTMK standing for Nizhniy Tagil Iron and Steel Works (literally "Nizhny Tagil Metallurgic Kombinat").

Venues edit

The club has two venues in which to play.[3]

Honours edit

National competitions edit

USSR
1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991
  •   USSR Cup: 3
1986, 1987, 1989
Russia
1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2004–05

International competitions edit

1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1986–87, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1993–94, 1994–95
1985–86

Team Roster edit

Season 2020–2021, as of November 2020.[4]

Number Player Position Height (m) Weight (kg) Birth date
1   Valeria Safonova Middle blocker 1.83 72 (1992-03-28) 28 March 1992 (age 32)
4   Daria Pilipenko Libero 1.77 69 (1990-06-09) 9 June 1990 (age 33)
5   Bogdana Azinova Outside hitter 1.90 78 (1992-03-16) 16 March 1992 (age 32)
6   Kristina Kurnosova Libero 1.73 67 (1997-06-17) 17 June 1997 (age 26)
7   Valeria Karlova Outside hitter 1.90 74 (2000-04-04) 4 April 2000 (age 24)
8   Irina Sorikina Setter 1.82 69 (1995-02-17) 17 February 1995 (age 29)
9   Alena Kondrashova Setter 1.80 65 (1997-04-07) 7 April 1997 (age 27)
10   Elizaveta Kotova Middle blocker 1.86 81 (1998-05-31) 31 May 1998 (age 25)
12   Ailama Cese Outside hitter 1.88 58 (2000-10-29) 29 October 2000 (age 23)
13   Ksenia Parubets Outside hitter 1.84 64 (1994-10-31) 31 October 1994 (age 29)
14   Tatiana Kulikova Middle blocker 1.90 75 (1993-11-21) 21 November 1993 (age 30)
15   Polina Trukhina Libero 1.76 67 (1998-05-27) 27 May 1998 (age 25)
18   Vera Kostyuchik Opposite 1.91 71 (2000-09-27) 27 September 2000 (age 23)
19   Valentina Bichinina Outside hitter 1.85 70 (2000-11-02) 2 November 2000 (age 23)
21   Elizaveta Fitisova Middle blocker 1.87 68 (2001-09-21) 21 September 2001 (age 22)
23   Tatiana Seliutina Setter 1.83 70 (2000-08-10) 10 August 2000 (age 23)
30   Ksenia Smirnova Opposite 1.88 76 (1998-04-24) 24 April 1998 (age 25)

Notable players edit

Uralochka 2 edit

In 1983 the club created another team, which on its own right became competitive, winning the USSR Cup in 1988, finishing second once in the USSR Championship and finishing the Russian Championship five times in second and five times in third places. In 2003, Uralochka 2 effectively became the second team to support youth players and provide players to the main team.[1]

Over the years it has played under various names (Yunezis, Uraltransbank, Aeroflot-Malachite, Aeroflot-Uraltransbank, Uralochka 2 - Ural State Technical University, Uralochka 2 - USUE).[citation needed]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c История. Uralochka-vc (in Russian). Retrieved 28 December 2016.
  2. ^ Курилов, Николай (27 August 2016). Николай Карполь: волейбол и педагогика. serovglobus.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 28 December 2016.
  3. ^ a b Руководство. Uralochka-vc (in Russian). Retrieved 28 December 2016.
  4. ^ "Uralochka Ekaterinburg Players - Team details". Volleybox. Retrieved 24 November 2020.

External links edit