# WVC Dynamo Kazan

Dinamo Kazan (Russian: Динамо-Казань) is a Russian professional women's volleyball club based in Kazan. The club was founded in 2002 and plays in the super league, the top Russian league.

## Previous names

* Kazanochka (2002–2008)
* Dinamo Kazan (2008–2019)
* Dinamo-Ak Bars (2020–

## History

The club was founded in September 2002 as Kazanochka and made quick progress in the lower leagues, arriving at the Super league in the 2005–06 season. On its second season at the Super league, the club reached the top four and earned a spot at the 2007–08 CEV Women's Challenge Cup.
The 2007–08 season was difficult for the club, who lost its main sponsor just before the start of the season. Faced with an uncertain future, the club just managed to fulfil its season competitions commitments with poor results, being relegated from the Super league and failing to qualify in the top 8 of the CEV Challenge Cup. With the club at the point of being dissolved, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Tatarstan directly intervened and took over the club. As a result, the club's name was changed to Dinamo Kazan.
Dinamo Kazan returned to the Super league in 2009–10 and signed players which improved the quality of the team, among them Jordan Larson, Ekaterina Gamova, Maria Borisenko, Tatiana Kosheleva, Ekaterina Kabeshova and Vera Ulyakina. These players (apart from Jordan Larson, who is American) formed the core of the Russian national team in 2010. Success and results came soon in the following seasons, the club won the 2010 Russian Cup, its first title, and would go on to win the Super league for five consecutive seasons (from 2010–11 until 2014–15). It won a second Russian Cup in 2012 and the 2013–14 CEV Champions League held in Baku, Azerbaijan, defeating the home team Rabita Baku in the semifinals by 3–0 and the Turkish side VakıfBank İstanbul also by 3–0 in the final. The title qualified the club for the 2014 FIVB Club World Championship played in Switzerland, where the club would beat Brazilian sides SESI-SP by 3–1 in the semifinals and Molico Osasco by 3–0 in the final to claim the title.
In December 2016, the club won its third Russian Cup after beating Dinamo Moscow by 3–1 in the final. Kazan won its third straight title in 2017, beating VC Yenisey Krasnoyarsk 3–0 in the decisive game.

## Honours
### National competitions

* Russian Super League: 7
    2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2019–20, 2023–24
* Russian Cup: 7
    2010, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021
* Russian Super Cup: 2
    2020, 2022

### International competitions

* FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championship: 1
    2014
* CEV Champions League: 1
    2013–14
* CEV Cup: 1
    2016–17

## Team Roster

Season 2020–2021
| Number | Player | Position | Height (m) | Weight (kg) | Birth date |
| 1 | Milina Rakhmatullina | Libero | 1.73 | 67 | (2001-10-03) 3 October 2001 (age 23) |
| 2 | Anna Podkopaeva | Libero | 1.75 | 59 | (1990-04-16) 16 April 1990 (age 34) |
| 3 | Olga Biryukova | Outside hitter | 1.94 | 74 | (1994-09-19) 19 September 1994 (age 30) |
| 4 | Marina Maryukhnich | Middle blocker | 1.97 | 70 | (1982-11-26) 26 November 1982 (age 41) |
| 6 | Irina Koroleva | Middle blocker | 1.96 | 75 | (1991-10-04) 4 October 1991 (age 33) |
| 7 | Anna Kotikova | Outside hitter | 1.86 | 76 | (1999-10-13) 13 October 1999 (age 25) |
| 9 | Elizaveta Popova | Setter | 1.80 | 63 | (2002-06-07) 7 June 2002 (age 22) |
| 10 | Samanta Fabris | Opposite | 1.90 | 80 | (1992-02-08) 8 February 1992 (age 32) |
| 12 | Samantha Bricio | Outside hitter | 1.88 | 60 | (1994-11-22) 22 November 1994 (age 29) |
| 13 | Evgeniya Startseva (c) | Setter | 1.85 | 65 | (1989-02-12) 12 February 1989 (age 35) |
| 15 | Arina Fedorovtseva | Outside hitter | 1.90 | 69 | (2004-01-19) 19 January 2004 (age 20) |
| 17 | Tatiana Kadochkina | Opposite | 1.92 | 72 | (2003-03-21) 21 March 2003 (age 21) |
| 19 | Vita Akimova | Opposite | 1.91 | 71 | (2002-07-16) 16 July 2002 (age 22) |
| 22 | Taisiya Konovalova | Middle blocker | 1.88 | 69 | (1996-05-22) 22 May 1996 (age 28) |

## Notable players

* Marina Babeshina
* Maria Borodakova
* Lesya Evdokimova
* Ekaterina Gamova
* Olga Khrzhanovskaya
* Tatiana Kosheleva
* Lesya Makhno
* Yevgeniya Startseva
* Ekaterina Ulanova
* Vera Ulyakina
* Regina Moroz
* Irina Zaryazhko
* Anna Malova
* Arina Fedorovtseva
* Elitsa Vasileva
* Natalya Mammadova
* Antonella Del Core
* Megumi Kurihara
* Onuma Sittirak
* Heather Bown
* Tayyiba Haneef-Park
* Jordan Larson
* Bethania de la Cruz
* Samanta Fabris
* Samantha Bricio