The All-Russian Volleyball Federation has published the extended list of candidates for the Russian national team in 2026. Among the 31 selected players, the strong presence of Lokomotiv Novosibirsk is evident, with five players from Plamen Konstantinov's and Andrey Zekov's team finding a place in the selection.
This is another recognition of the work at the club, which finished third in the Russian Super League last season and won bronze medals in one of the strongest national championships in the world.
Among the called-up national players from Lokomotiv Novosibirsk are two middle blockers, one outside hitter, one opposite hitter, and one libero.
| Player | Position | Year of birth |
|---|---|---|
| Ilyas Kurkaev | Middle blocker | 1994 |
| Dmitry Lyzik | Middle blocker | 2000 |
| Omar Kurbanov | Outside hitter | 2001 |
| Ilya Kazachenkov | Opposite hitter | 2001 |
| Sergey Melkozerov | Libero | 1997 |
The five call-ups confirm Lokomotiv's position as one of the main suppliers of talent for the Russian representative team. Only champions Zenit Kazan with eight and Dynamo Moscow with seven representatives have more national players.
Of the five national players, only Ilyas Kurkaev will leave Novosibirsk in the summer, moving to Zenit Kazan. The other four will continue to be part of Plamen Konstantinov's and Andrey Zekov's project.
Despite Russia's continued absence from official FIVB and CEV tournaments, the country continues to maintain a broad group of national players who will likely be used in friendly matches and international tournaments outside the calendar of the world and European federations. The bronze medalist from the Russian Super League – Lokomotiv Novosibirsk – has a strong presence in this group. We recall that in May 2025, the Russian national teams – men and women – played friendly matches with Serbia in Belgrade. At that time, three players from Loko Novosibirsk – Kurkaev, Lyzik, and Kazachenkov – were in the men's squad.
photo: Nikolay Varadinov
