Latest International Volleyball News

[deejay_05]

From FIVB site:

Thailand site daunting task at FIVB World Grand Champions Cup

Thailand are out to surprise during the FIVB World Grand Champions Cup in Japan
FIVB Women’s World Grand Champions Cup debutants Thailand have been floating on cloud nine after their Asian Championship victory in September but now awaits a reality check when the world ranked number 17 takes part in the 2009 edition starting on Tuesday.

Coach Kiattipong Radchatagriengkai admits that he was very impressed with how is charges performed in Vietnam and overcame traditional superpower China in the final but now he has more important things to focus on with the key end-of-year event less than four days away.

“It’s another big challenge with a very difficult mission,” Kiattipong said. “Frankly, I would like my team to beat as many teams as possible in the tournament. I dare not set any target what position my team will finish there. If possible, we want to beat every team, but it’s rather difficult to accomplish such a goal.

Thailand will compete with five other strong teams, consisting of current World Cup
winners and consecutive two-time European champions Italy and Brazil - world No.1, World Grand Prix champions, Beijing Olympic Games gold medalists and FIVB World Grand Champions Cup defending champions. Also in the fray are NORCECA champions the Dominican Republic, wildcard Korea and hosts Japan.

“I just want to keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best that my girls can regain their form and play exceptionally well as they did in Hanoi.
“Despite the fact that Thailand are now Asian champions, it’s not a guarantee that we are unbeatable. The teams competing in the FIVB World Grand Champions Cup are very strong, we, therefore, must train much harder in good preparation for the tournament.

“Korea and Dominican Republic should be the only two teams Thailand can match competitively, while it might be rather difficult to compete with Japan on their home soil. We not only play Japan, but at the same time we will battle against their supporters expected to jam pack the stadium.

“To us, Brazil and Italy are practically invincible. They are highly-experienced and skilled. They always come up with a minimum amount of mistakes. To match them is not an easy job. However, I hope we can play a good match against them regardless of win or loss.”

The first day of the FIVB Women’s World Grand Champions Cup is Tuesday.

[destroyer]

Italy upset Olympic champs in three

Fukuoka, Japan, November 14, 2009 – In the battle of the two unbeaten teams at the FIVB Women’s World Grand Champions Cup 2009, Italy disposed of an error-prone Brazil 25-21, 25-23, 25-21 at Marine Messe in Fukuoka.

Italy had three players in double figures – Serena Ortolani and Antonella Del Core both collecting 13 points, with Simona Gioli contributing 10 – while Brazil could only manage one: Sheilla Castro with 15 points.

Olympic champions Brazil edged into an early lead against the European champions, but it was hard to separate the two teams. Italy fought back and had a one-point lead at the first technical timeout. Brazilian coach Ze Roberto didn't look happy as his team fell three points behind. Errors then kept Brazil behind. But at 19-15, Sheilla finally landed a big spike and that seemed to restore Brazil's confidence. The Brazilians closed to 21-20 – largely through Sheilla – and again to 22-21 before Sheilla plunked a serve into the net to put Italy two points ahead at 23-21. Natalia failed to handle a Lucia Bosetti serve, giving the Europeans champions setpoint, and Francesca Piccinini then forced a shot through the Brazilian block to clinch the set.

After falling behind 4-1 in the second set, Ze Roberto brought in Dani Lins for setter Ana Tiemi, but a slick reverse tipover by Eleonora Lo Bianco gave Italy an 8-4 advantage at the first TTO. A neat tipover by Dani Lins brought the scores to 8-7 and the Brazilians were level when the Italians misjudged a Brazilian return that fell in. Three huge blocks – del Core on Sheilla, Ortolani on Natalia and Gioli on Adenizia – then helped Italy into a 16-10 lead. Sheilla tried to lead Brazil back with spikes, a tipover and a block. Successive spikes by Adenizia were followed by a Lo Bianco error and the two teams were level, first at 22, then at 23. Piccinini then spiked Italy to setpoint and a service by Bosetti fell into space to put Italy two sets up.

Brazil flip-flopped between doing really good things and really sloppy things at the start of the third set. Italy tracked them all the way with Ortolani in the thick of things. It was all-square at 9-9 when Del Core plunked a serve into the net to put the Brazilians in front. An ace by Adenizia and two huge raps by Natalia allowed Brazil the comfort of a three-point lead and they carried this through to the second TTO. It didn't last. Dani Lins netted a serve, Del Core spiked and the Brazilians failed to deal with a serve by Lo Bianco and it was 16-16 – then 17-17 and 18-18. It was then back to the drawing board again for Brazil as three spiking errors in four points by Natalia allowed Italy to gain a five-point advantage at 23-18. A long spike by Sheilla handed Italy matchpoint and a block by Simona Gioli on Paula gave Italy its most precious scalp of the tournament.

[destroyer]

salamat sa balls at napapanood ngayon ang grand champions cup sa japan yung nga lang delayed ang telecast he he he mula pa to noong sat until wed pa ata today according sa sky cables website ang telecast ay:

nov. 16 3:00:00 PM FIVB VOLLEYBALL WORLD
nov. 17 3:00:00 PM FIVB VOLLEYBALL WORLD
nov. 18 3:00:00 PM FIVB VOLLEYBALL WORLD

what so interesting ay natalo na italy ang brazil in 3 straight sets bilog talaga ang bola siguro at siguro medyo affected din ang brazil dahil di naglaro si Fabiana Marcelino Claudino yung middle blocker nila at im wondering kung bakit di si Danielle Lins yung ginamit na setter kundi si Ana Tiemi Takagui ito ata yung brapanese na bago rin sa line-up nila D. Lins performed well sa montreux at sa grand prix or maybe Z Guimaraes, José Roberto is just experimenting marami na rin kasing new faces sa line esp yung mga middle attackers nya at yung mga wing spikers niya sayang di rin kasi maganda performance ni paula Pequeno si s. castro lang yung consistent at yung Italy naman bumalik si Francesca Piccinini at Simona Gioli

[destroyer]

Italy claim first FIVB Women’s World Grand Champions Cup title

Fukuoka, Japan, November 15, 2009 – World number five Italy won the FIVB Women’s World Grand Champions Cup title at their first attempt after completing the 2009 five-day edition unbeaten with a four-set victory over hosts Japan in the final match of the tournament on Sunday. Final days results saw Italy beat Japan 3-1 (32-30, 25-22, 24-26, 25-18), the Dominican Republic beat Korea 3-0 (25-17, 25-18, 25-22) while Brazil beat Thailand 3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 25-18).

The Italian victory in the Marine Messe completes a stellar year for the l’Azzurri after they had already won the Mediterranean Games and the European Championships. The 2007 World Cup champions only conceded three sets all tournament in what was a consummate performance in front of full stadiums all week long and an international television audience including millions worldwide.

Awarding Ceremony Photo Gallery

Italy beat Japan 3-1 (32-30, 25-22, 24-26, 25-18)
Italy took the gold medal at the FIVB World Grand Champions Cup 2009 in a nail-biting two-hour marathon, finishing the tournament unbeaten in five matches, while Japan finished in fourth place with two victories. Once again, Italy relied on the scoring prowess of their second best scorer Francesca Piccinini who registered 18 points while Antonella Del Core and tournament MVP Simona Gioli managed 17 apiece. Erika Araki top-scored for Japan with 20 points. “We didn’t prepare very well, we were very late but then we had two very hard matches,” Italy coach Massimo Barbolini said. “I’m very proud of my team, they showed some determination to win. Some moments they didn’t play very well, but they wanted to win and for a coach it is very nice when you have a team that plays this way.”

Dominican Republic beat Korea 3-0 (25-17, 25-18, 25-22)
The Dominican Republic put themselves into bronze medal contention with a strong win over South Korea. The Dominicans 3-2 record put them ahead of Japan, who needed to beat Italy in the final match of the tournament, to claim third place on points ratio.Korea, meanwhile, ended the tournament in fifth place with one win from five matches. “We had some tough games in this tournament, but it was a really good experience for us to play against the top teams in the world,” a jubilant Dominican Republic coach Marcos Kwiek said. “We learned a lot and discovered many things we need to work on.”
“I think we played the most sets among all six teams – we played 20 sets,” Korea coach Ryu-Hao Suk said. “I think of this tournament as a kind of homework assignment. We need to work on many things, so we'll take this homework home to South Korea and practice to become a better team.”

Brazil beat Thailand 3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 25-18)
Defending champions Brazil defeated Thailand to keep alive their hopes of claiming the gold medal however, Italy’s victory confirmed Brazil for the silver. Their final placing, with one loss out of five matches, completed a run where the world number one has finished 1st in 2007, 4th in 2001 and third in 1997. “We played 45 matches this year,” Brazil coach Ze Roberto said looking ahead to the future. “We lost two and won 43. It's important for our young players to play at this international level.”
Thailand, meanwhile, were participating in their first FIVB Women’s World Grand Champions Cup and were worthy participants. Despite failing to collect a win, they won three sets and a lot of learning experience. “We learned a lot from playing one of the greatest teams in the world, it was an honour for us,” Thailand coach Kiattipong Radchatagriengkai said. “Our players tried to show their best and I'm satisfied, especially with our service. “

Final Standings: Italy (5:0), Brazil (4:1), Dom Republic (3:2), Japan (2:3), Korea (1:4), Thailand (0:5)

Source: FIVB website

[karpol]

paanong bumalik si Picci at Gioli?
si Picci naman Hindi siya nag retire at umalis ng team since she entered the NT
si Gioli pasulpotsulpot..
since 2007 naglalaro na siya sa Italy..

[jodaman]

sana e ipalabas rin nila ang men's games. ^^
i think ana tiemi never fully recovered from her nerves. ang pangit ng mga laro niya.
i thought it was mari who most had her head into the games. you could see her getting frustrated with some of her teammates. and i agree, against italy, sheilla upped her game. i thought paula was more reliable than natalia, pero on and off nga siya--sana na lang e si sassa ang ginawa nilang starter (at pati na rin si dani lins).

Nov 16, 2009 12:41:37 GMT 8 @destroyer said:

salamat sa balls at napapanood ngayon ang grand champions cup sa japan yung nga lang delayed ang telecast he he he mula pa to noong sat until wed pa ata today according sa sky cables website ang telecast ay:

nov. 16 3:00:00 PM FIVB VOLLEYBALL WORLD
nov. 17 3:00:00 PM FIVB VOLLEYBALL WORLD
nov. 18 3:00:00 PM FIVB VOLLEYBALL WORLD

what so interesting ay natalo na italy ang brazil in 3 straight sets bilog talaga ang bola siguro at siguro medyo affected din ang brazil dahil di naglaro si Fabiana Marcelino Claudino yung middle blocker nila at im wondering kung bakit di si Danielle Lins yung ginamit na setter kundi si Ana Tiemi Takagui ito ata yung brapanese na bago rin sa line-up nila D. Lins performed well sa montreux at sa grand prix or maybe Z Guimaraes, José Roberto is just experimenting marami na rin kasing new faces sa line esp yung mga middle attackers nya at yung mga wing spikers niya sayang di rin kasi maganda performance ni paula Pequeno si s. castro lang yung consistent at yung Italy naman bumalik si Francesca Piccinini at Simona Gioli

[jodaman]

yes, i don't think they were ever out of the national pool. the coach is quite fond of shuffling his players, lalo na noong montreux--sila ortolani at arrighetti lang yata ang nandoon na carry-over sa grand champions' cup.
sa tingin ko ay next tournament ay mawawala si barazza, at ang papalit ay si guiggi. tapos baka pati sila aguero at croce ay ipalit. or maybe even ferretti and rinieri.
'nga pala, karpol, kirillova has replaced feng kun in novara. if i were the coach, i'd keep both of them.

Nov 16, 2009 17:34:42 GMT 8 karpol said:

paanong bumalik si Picci at Gioli?
si Picci naman Hindi siya nag retire at umalis ng team since she entered the NT
si Gioli pasulpotsulpot..
since 2007 naglalaro na siya sa Italy..

[deejay_05]

From FIVB site:

Brazil capture third FIVB Men’s World Grand Champions Cup title

Brazil added the 2009 title to their FIVB men's World Grand Champions Cup triumphs in 1997 and 2005
Nagoya, Japan, November 23, 2009 – World champions Brazil successfully defended their FIVB Men’s World Grand Champions Cup title amongst jubilant scenes in the Nippongaishi Hall after Brazil beat Japan in the final match on Monday. A full house gave Brazil the perfect reception after the world number one finished the tournament unbeaten with five wins from five with Cuba, four wins and one defeat, and Japan, three wins and two defeats, claiming silver and bronze medals respectively.

The FIVB Men’s World Grand Champions Cup 2009 win follows Brazil’s earlier triumphs in 2005 and 1997 and adds another FIVB tournament to an impressive trophy collection, which includes the 2009 World League, 2007 World Cup and the 2006 World Championship titles. Cuba’s silver medal was their second-best finish in the tournament after a title triumph in 2001 while Japan recorded their best result in the tournament, which features the continental champions and a wild card entry, by claiming their first medal in an FIVB event for 32 years, since taking silver at the 1977 World Cup.

Award Ceremony Photo Gallery

Cuba beat Iran 3-1 (25-14, 25-22, 15-25, 25-15)
Cuba impressively beat Iran in the first match of the final day of competition but the NORCECA champions had to work hard to hold off a determined Iran side to end the six-team inter-continental championship with a 4-1 record. Iran closed at 1-4, having started the tournament with a spectacular 3-2 victory over Egypt. “We could have won more easily, but this was a good match for us,” Wilfredo Leon said. “I have had a very good experience during this tournament and I can now get ready for the next World Championship.”

Poland beat Egypt 3-0 (25-19, 25-18, 25-19)
Poland saved their best for last and beat Egypt in the second match of the final day. The European champions showed flashes of brilliance in a consistent and determined display to sweep the African champions and end the tournament in fourth position with a respectable 2-3 record. Egypt finished winless at 0-5. “I am very happy that we finished this tournament with another win,” captain Michal Bakiewicz said. “After yesterday, we played quite secure and it is very important for us because we started the tournament quite badly.”

Brazil beat Japan 3-0 (25-12, 26-24, 25-22)
Brazil clinched their third FIVB World Grand Champions Cup by sweeping Japan in the last match of the tournament to finish with a perfect 5-0 record. The South American champions showed Japan who was boss in a comprehensive victory. Japan finished the week at 3-2, good enough to take the bronze medal behind Cuba. “In the tournament as a whole we had our ups and downs but when we needed to be stable in the big matches we played better,” Brazil coach Bernardinho said. “That is the most important thing. Right now we are going to party tonight but from tomorrow I must start thinking how to build a stronger team for next year’s World League and World Championship.”

Final Standings: 1) Brazil, 2) Cuba, 3) Japan, 4) Poland, 5) Iran, 6) Egypt

Awards: MVP – R. Simon (CUB), Best Scorer: K. Shimizu (JPN), Best Spiker: R. Simon (CUB), Best Blocker: R. Simon (CUB), Best Setter: Bruno (BRA), Best Libero: Sergio (BRA)

[deejay_05]

Also from FIVB site:

"Sling-shot" Shimizu eyes improvement after topping Best Scorer rankings

Kunihiro Shimizu was a key player for Japan as the hosts claimed their first FIVB medal in 32 years
Nagoya, Japan, November 24, 2009 - It was the legendary Muhammad Ali who described his fighting form as “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee”, one style that looks very similar to that of Japan’s Kunihiro Shimizu, the scoring king of the 2009 FIVB Men’s World Grand Champions Cup.

The lefthander attacker literally put in practice the words of the boxing legend as he repeatedly punished the opposition with thundering spikes while executing an impressive daily show of levitation throughout the competition where his team claimed an unprecedented bronze medal.

FIVB Men's World Grand Champions Cup Best Scorer rankings

Shimizu compiled 89 points for the tournament (17.8 per game), which were 15 more than his nearest competitors - teammate Tatsuya Fukuzawa and Cuban captain Roberlandy Simon who both finished with 74.

Piling up points is nothing new for the 23 year-old Shimizu who totaled 146 in eight games (18.25) during this year’s FIVB World League, including a personal high 27 against Bulgaria.

In the Men’s World Grand Champions Cup, he was particularly effective in the match against Iran, a replay of the Asian Tournament Finals of one month earlier in the Philippines. The graduate of Physical Education from Tokai University recorded 25 points (the second highest match contribution in the tournament behind’s Poland’s Jakub Jarosz who scored 27, also against Iran) to lead the five-set victory of his side.

“I thought he was a great player in Asia but after watching what he has done against opponents from other parts of the world, I have to say that he is one of the best players in the world,” commented Hossein Maadani, the coach of Iran.

His own coach Tatsuya Ueta is very proud of the goals achieved by his player in a very short period with the national team. “Shimizu possesses a good fighting spirit and physical power,” comments Ueda. “He is very strong and has one of the fastest swings I’ve ever seen. Because of that quality he can change the direction of the ball all of a sudden and either hit a straight one or a cross court.”

With a long future ahead of him, the coach considers Shimizu is far from being a complete player. “He still needs to be polished and one of the aspects he has to improve is the high spike, especially the angle. That’s something I keep telling to him and he is working on it.”

Shimizu, of 1.92 meters and almost 100 kilos, doesn’t consider himself the final product yet while he is immersed in a consolidation process he is content to describe. “I have been working very hard under the guidance of a trainer to increase my strength and to have more power in my serves and spikes. Because I am left-handed my ball has a lot of backspin and it is difficult to receive my serves which are also heavy.”
He confesses to be an admirer of Brazilian Andre Nascimento who recently retired from the successful Brazilian national scene. “I respect him a lot and watched him winning the gold medal in Athens and more recently the silver in Beijing,” he says. “He plays opposite like me and is also a left-hander. That is the reason I admire him.”

If Shimizu can be half the player of Nascimento, a long future in the beautiful game of Volleyball awaits,

[minduser]

Nagpapakita na pala ang studio 23 na WOMEN'S GRAND CHAMPIONS CUP. Pinakita kanina ITALY defeated South Korea 3-2. Brazil defeated Japan 3-1.

[phoenix23]

observation lang la salle plays like a brazil team everyone is attacking
and blocking?

[karpol]

hindi kita gets(mahina IQ ko)
sige post mo observation mo sa napanood mo....hihimayin natin

[phoenix23]

parang ganito
sa blocking both team use offensive blocking
sa scoring everyone can contribute outside hitters
middle hitters pati utility spiker

[it'sliverloverbhoy]

anlalake nila waah!! isipin mo buong team mo sin laki o mas malaki pa kay ging balse at kapantay o mas lagpas pa sa athleticism nya..nyahaha.. pano na lang tayo nyan

hindi ko naappreciate masyado ang game at mashado ako nadistract sa ka cute-an ni no.10kim bwehehe

[deejay_05]

ang galing ni Mari at Pequeno ng Brazil...si Mari, palaging game face... di gaano ko nakikitang ngumiti...

galing ng setter ng Japan, si Take-sh-ita (ba yun?)...