Montreux, Switzerland, September 1, 2018- With just a few days remaining until some of the biggest names in Women's International Volleyball rub shoulders on the Swiss Riviera, host commune Montreux and the surroundings of Lac Léman are gripped by Volleyball fever.
With the return of the annual volleyball festival drawing the gaze of fans worldwide, here are five reasons for you to get involved in all the action & keep in touch with the 33rd edition of this famous invitational showpiece.
1. Reigning champions Brazil to bring out the big guns
With José Roberto Guimarães' side gearing up for the upcoming World Championships, Montreux Masters holders Brazil will have a strong squad on show in Switzerland as they look to enjoy the perfect dress rehearsal before making their bow on the world stage once again. Some of the South American nation's greatest talents, such as Roberta Ratzke, Rosamaria Montibeller, Ana Carolina da Silva and Drussyla Costa, will grace the court in Montreux, and are sure to prove real crowdpleasers for all in attendance.
2. Titans China return for 26th appearance
Reigning Olympic champions China are no strangers at the Montreux Masters, and their inclusion for the 26th time at the prestigious invitational tournament has been confirmed. Boasting talent such as outside spiker Zhu Ting and opposite Gong Xiangyu, Lang Ping's side are a popular inclusion at the competition and are likely to impress once again as they look to prepare for their 2019 FIVB World Championship title defence by reclaiming the Montreux gold that they relinquished last year.
3. History as Cameroon debut for Africa in Montreux
The 33rd edition of the Montreux Masters will make a little piece of volleyball history, as Cameroon become the first African nation to feature at the prestigious showpiece. The 'Lionesses' have enhanced their profile on the world stage in recent years, featuring at the 2016 Rio Olympics and winning their first African title in 2017, and now they can look forward to testing themselves against some of the greatest talents in the international women's game: an intriguing watch for volleyball fans the world over indeed.
4. Queens of the Net are back with a vengeance
Having been omitted from the previous year's edition of the Montreux Masters in 2017, the 2015 Masters winners Turkey are back on the Swiss Riviera this time around, and come armed with a new way to win under the tutelage of mercurial Italian coach Giovanni Guidetti, who has enjoyed previous success at the helm of the German and Dutch national teams.
Fresh from taking silver in the inauguration edition of the Volleyball Nations League, the Turks are thrilled to prove at the Montreux Masters that they are one of the big dark horses for a medal at the FIVB Volleyball World Championship in Japan.
5. Beach Volleyball superstar Melissa Humana-Paredes takes you behind the scenes
The fans of the Montreux Masters can look forward to a third-eye behind the scenes view of the action as Canadian Beach Volleyball star Melissa Humana-Paredes will be launching a new vlog feature for the tournament that has never been seen before at the event prior to 2018.