Latest International Volleyball News

[deejay_05]

Drawing of lots for 2009 FIVB Girls' Youth World Championship held in Thailand

Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, May 18, 2009 – Defending and three-time world champions China will pit their expertise against Peru, as European champions Belgium challenge Asian winners Japan on the Opening Day of the "Federbrau" 11th FIVB Girls' Youth Volleyball World Championship on July 3.

The 10-day tournament, a world-class competition featuring the Women's Under-18 players, will take place from July 3-12 at the 4,000-seater Mall Nakhon Ratchasima’s MCC Hall and the 2,500 Gymnasium 2 inside His Majesty the King’s 80th Birthday Anniversary, 5th December 2007 Sports Complex.

The drawing of lots was performed on May 18 at the Sima Thani Hotel in Nakhon Ratchasima, a province some 250km northeast of the capital Bangkok.

A large number of newspaper and TV reporters attended the ceremony, which was jointly chaired by Thailand Volleyball Association President Pongpayome Wasaphuti and Nakhon Ratchasima Deputy Governor Chanwit Watsayangkul. Also present at the draw were FIVB representative Katsumi Wakao and Arturo Arcinicga Caldero from Embassy of Peru in Thailand.

Pool A comprises hosts Thailand, Serbia, Egypt and Germany, while reigning-champions China, Turkey, African champions Tunisia and Peru will play in Pool B.

Pool C consists of two-time world champions Brazil, Italy, Dominican Republic and Slovakia, with Asian winners and two-time world champions Japan, NORCECA champions USA, NORCECA runners-up Mexico and European champions Belgium in Pool D, which is being referred to as the Group of Death.

As for the pool round-robin preliminaries, Serbia play Germany in the curtain-raiser on July 3, Egypt meet Thailand, Turkey play Tunisia, China face Peru, Italy challenge Dominican Republic, Slovakia take on Brazil, the USA face Mexico and Belgium play Japan.

TVA President Pongpayome confirmed that Thailand is now 100 percent ready to stage the prestigious competition and added he is confident the tournament will be a great success.

"We (Thailand and Nakhon Ratchasima in particular) are ready to host the top-flight competition," Pongpayome said. "I think the province has valuable experience in organizing major tournaments, including the 2007 FIVB Women’s Junior World Championship. It will be a good stamp of approval if we can make it another success."

"I dare say everything is OK in all aspects," he continued. "Although many sides still worry about the outbreak of the swine flu, I can guarantee you that we (Thailand) have excellent measures on keeping the outbreak under control, effectively and efficiently. Only a few cases were initially feared here, but have since been cleared. We also have well-trained medical teams on standby for any emergency.

"Moreover, we have tight safety measures in place for all participants during the competition. Nakhon Ratchasima's residents are looking forward to welcoming all participating teams and their families to the province," he added.

At the previous edition in Tijuana & Mexicali, Mexico two years ago, China captured their third world title after beating Turkey 3-1 in the final.

This is the second time that Thailand received the green light to host the Girls' Youth World Championship. The country staged the fifth edition in 1997 in Chiang Mai.

Following are the results of the drawing of lots:
Pool A: Thailand, Serbia, Egypt, Germany
Pool B: China, Turkey, Tunisia, Peru
Pool C: Brazil, Italy, Dominican Republic, Slovakia
Pool D: Japan, USA, Mexico, Belgium

Match schedule for the preliminaries:
Friday, July 3:
Pool A: Serbia vs. Germany, Egypt vs. Thailand,
Pool B: Turkey vs. Tunisia, China vs. Peru,
Pool C: Italy vs. Dominican Republic, Slovakia vs. Brazil,
Pool D: USA vs. Mexico, Belgium vs. Japan

Saturday, July 4:
Pool A: Germany vs. Thailand, Serbia vs. Egypt,
Pool B: Tunisia vs. Peru, Turkey vs. China,
Pool C: Dominican Republic vs. Brazil, Italy vs. Slovakia,
Pool D: Mexico vs. Japan, USA vs. Belgium

Sunday, July 5:
Pool A: Egypt vs. Germany, Thailand vs. Serbia,
Pool B: China vs. Tunisia, Peru vs. Turkey,
Pool C: Slovakia vs. Dominican Republic, Brazil vs. Italy,
Pool D: Belgium vs. Mexico, Japan vs. USA


From FIVB Website

[deejay_05]

there is an on-going Asian Youth Championships... I was able to watch Thailand vs. Germany on a sports channel where commentators are THais...

The Thai Girls were just incredible....Hanapin ko nga ang news neto...

[karpol]

Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, July 4, 2009 - With an outstanding performance, deriving especially from a classy reception, the hosts of Thailand outplayed Germany in four sets (25-23, 25-9, 20-25, 25-18) to give the local audience something to really cheer about at the Girls' Youth World Championship. The competition hall located in the Mall Convention Center was completely packed, especially with students and frenzied kids, as the Thai girls were warming up for their second match in this Championship. Germany was seeking for redemption after having been totally outclassed in yesterday’s opening with Serbia and that game was likely to play a key role in keeping alive the German hopes to make it among the top 8.

The atmosphere in the hall was definitely weird, with at least three small orchestras – with drums and traditional Thai instruments – setting the tone for the local girls in their quest for home glory. Thailand started off in great fashion, with Sureeporn Traijorhor scoring a couple of aces and pushing the German coach to ask for an immediate time-out. The Europeans quite rapidly overcame the pressure deriving from playing in front of such an amazing audience and leveled the count at 4. Profiting of such a terrific ambiance, with the people accompanying any single touch of the ball, the Thais stormed ahead again displaying their great skills in reception and well varying their offensive solutions. The final section of the set was absolutely breath-taking: Germany fought back up to 22-23, captain Sutadta secured a first set ball for Thailand, but the girls in white successfully counterattacked in the very next rally; it did not last too long until Wanitchaya – the real local star, being a native of the Nakhon Ratchasima province – spiked over the German block to finish the job at 25-23 among the deafening choirs of the Thai fans. Thailand proceeded in that marvelous run in the opening of the second set, with an incredible 6-0 break; the local girls did a stunning job especially in reception, striving for spectacular savings and prolonging all rallies in such a great way that even some senior teams might find difficult to emulate. In the third set the Germans were well aware that they had their last chance to maintain some hopes to make it to the next round and played quite aggressively up to the second technical break. Thailand slowed down a bit – that was normal after two marvelous sets – but still aimed at closing the match as quick as possible and therefore the hosts gave it all to avoid the fourth set. However, they lost the right focus in the last rallies so that Germany succeeded in prolonging the match at least up to the fourth set. The teams battled point-to-point in the fourth set until Thailand re-gained back the rhythm and enthusiasm of the first two sets to sail away up to 21-10 to get ready for the final rush and secure a berth among the top 8 teams in the world. The Thai defense was absolutely majestic and after having failed to silver 5 match balls, Guedpard put an end to the match for the final 3-1.


FIVB*

[deejay_05]

^ that was nice....galing ng setter ng thailand...yung no. 11...

thanks...

[deejay_05]

update from AVC site:

Best eight teams in second round at Youth Girls
2009-07-07 09:48:00 FromFAVC
Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, July 6, 2009 -- The more competitive contest of the 2009 Girls Youth Volleyball World Championship is set to kick off on July 7, with the top eight teams including title-hotshots Brazil pitting their expertise to vie for the world title.

At the end of the round-robin preliminaries on July 5, the eight best teams, the top two from each group, made it to the quarter-finals to be contested at the main venue inside the MCC Hall, while another lower-ranked eight teams will test their mettle at the Chalerm Phrakiart Gym.

New four groups were set up for all participating teams, with the best eight teams competing in Pool E and F. Teams finishing third and fourth places in the preliminaries will test their mettle in Pool G and H.

Pool E comprises Serbia, Brazil, Peru and Japan, while Turkey, Belgium, Thailand and Italy are in Pool F. Pool G consists of Germany, Slovakia, Tunisia and the USA, with China, Mexico, Egypt and Dominican Republic in Pool H.

From July 7 to 9, the 16 participating teams will play a single round-robin competition in their group, with only the best eight teams from the preliminaries in contention for the world crown and the remaining lower-ranked eight sides fighting for a better spot in the 9th-16th classification round.

July 6 was a rest day when most of the Control Committee members, referees, local organizers and officials spent a day off on visiting tourist attractions and came back in the evening to plan for the following day's second-round contest of the 10-day competition.

The participating teams, especially the best eight teams in contention for the prestigious world title, continued their intensive training in preparation for the much tougher competition in the next round.

On July 7, the elite eight teams kick off their second round at 3,500-seater The Mall Nakhon Ratchasima's MCC Hall, with Peru challenging Brazil and Serbia going up against Japan in Pool E. Thailand takes on Belgium and Turkey plays Italy in Pool F.

At the 2,500-seater Chalerm Pharakiart Gym, the remaining lower-ranked eight sides will start their campaign for a better place in the 9th-16th classification round.

Germany meets the USA and Tunisia takes on Slovakia in Pool G, while Egypt is pitted against Mexico and China faces Slovakia in Pool H.

Match schedule for second round

Pool E: (A1)Serbia��(C1)Brazil��(B2)Peru�� (D2)Japan

Pool F: (B1)Turkey��(D1)Belgium�� (A2)Thailand�� (C2)Italy

Pool G: (A3)Germany��(C3)Slovakia��(B4)Tunisia��(D4)USA

Pool H: (B3)China��(D3)Mexico��(A4)Egypt��(C4)Dominican Republic

July 7

At The Mall's MCC Hall

Peru vs. Brazil, Serbia vs. Japan, Thailand vs. Belgium, Turkey v Italy

At Chalerm Phrakiart Gym

Germany vs. USA, Egypt vs. Mexico, China vs. Dominican Republic, Tunisia vs. Slovakia

July 8

At The Mall's MCC Hall

Serbia vs. Peru, Japan vs. Brazil, Thailand vs. Turkey, Belgium vs. Italy

At Chalerm Phrakiart Gym

Mexico vs. Dominican Republic, USA vs. Slovakia, Germany vs. Tunisia, Egypt vs. China

July 9

At The Mall's MCC Hall

Peru vs. Japan, Turkey vs. Belgium, Italy vs. Thailand, Brazil vs. Serbia

At Chalerm Phrakiart Gym

Tunisia vs. USA, China vs. Mexico, Dominican Republic vs. Egypt, Slovakia vs. Germany

[deejay_05]

update on the World Youth Girls Championships: From the FIVB site

Brazil defeats Serbia to retain Girls Youth World Championship

Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, July 12, 2009 - Brazil defended the FIVB Girls Youth World Championship it won in Macau four years ago with a solid 3-1 (25-20, 26-24, 23-25, 25-16) victory over Serbia in a tense final on Sunday.

Both teams had extremely tough schedules at the competition, but it was all worth it to make it to the gold medal match.

In front of a sold-out arena, Serbia and Brazil were expected to put up a great duel in their re-match after the South Americans had prevailed in a terrific five-setter in the second round.

The European silver medalists were back on the court after a stellar semifinal with Belgium, and were somehow adopted by the Thai crowd, with even the local orchestra and dancers trying to set the pace for the girls in blue.

The Serbians got off to a great start, but Brazil rapidly bounced back, especially after Isabela replaced Carolina.

The Brazilian block made the difference in the second part of the set and the Serbian spikers found it difficult to find a way through. Isabela put an end to the operations at 25-20 with a killing hit the Serbian receivers could not deal with.

The South Americans also set the tone in the second set, but the Serbians were performing below their usual standards, with silly errors affecting their overall performance and the spikers not as effective as in the semifinal.

But it was not yet time to call it quits, as Serbia fought back to level at 11. But Brazil enjoyed another mini-break immediately after that, with Isabela on fire and the girls of coach Marijana Mirosavljevic guilty of too many mistakes for a World Championship final (17-12).

It looked like the Serbians were running out of fuel after the many long matches they had gone through in the tournament. However, they finally woke up and diverted a set ball for Brazil at 24-23 but a few seconds later Jovana Stevanovic could not control her lob and the set count moved to 2-0 for the "Cariocas."

The Serbians started, paradoxically, the third set with less pressure, as they had nothing left to lose and immediately took a commanding 13-3 lead that included two aces in a row for both Ana Bjelica and Sara Klisura.

The set continued with many ups and downs, with the Brazilians trying to storm back but Serbia eventually maintained a small share of that initial margin to force a fourth set with a double block from Danica Radenkovic and Maja Savic on South American star Samara (25-23).

With back-up setter Priscila Heldes replacing captain Rosane, the Brazilians strived to rediscover their good rhythm in the opening of the fourth set and succeeded in that goal with a significant contribution coming from their star Samara (16-13 at the second technical break). The "Cariocas" kept their nerves in the deciding rallies and Samara got the party started with a great spike well over the Serbian block.

In the bronze-medal match, Belgium defeated Turkey in an exciting five setter that saw them battle back from two sets down 3-2 (20-25, 24-26, 25-19, 28-26, 15-7) to medal for the first time ever at a Volleyball World Championship.

Having suffered a disappointing semifinal against Serbia and Brazil respectively, European champions Belgium and Turkey put up a fierce fight for the bronze medal.

The Belgians still had a chance to make history after their dazzling gold at the European Championships, as their country had never medaled before in any World Championships, junior or senior in both genders.

The Turks badly wanted revenge after their defeat in straight sets to Belgium in the second round, and they immediately started off in great fashion, systematically blocking Belgian captain and the tournament's Best Scorer Lise van Hecke.

The score stayed leveled until 17-17, when Turkey served and blocked strongly for a great 25-20 win.

The "Young Sultans" appeared much more motivated for this match, whereas the girls of coach Julien van de Vyver were struggling in reception as they did in their semifinal against Serbia. The final section of the set was full of tension: Belgium missed two set balls at 24-22, Selin served an ace for Turkey and after a couple of passive blocks against their captain, the Belgians committed a fault at the net.

The Turks had a kind of black-out in the opening of the third set: van Hecke & Co. sped up the tempo in the middle of the set with a series of good blocks and much more consistency in attack with Sarah Dovogja and Juliette Thevenin.

Belgium silvered the second set-ball after a stellar save from libero van Nimmen, while captain van Hecke closed it out with a powerful diagonal spike (25-19).

Belgium restarted its hunt with the right pace in the fourth set but with a sudden flurry of errors Turkey was rapidly back in the match and for the first time enjoyed a significant lead at 15-11 with a couple of winning serves from No. 13 Sibel and a mighty double block on van Hecke.

The final destiny of the match was not yet defined, as Belgium found a way to fight back and tie it at 19, but the last rallies were definitely dazzling: Turkey did not control its nerves and missed a couple of match balls, van Hecke punished the Turks and among the crazy excitement of the Thai fans, Belgium went for the tie-break.

The Turks suffered from their shock defeat in set four and in the tiebreak were no longer able to perform at their best. The fifth set was quickly over, to the deep sadness of the Turks, who had definitely missed their chance in the fourth set




Final standings:

1. Brazil

2. Serbia

3. Belgium

4. Turkey

5. Japan

6. Peru

7. Thailand

8. Italy



Best Players Awards:

MVP: Samara Rodrigues (BRA)


Best scorer: Lise van Hecke (BEL)

Best spiker: Mari Horikawa (JPN)

Best blocker: Ana Beatriz Silva Correa (BRA)

Best server: Sara Klisura (SRB)

Best setter: Danica Radenkovic (SRB)

Best libero: Aree Promjanyar (THA)

[deejay_05]

from FIVB site, Brazil are 2009 World League Champions

Brazil is 2009 World League champion


Brazil topped the 2009 World League podium for the 8th time
Belgrade, Serbia, July 26, 2009 – Brazil is the 2009 World League Champion. In a packed Beogradska Arena (22,680 spectators is the record for a sporting event at the venue) Brazil beat Serbia in a thrilling 3-2 match (22-25, 25-23, 25-22, 23-25, 15-12) on Sunday. It is Brazil’s eighth World League title, while Serbia won their fourth silver medal, second in a row. Cuba surrendered to Russia in the bronze medal match, Daniele Bagnoli’s team winning easily 3-0 (25-13, 26-24, 25-16) to earn their 12th World League medal. Brazilian libero Sergio won the 30,000 USD prize as MVP of the final.



BRAZIL – SERBIA 3-2

The block of Dragan Stankovic, Milos Nikic, Ivan Miljkovic won the first point of the match for the Serbian team. Serbia kept on rolling, taking a 5-2 lead. Owing to good serves from Giba, the Brazilian team leveled at 5-5. By the first technical timeout, Serbia enjoyed a 1-point difference. The teams traded points until the second TTO, when Serbia upped the tempo and took a 2-point advantage thanks to brilliant play from the “Blue Boys.” Miljkovic served an ace to take the biggest lead in the set. After a failed attack from Nikic, Brazil reduced the gap to only 1 point. Serbia scored the set point thanks to a fabulous smash from Miljkovic, the top scorer in the frame with 9 points on 18 attempts.

Brazil won the opening point of the second set. The teams traded points until the first TTO, Bernardo Rezende's men enjoying a 2-point difference. Brazil held the lead before the second TTO, winning a few good points despite the eagerness their opponent. Neither teams allowed the other to take the lead until 22-22, when Brazil took the initiative with 2 set points, the second of which was realized.

Brazil rushed out to a 3-0 lead in the third set and maintained it until the first TTO (8-4). Serbia coach Igor Kolakovic introduced Andrija Geric for Stankovic in an attempt to improve the block. In spite of that, Brazil led by 6 points, 12-6, and stretched the difference to 16-8 by the second TTO. After a block from Marko Podrascanin, Serbia scored 2 points in a row. Kolakovic's side managed to reduce the gap to 18-14 and with Sasa Starovic on for Miljkovic, Serbia won 2 extremely important points to close the gap to 21-17. Although they missed two set points, the Brazilians eventually secured the third set.
There wasn't any great advantage at the beginning of the fourth set, although Brazil led most of the time. After the second TTO, Serbia succeeded in taking a 2-point lead. Brazil reached the second TTO leading 16-15. The teams traded points until 21-21, when Brazil won a contentious point that was settled only after a long consultation between the referees. Two great serves from Podrascanin followed, and 2 points for Serbia were won. After a failed attack from Neves Leandro Vissoto, Serbia scored the set.

The fifth set began the same way and Brazil won the first two points. Serbia was the first to take a big advantage, 6-3, sustaining the lead to the TTO (8-5). Rezende's boys leveled at 10-10 and the match ended in favor of Brazil once again, even despite the absence of injured middle blocker Rodrigao.

“I'm so happy for this win” said Brazilian captain Giba. “This was a match with so many emotions. It's amazing to play a final in an arena with so many people. This victory is so important for this new generation. We will enjoy this victory, but we will be ready for the next competitions.”



RUSSIA – CUBA 3-0

Russia defeated a young and inexperienced Cuban team 3-0 (25-13, 26-24, 25-16) to win the World League bronze medal at Belgrade Arena on Sunday.

Russia took advantage of a nervous start by Cuba, taking a quick 5-2 lead and maintaining the advantage until the first technical timeout (8-4). Cuba head coach Orlando Samuels called for a timeout in an attempt to stabilize his team but were unable to reduce the gap and entered the second TTO down 16-10. Russia continued to add to their advantage and won the set by 12 points.

The Cubans found their rhythm in the second set and took a 5-2 difference. By the first TTO, Cuba enjoyed a 2-point advantage. Russia stayed close and leveled the score at 9-9. The teams continued playing point by point until 14-14, when Russia scored 2 points in a row for a 16-14 lead. The teams traded points and after four successful blocks in a single rally, Cuba retook the lead, 23-22, but Russia scored the set.

In the third set Cuba led at the first TTO. The game continued point by point until 11-11, when Daniele Bagnoli's boys took a 2-point advantage. By the second TTO, Russia was still ahead 16-13. The Cubans unsuccessfully tried to get back in the match and Russia won the third set to secure the bronze medal.

Russian captain Sergey Tetyukhin was pleased with the final result: “We showed team spirit, we found our game and strength after yesterday's defeat to Brazil,” he said. “We played very well. It is not easy when you are beaten in the semifinals.”



Match descriptions, press conferences and free photos for media purposes are available at www.fivb.org





FOLLOW ME

Former Italian Volleyball world champion Andrea Zorzi is in Belgrade to blog on the FIVB website with his project “Follow Me.” A click away from the FIVB homepage, “Follow Me” will track all the technical and backstage aspects of the World League Final Round with videos and articles. All the press conferences are available as well on video.





2009 WORLD LEAGUE FINAL STANDINGS

1. Brazil

2. Serbia

3. Russia

4. Cuba

5. Argentina

6. USA

7. Italy

7. Finland

9. Bulgaria

9. France

9. Netherlands

9. Poland

13. China

13. Japan

13. Korea

13. Venezuela





BEST PLAYERS (best 4 teams)

Best Spiker: Roberlandy Simon (CUBA)

Best Blocker: Roberlandy Simon (CUBA)

Best Server: Wilfredo Leon (CUBA)

Best Libero: Alexey Verbov (RUSSIA)

Best Setter: Nikola Grbic (SERBIA)

Best Scorer: Ivan Miljkovic (SERBIA)

Most Valuable Player: Sergio Dutra Santos (BRAZIL)





RESULTS AND MATCH SCHEDULE

Wednesday, July 22

Argentina – Cuba 1-3 (22-25, 25-22, 24-26, 24-26)

Serbia – USA 3-0 (25-20, 25-23, 25-22)

Thursday, July 23

Cuba – Brazil 1-3 (18-25, 25-23, 17-25, 19-25)

USA – Russia 0-3 (22-25, 22-25, 23-25)

Friday, July 24

Brazil – Argentina 3-0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-20)

Russia – Serbia 1-3 (23-25, 23-25, 25-23, 21-25)

Saturday, July 25

Semifinals

Brazil – Russia 3-0 (25-17, 25-21, 25-21)

Serbia – Cuba 3-1 (18-25, 25-13, 25-21, 27-25)

Sunday, July 26

Bronze medal match: Russia – Cuba 3-0 (25-13, 26-24, 25-16)

Gold medal match: Brazil – Serbia 3-2 (22-25, 25-23, 25-22, 23-25, 15-12)

[jodaman]

mvp ang líbero (oha?). the best server, leon, is actually only 15 years old.

[deejay_05]

From FIVB:

Challengers set to scrap in First Round of 2010 World League qualifiers


Venezuela, left, found life difficult in the 2009 World League against eventual champions Brazil
Lausanne, August 18, 2009 — The first of two rounds of qualifying for next year’s World League featuring 16 of the top Men’s National Volleyball Teams will get under way in Berlin from August 21-22, with Germany playing Mexico, and from September 4-5 in Cairo, with Egypt hosting Iran.

The four teams were recently chosen to take part in the inaugural World League qualifiers by their confederations either via direct nomination or a qualification tournament.

The winners of the two first legs will go on to challenge the bottom two teams from the 2009 World League, No. 15 Japan and No. 16 Venezuela, for the right to take part in the 2010 edition of the elite men’s tournament.

The two Second Round legs will be held from September 18-20 and be hosted by the two First Round winners.

Each leg will consist of two matches, with a 3-0 or 3-1 victory earning the winner 3 points and the loser none. A 3-2 victory will give the winner 2 points and the loser 1. Should both teams win by the same margins (for example, Team A wins 3-1 over Team B on Day 1 and the reverse happens on Day 2), the team with the better points ratio will be declared the winner.

“We think the 2010 World League is going in the direction addressed by FIVB President Jizhong Wei, which is to put the focus back on the sporting aspect of tournaments as much as possible,” said FIVB Volleyball Events Director Piero Rebaudengo. “We want to avoid wild card systems where someone is simply chosen without having to participate in matches to properly earn their spot at the World League.”

[deejay_05]

From FIVB:

Berths at Italy 2010 rapidly filling up
Lausanne, August 22, 2009 — With 10 qualifying tournaments having already been played this month and four more either under way or on their way, the team list for the 2010 FIVB Men’s World Championship in Italy is rapidly filling up.
A few short weeks ago, only three teams were confirmed to participate in the Final Round: hosts Italy and defending champions Brazil, both of which received byes to the September 24-October 10 event next year, and Puerto Rico, which was the first team to qualify in July.

Europe got the ball rolling early this month when an undefeated Russia and Germany finished 1-2 in Pool I in Tampere, Finland in a third-round qualifying tournament that ended on August 9.

Three days later in South America, Venezuela joined Brazil as one of three teams that will represent that continent at the Worlds. Venezuela beat Paraguay, Uruguay and Ecuador on home soil in Pool B. Argentina hosts the final qualifying tournament from August 28-30, where it will play Bolivia, Argentina and Chile.

On August 16, Tunisia became the first of three teams to qualify from Africa when it went unbeaten in Pool D against Algeria, Kenya and Mozambique. Egypt became the second team to qualify when it downed Nigeria on the final day of Pool C qualifying in Cairo on Friday. The third and final African representative will be determined on Sunday in Pool E in Cameroon, where the hosts, South Africa, Mauritius and Zimbabwe are competing.

The first of four teams from Asia to qualify also did so on August 16, when undefeated China and runner-up Australia advanced from Asia Pool G in Chengdu, China. The final two berths will go to the winner and runner-up from Pool H, featuring Japan, Korea, Iran and Kazakhstan, at the end of the month.

The final six European spots were also filled on August 16, with Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Poland, France, Serbia and Spain all advancing on a hectic day of Volleyball activity around the globe.

Cuba brought the curtain down on the day by becoming the second NORCECA representative to earn a spot in the Final Round. A day later, the United States joined them, leaving the three runners-up from the third-round tournaments (Dominican Republic, Mexico and Canada) and the strongest third-place finisher (Panama) to battle for the final two NORCECA berths in a Playoff Round in Mexico from August 28-30.

Qualified teams:

Brazil (defending champions)
Italy (hosts)
Puerto Rico
Russia
Germany
Venezuela
Tunisia
Egypt
China
Australia
Bulgaria
Czech Republic
Poland
France
Serbia
Spain
Cuba
USA

[castor]

Aug 1, 2009 9:48:16 GMT 8 jodaman said:

mvp ang líbero (oha?). the best server, leon, is actually only 15 years old.

grabe ang bata palang pero ang galing na!

[castor]

karpo, jodaman and deejay post naman kayo ng world rankings after the wgp. thanks!

[deejay_05]

From FIVB: about the 2010 World Championships

Japan ready to host Asian third round Pool H tournament
Komaki, Japan, 24 August 2009 – Japan is all set to host the Asian third-round Pool H qualifying tournament of the 2010 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship from August 28-30.

Japan (9th in the world ranking) will compete against Korea (18th), Iran (24th), and Kazakhstan (30th) for two tickets to next year’s World Championship in Italy.

The four teams will play a round-robin format where the top two teams will join China and Australia, which qualified in Chengdu China earlier, as representatives of Asia.

Pool H is a very tough one for the four participating teams, with each participant having a decent shot at finishing in the top 2.
Kazakhstan earned their third-round berth after scrapping past Chinese Taipei to top Asian Pool F in Taipei. Iran finished first in Pool D, while Japan and Korea received byes directly to the third round.

The hosts are tipped as one of the favorites to advance, especially when historical matchups are concerned. At the 2007 Asian Volleyball Championship, Japan beat Korea 3-1, and at the qualification tournament for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Japan grabbed another 3-1 victory over Korea.
Japan also holds the advantage over Iran, beating them 3-0 at the last Asian Senior Championship and winning 3-1 at the qualification tournament for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The last time Japan played Kazakhstan was at 15th Asian Games held in Doha, Qatar, where they won in straight sets.
Before the start of 2009 season, Tatsuya Ueta, Japan’s head coach, said “the tournament for the 2010 World Championship in Italy will be the most important event this season.” Japan’s ace spiker Yu Koshikawa also mentioned that his aim was to qualify.

After finishing the World League tournament, Japan had a camp in Hokkaido from August 1-12. Japan has been preparing for the tournament in Tokyo since August 17.

Korea is also a traditional powerhouse in Asia. Korea had better results than Japan at the 2008 Asian Cup, finishing second while Japan finished fourth. This year both Korea and Japan struggled at the World League, with Korea finishing 14th and Japan 15th among the 16 participating teams.
Since 1993, Korea has clinched three gold medals at the Asian Men’s Volleyball Championship, finishing in the top three four times (they finished fifth in 1997).

Iran is making impressive progress in recent years and may pose a big threat to Japan and Korea. They beat Japan and Korea in the Asian Cup to place the first. In the previous three Asian Men’s Volleyball Championships, Iran finished third, sixth and fifth. The Iranian team has worked very hard preparing for the third-round tournament.

Tournament Schedule:
August 28
15:00 Iran vs. Korea
18:30 Japan vs. Kazakhstan
August 29
11:30 Korea vs. Kazakhstan
14:30 Japan vs. Iran
August 30
11:30 Kazakhstan vs. Iran
14:30 Japan vs. Korea

[deejay_05]

From FIVB: about the 2010 World Championships:

Four women teams to vie for last two Asian tickets to Japan
Chia Yi, Chinese Taipei, August 25, 2009 — The last two Asian tickets to the finals of the 2010 FIVB Women’s Volleyball Championship in Japan will be decided from August 28-30 in Taipei as Kazakhstan, Korea, New Zealand and host Chinese Taipei compete in Pool E of the third round.

The four teams will play a round-robin format at Chia Yi City Gymnasium, where the top two teams will advance to Japan, following China and Thailand, which secured their berths in July in Chengdu, China after finishing 1-2 in Pool D.

Kazakhstan and New Zealand earned their third-round berths after placing first and third in Pool B during the second round, while Chinese Taipei was second in Pool C. Korea entered the third round directly.

Among the four teams, Korea and Kazakhstan are considered the teams most likely to finish in the top two, with Chinese Taipei a strong contender for third and New Zealand the outsider.

Korea has the highest world ranking among the four teams, sitting in tenth. They finished second in the Asian Women’s Cup Championship last October behind China. In the last Asian Volleyball Championship, Korea crushed Chinese Taipei in straight sets and edged Kazakhstan 3-2.

Kazakhstan is ranked 14th in the world, Chinese Taipei 21st and New Zealand 84th.
Nelly Chsherbakova took over as head coach of the Kazakhstan Women's National Team in 2008, but the team remains largely unchanged. The team is strong in attacking due to its height advantage.

“Our Women's team has no other goal than to make it to the 2010 World Championships in Japan,” said Yermek Syrlybayev, Secretary General of the Volleyball Federation of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Chinese Taipei is considered a strong threat in Pool E. The team has taken part in two World Championships. They finished 11th in 1990 and 12th in 2006. The Taiwanese girls won gold at the 2005 World Universiade in Turkey, and claimed bronze at the 2006 Doha Asian Games.

Chinese Taipei finished sixth in both the 2007 Asian Championship and the 2008 Asian Women's Cup.

New Zealand has an outside shot at advancing, and will likely be happy with gaining valuable international experience while probably not seriously troubling the other three teams.
Match Schedule:
August 28

15:00 New Zealand vs. Korea

18:30 Chinese Taipei vs. Kazakhstan
August 29
15:00 Kazakhstan vs. Korea
17:00 Chinese Taipei vs. New Zealand
August 30
15:00 Kazakhstan vs. New Zealand
17:00 Chinese Taipei vs. Korea

[bschem]

ayon sa inyong nalalaman, sino ang papasok dyan?

tanong lang ha, diba muslim country ang kazakhstan?
paano na yung suot ng palyers nila?
kase diba less skin ang dapat ipakita ng women, according to their religion..