www.teamusa.org/USA-Volleyball/Features/...7/MJNTT-Announcement ]]>
The U.S. Women's National Team moved one step closer to 2016 Olympic Games qualification by knocking off Puerto Rico 25-14, 24-26, 25-12, 25-14 Friday evening on day two of the NORCECA Olympic Qualification Tournament at the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Neb.
The USA will face Dominican Republic (2-0) in the final match of the tournament with the winner earning NORCECA’s bid into the 2016 Olympic Games. The match will be aired lived on NBC Sports starting at 9 p.m. ET. Puerto Rico (0-2) finishes the tournament with an all-important match against Canada (0-2) on Saturday to stay alive in the last chance Olympic qualifiers in May available to the second- and third-place teams in the four-team round-robin standings.]]>
Gold Medal Squared Coaching Clinic This Fall
Husky Volleyball will be hosting a Gold Medal Squared coaching clinic in November, 2015. Signups are open, hit the “Click here for more info” to sign up (and for more info!)
Dates: 11/20-11/22 (Friday night – Sunday)
Hours: Friday 6p-9p, Saturday 8:30a-6p, Sunday 8:30a-3p
Location: 30 Baker Hollow Road; Windsor, CT 06095
Clinicians: Mike Wall and Tom Melton (more info)
Topics: TBD but will include, Motor Learning, Forearm Passing, “Teaching the Fundamental Skills”, Defensive systems, Offensive Systems, Training Our Setters, Small Group Drills and Scoring, 6v6 Drills and Scoring, and more!
$399 per coach ($375 if you register/pay by 10/21/15), $349 for additional coaches from the same program.
Group Pricing: Bring 5 coaches and a 6th coach attends free.
NEW VOLLEYBALL COACHES – If your total coaching experience is less than two years you may qualify for a significant discount. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for details.
High school coaches that are using the GMS “repeat promo” should also email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to confirm your eligibility and pricing.Note: We honor one promo category per group. We do not combine promotions.
What to Expect?
First off, you can expect to have easy access to some of the most legendary volleyball minds in our countries history. The GMS staff is eager to invest in your development as a coach.
GMS clinics involve both on court and classroom sessions. Participating in the on court activities is 100% optional. For those of you who aren’t playing, we will have coaches and whiteboards set up so you can follow along, ask questions, score drills etc (you will still be engaged in what’s going on). For those of you who do play, you can expect a wide range of ability and experience. We welcome coaches that are brand new to the game!
By the end of the weekend, you can expect to have an enormous amount of new, innovative information. However, the education doesn’t stop once the clinic ends. The GMS staff is available year round to help you and your program build a solid foundation.
Register for the Gold Medal Squared Coaching clinic below, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions.]]>
The US women are in a pool with Canada, Cuba and Costa Rica. The pool winner gets a bye to the semifinals. The other pool consists of the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Mexic and Trinidad & Tobago.
www.teamusa.org/USA-Volleyball/Features/...Heading-into-NORCECA ]]>
Saturday 12/13/2014 6:30 PM Division I Women's Volleyball Minneapolis Regional Final - Texas (2) vs. North Carolina (7) ESPNU Live
Saturday 12/13/2014 9:00 PM Division I Women's Volleyball Ames Regional Final - Stanford (1) vs. Florida ( 8 ) ESPNU Live
Saturday 12/13/2014 11:30 PM Division I Women's Volleyball Seattle Regional Final - Brigham Young vs. Nebraska (14) ESPNU Live
Thursday 12/18/2014 7:00 PM Division I Women's Volleyball Semifinal # 1 - Brigham Young vs. Texas (2) ESPN2 Live
Thursday 12/18/2014 9:30 PM (approx.) Division I Women's Volleyball Semifinal # 2 - Penn State (5) vs. Stanford (1) ESPN2 Live
Saturday 12/20/2014 7:30 PM Division I Women's Volleyball Final - TEAMS TBD ESPN2 Live]]>
"AJ Nally remembers the exact conversation where he decided his future path.
He was still in school at McQuaid and he was trying to figure out where he could continue playing volleyball at the collegiate level.
"We were talking about options and whether I should walk on somewhere or go to a DIII (NCAA Division III) program where I had the ability to start sooner rather than later,"said Nally, 26, a 2006 McQuaid graduate and Brighton native. "I wanted to get some playing time and really enjoy the college experience.
"I looked at my dad and I said, 'It's not like I am going to play professionally. Why don't I just go to Springfield? They have everything I want, the major, the location, the coaching. Why don't I just go there?' I still laugh looking back on that eight years ago."
Nally can certainly laugh now, because after graduating from Division III Springfield College as the national player of the year in 2010, he has spent the past four years playing professionally overseas. His play has garnered the attention of coaches for USA Volleyball and now he is in camp with them in Anaheim, Calif. He went through a tryout camp in April. And since May 5, Nally has been a member of the national team.
Eighteen players were selected for the FIVB World League roster. Nally was not among them, but he hopes to put himself in a position to compete in future international competition.
"I take a lot of inspiration from players like (Buffalo Bills running back) Fred Jackson or a bunch of other guys who came from DIII programs," Nally said. "It just shows you how you have to work hard to get that opportunity. You also have to seize that opportunity. It's been a fun ride, for sure."
Nally, who has played professionally in the Netherlands, England, France, and Germany, is making the transition from outside hitter to libero during this training period. Libero is concerned with defense and serve-receive.
"He's a good outside hitter and he's going to play professionally overseas as an outside hitter, but in our gym, he's not going to be big enough or strong enough to be an outside hitter," said Team USA consulting coach Ron Larsen, who worked as an assistant for the 2008 and 2012 Olympic teams. "This is really a good move for him with his skill set."
At 6-foot-5, Nally has good height for the position, and he also has good quickness.
"I think he will be able to pass the ball at a high level with some more time," Larsen said. "He's really good at working on his deficiencies and trying to get rid of any technical flaws that he has."
Right now, Nally is fourth on the depth chart among liberos. He notes that, "I'm being patient this summer." But while he is practicing patience, he is quick to note that he realizes how fortunate he is to be in this position.
"I reflect on it daily, if not hourly, what had to happen, how lucky I had to get, and how fortunate I am to be here," he said. "So many people had to sacrifice for me to get here."
"For me, it's been the Olympics. It's the thing that drives me and motivates me every day. It was a far-flung goal when I started, and when I graduated from Springfield and went overseas, but in the back of my mind, that's something that pushed me through. That USA jersey with 'Nally' on the back is what drives me every day."
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it."]]>
Now as far as the financials are concerned for this team, you're right it's an expensive endeavor and even more so with the roster I was lucky enough to snag. However I am pleased to inform you all you have no reason to gripe. 80-90% of the funds were found through sponsorships and donations that my family and I, along with John Hughes, hunted down as well as players on that decorated roster. So we are not taking money away from the kids in the region we figured out a budget and went after donations and sponsorships to cover that budget. It's that simple. Hard work pays off and we successfully funded a stacked 15 player roster with the help of subsidized hotels through usav etc.
Lastly, life is about competing. You compete at work you compete in life you compete in athletics. I LOVE to compete. I wanted WEVA to have a chance to compete with the big dogs at pvl while also representing my hometown region proudly. Win or lose WEVA will be represented by some of the hardest working, most competitive, athletic, humble, and successful players ever to play the game within US borders. What better way to grow the game is there than to have some of the best want to wear our WEVA logo on a national stage while also managing to collectively plan and give back to the region we represent.
The final point I will make, if PVL were to function as a real legitimate professional league like ANY professional men’s or women’s league,say the WPSL (women's soccer)for example, 95% of the players on any team, any city, any location WOULD NOT be from that city originally. Similar to the WNY Flash having a hometown player wanting to give back to her stomping grounds (Abby Wambach), they find businesses who are on board with that agenda and load the roster with national talents. Now as a WNYer you typically are a soccer fan but the Flash would not be a fun team to go watch and root for if it ONLY had players from WNY. The reason soccer is growing is because people want to see the best players in the world and meet them/train with them. I personally don't see a problem with this philosophy because if PVL is successful in any way, the kids playing juniors now will have a place to play after college in their own country and potentially own hometown. I will probably never have that full opportunity, playing abroad is my only full time professional option. It's not easy being thousands of miles away from everyone you wish could see you play and be a part of your career for 8-9 months. I promise you one thing, the best coaches I had from WEVA (including my mother) taught me one (among many things) major thing....always give back and pay it forward to the next generation because that's the best way to grow/share/build your love of this game. I have lived and will always try to live by that saying for the majority of my career as a player and one day as a college coach as well.
Now on another note since PVL recently wrapped up in Phoenix and WEVA was crowned National Champions, I wanted to add an addendum.
Reflecting back on the PVL National Championships held in Phoenix, Memorial Day weekend, I am beyond proud of WEVA. I know previously there were bountiful amounts of questions about this roster, where the money was coming from, how this helps WEVA's juniors...etc. I hope in the above portion of the post I answered all of these questions and things are clear.
After answering all of the questions I simply want to end this post with how PROUD I am of all the efforts that went into this event from the WEVA staff personnel side as well as the entire roster of players. Not only did WEVA walk away with a win (drawing positive attention back to our region on numerous levels) but we attracted attention from other teams (fully funded sponsored teams) TOP PLAYERS who want to join our team for next year. Our team represented the bonds that can be built through this sport, the excitement high level players can bring to the game and each other as well as the passion still exuded by players even after their professional careers abroad have ended.
Half of our team is still pursuing professional seasons abroad, while the other half (for many different reasons) have decided overseas life is done for them. This tournament not only allowed current professionals to train, play and compete with the best, but more importantly allowed those who have walked away from competing abroad to come back to the game they love and feel that inspiration, excitement and competitiveness once more. I know the biggest question is how does this help the juniors in our area and to that I simply say, don't you want your kids/players to have a chance to compete after college within our own countries borders. If PVL survives and keeps drawing as much attention from USAV and international organizations that could be a reality. Besides bringing players from the reigning champions of the Premier Volleyball League back to the WEVA region to share their experiences, knowledge and talents...we're working equally as hard to create and maintain opportunities for volleyball to exist post-college within the United States.
Lastly, HUGE HUGE thank you's must be shared publicly for all their help in this endeavor....Cindy D'Errico for becoming the PVL coordinator and sharing my vision for this team and leagues growth. Your work is always unparalleled and I'm never quite sure how you manage to pull it all off. John Hughes, for supporting this entire idea from last summer through to this summer and allowing me to PROUDLY wear the WEVA logo on my chest again, along with my many incredible friends (both on and off the court). David D'Errico for manning the camera at the event and just being the best silent manager we could ask for
. Lindsey Schlegel for being an understanding, compromising and well adjusted assistant coach to this high level group of players. Matt Glover for stepping up and taking this opportunity to coach this bunch to a National Championship. You worked with the best of the best and managed to keep us all together with a lot of competitive type A personalities so thank you times a million. AND LASTLY, to ALL of our sponsors, small and large...we would not have been able to make the trip at all without all of your support both emotionally and monetarily, THANK YOU.]]>did find our world league roster, Matt Anderson is there.
https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Volleyball/F ... gue-Roster
& an AJ Nally web site: https://ajnally.splashthat.com/ ]]>
https://www.spike-town.com/ ]]>
https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Volleyball/F ... ining-Team
USA Volleyball has announced the 21-player roster for the 2014 U.S. Men’s Junior National Training Team (MJNTT).
The team will be cut down to 12 before competing at the NORCECA Under-21 Continental Championship on July 28-Aug. 3 in El Salvador. The team will begin training together on July 13 at the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, N.Y.
“There are so many different ways we can put together this team,†said Men’s Junior Team Head Coach Bill Ferguson. “It will be very difficult (to make any cuts).â€
Seven members of the MJNTT played on the 2013 U.S. Boys’ Youth National Team that competed in the FIVB World Championship: setters Christy Blough (Ontario, N.Y.), Soren Dion-Kindem (Agoura Hills, Calif.) and Curtis Stallings (Chesapeake, Va.); outside hitter Jacob Arnitz (Yorba Linda, Calif.); middle blocker Matt Walsh (Chicago, Ill.) and liberos Kyle Dagostino (Tampa, Fla.) and Evan Enriques (Pahala, Hawaii).]]>
I hesitated at that moment, because as a younger coach/man, I often thought that was true. ...but this conversation made me think a bit more & I realized that that statement wasn't exactly true.
I have had many players care just as much or more than I do as a coach. ...but rarely have had a team like that (truth is, tho, I have had a few teams like that where the core of the team were in it for excellence & boy were those squads a joy to coach).
I think that is where the conversation started. When you look at the effort you see in practice, the effort you see during matches, the effort you see out of practice, or the effort you see during rest moments when players/coaches could be scouting and/or learning from the opposition. You notice those who do what April calls "discipline," and those who don't. ...and you wish all your athletes were like that. Yet, you know, intellectually that self determinism is key (after all you devour the current literature on learning).
Still when someone actually blogs their thoughts from the athlete's perspective like April, you say, "Aha, Nice job." Enjoy.
https://www.volleywood.net/volleyball-fe ... pril-ross/
Discipline by April Ross
“You either suffer the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. Pick a side.†-Jim Rohn (modified)
This topic is a passionate one for me. The first definition of self-discipline I came across said it’s an act of denying yourself. But I’ve also heard of it described as essential to freedom. Counterintuitive for sure, but I totally believe these definitions are the same. Growing and becoming better at anything, being proud of yourself, and therefore authentically confident, is only attainable through denying yourself what you know you should. If you are authentically confident in your capabilities, whether it be life, or sport, or business, I believe, in a sense, you are free. Freedom from self-criticism and self-doubt is very liberating, but it’s hard, extremely hard to earn. I’ve had varying degrees of self-discipline throughout my career, but I’m pretty sure I never even understood, truly, what self-discipline looked like or, more importantly, felt like before I began playing beach volleyball.
Playing indoor for a gazillion years (at least that’s what it felt like) DID NOT show me the need for an individual to have self-discipline. My fate was in another’s hands. I was told when to practice (even if I felt too beat up for it to be productive), what to wear (even if it wasn’t comfortable), to lift exactly the same as everyone else on my team (even if I had specific weaknesses I felt needed work), and then, weirdly enough, given total freedom to eat where ever and whatever I wanted. So, where I would have loved to have some control I was given none and in the area where I really didn’t earn or deserve my freedom I was given it overwhelmingly. My theory is that because I had all these authority figures and experts telling me what I should do, I was never really accountable for my own self-discipline. In my mind, if I was being given the freedom to eat where ever I wanted by the same people who controlled every other part of my (athletic) life, I could afford to revel in that liberty. Bring on Del Taco at 3 in the morning, Jamba Juice on top of lunch (because it’s fruit, it’s healthy!), and pints of ice cream to reward myself for studying- cut to me gaining the freshman twenty-five. And I’m not blaming anyone for this lack of self-discipline, it’s a symptom of the system, I just wish I had realized it then and seen how much better I could have been if I took it upon myself to control what I could control.
Make no mistake, I gave 150% at practice and in the weight room, I bought into the team and wanted to win, but at the same time, in the weight room there was no real drive to get as strong as I could get or do anything extra (despite my twenty-five pound weight gain), it was more like, “I’m going to do what my weight coach put on that paper and do it the best I can.†Same with practice, I went hard everyday and pushed myself and my teammates to be the best we could be, but to be honest, my motivation a lot of the time was, “let’s go hard so we can accomplish the goal of this drill and get out of here.†I never got to work on anything I felt needed work, it was always drills generalized for the team or the outside hitters as a whole. My fate just wasn’t in my hands, the only thing I could really control in the gym was my effort level, which, like I said I always kept as high as I could. Obviously this worked well, we went on to make it to three Final Fours, and win two National Championships, going undefeated during our second run, so I’m not arguing that the system should have been or should be different, just that it doesn’t foster a true sense of self-discipline. I’ve had a lot of time to think since my days of indoor and I feel a twinge of regret knowing that had I possessed more self-discipline I could have been better throughout my four years at USC and three years of playing in Puerto Rico professionally. This twinge of regret is heavily overshadowed, of course, by the success I encountered, but I still wonder…
As I mentioned, my discovery of self-discipline came after switching to beach volleyball. This was the first time in my life (athletically speaking) I was given full control of my own destiny. When I started on the beach with Keao (my former USC teammate) we were in charge of when we practiced, when, if, and how we would workout/lift, who would coach us, what tournaments we would go to, how we would get there, where we would stay, what we would eat, etc. It was an awkward time, as all growing stages are. I didn’t understand the amount of self-motivation and self-drive it took to be as self-disciplined as I needed to be in order to manufacture success. We didn’t hire a coach, our practices, therefore, were half-hearted or at best unproductive. I can’t even remember how I worked out at that point, IF I even worked out at all…. We didn’t prepare for tournaments, we just showed up, and got knocked down. Then we partied, flew home, recovered there for a day, which scrapped a practice, and tried to revamp for the next tournament where we would do it all over again. There were a few tournaments where we did okay, but I KNOW had we used more discipline in our preparation, practices, and planning we could have been MUCH more successful. To be honest, I didn’t have a lot of expectations for that initial season, I didn’t take it all that seriously, and just wanted to have fun, but at the same time I’m super competitive and was upset we didn’t do better, all in all it was a HUGE learning experience. When I decided after that season I wanted to make a real go at professional beach volleyball I looked back at all the mistakes I had made that previous year and became determined not to repeat them and THAT is where my sense of true self-discipline started.
“The secret in life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.†-Paulo Coelho, from one of my favorite books, The Alchemist.
From that point of enlightenment I have been cognizant about doing everything I can to help myself succeed. That meant, unfortunately, splitting up with Keao, because we were both newbies and couldn’t help each other get better like we needed, it was painful, but the right decision. For me, it meant giving up an indoor season in the winter and the paycheck that went with it to stay in California and train full time. Sacrifice is the sister of self-discipline. In that time between my first “learning†season and my second season (when I paired up with Jen Kessy) I made some life changes- I ended a relationship, I decided to stop drinking, and went on a strict healthy eating plan. I hired a strength coach and subjected myself to double days on the beach. Taking accountability for myself caused my motivation and drive to rise accordingly. This did not happen over night. I made really tough decisions and had to have really hard conversations with people to put myself in a position to succeed. I had to have really honest discussions with myself. And even harder than all that was learning to make the tiny choices day in and day out that add up over time and make ALL the difference. I think this is a huge lesson for people to learn, not just athletes, but my point is, had I not been given the responsibility of my own destiny through beach volleyball, I don’t think I would know the importance of or have the understanding of self-discipline, motivation, and drive that I have today. It has been a wonderful, though at times, painful learning curve and I know it’s not done yet, I have A LOT of learning, growing, and improving left to do. Life IS a learning process and I’m STILL working on being more disciplined- mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.†-Colin Powell.
I write this for two reasons, one, so that maybe those playing indoor in college or juniors will see that if they take the “controllables†into their own hands, they can, in some cases, drastically influence their future chances of success. And two, for any aspiring beach volleyball players, so that they know it’s not a picnic out here. You have to fight, and grovel, and outwork others to have any chance of success on the beach, but more than anything you have to be accountable for yourself. It’s all up to you, no excuses, set yourself free.
april ross beach volleyball player blog1 Discipline By April Ross
Click here to visit April’s official blog site.]]>
https://championshipbasketballschool.com ... ning-ugly/
Training Ugly: Great Practice isn’t Made for YouTube
This post is inspired by a recent blog by my friend, John Kessel, my trip to the USAV training facility, and the two hour YouTube binge I just had. Enjoy.
Do a quick YouTube search for “basketball skill training†and you’ll find about a million different videos of various drills promising to take your game to the next level. The videos show endless hours of instructors and players dribbling through cones, stationary ball handling, and tennis balls FOR DAYS. I wish I could post some links, but I’m not trying to start any fights here.
These tricks and fancy drills are what the majority of coaches use to market their camps, training programs, and their vision of what it takes to be great.
People absolutely eat it up.
My favorite was a 5 min training montage of a guy running through a series of tricks, absolutely none of which even closely resembled anything that happens in an actual game. At one point he spent a minute throwing balls behind his back, from half court, at the backboard (he did hit it every time, which was impressive). The video had 50,000+ views and the comments were full of parents and players begging to be trained by him.
John Kessel talks about a similar phenomena in volleyball. Here he talks about all of the “drills†you see online and how they are made to look nice and organized, but have absolutely no grounds in the actual science of motor learning.
In one of my favorite blog posts ever, Bebo CEO, Shaan Puri explains:
“The movies show our heroes having a clear vision, a great plan and of course a 2-minute montage where they put in the hard work necessary for success.
However, we are not visionaries or grand strategists working towards inevitable success.
In reality, we are just a bunch of stumbling fools. Puddle splashers & toe stubbers. We thrash our way to success…and that’s exactly how it’s supposed to be.
If the movies and magazines wanted to accurately depict the “road to success†– they’d see a bunch of dead ends, confusion, and irrational determination.â€
Like the movie montage, these made-for-YouTube training techniques look great but paint the wrong picture. The truth is they have literally NO resemblance to what the real process of development looks like. It seems as though the better they look, the farther they skew from the actual science of learning and development (I’ve yet to see any research that shows that being able to dribble a tennis ball transfers to any actual basketball skill). By spending time working on these tricks, kids get better at doing the tricks and not at what really matters: performing in an actual game.
Decades of science and motor learning research have shown the best and most effective learning happens when practice:
Is random, not blocked.
Teaches the whole skill, not just part.
Is game specific.
In short, the more closely your practice resembles the actual game, the more of it transfers to a game.
For more on the science of motor learning watch this video.
The problem here is that this type of practice goes against most “traditions†and will make the coach feel like things are out of their control. The chaos, confusion and randomness of a game specific practice can get ugly, and coaches don’t like ugly. This fear of training ugly often drives us to doing things in practice that are structured, controlled, and look nice, as opposed to following the science that points to a better way to develop athletes.
(Needless to say this type of practice isn’t exactly designed to optimize YouTube viewership either).
While I was in California with the USAV coaching staff, one of their key points was the notion of training ugly. They go out of their way to design their practice to be as game-like as possible, to stretch players outside of their comfort zones where they make more mistakes, and ugliness ensues. As huge proponents of growth mindset, the staff realizes that the mistakes and chaos are not reflections of poor coaching or unskilled players, but happen in exactly the type of environment where real learning and development take place.
If I would have filmed a few of their practice sessions you wouldn’t have seen them working on any fancy ball handling tricks or performing highly elaborate drills. They simply put their players in various game-like situations, focused on their teaching points, and let the game teach the game. It was amazing to see.
The bottom line is this:
Players – If you really want to get better it’s not about being alone in a gym learning tricks. First – understand what it means to have a growth mindset. Then – spend as much time as possible playing in game-like situations against people that are bigger, better, and stronger than you. Get your***kicked repeatedly and make a ton of mistakes. Embrace the mistakes, learn from them, and eventually you’ll grow.
Coaches – Rather than spending time dreaming up pretty drills and fancy tricks. Figure out how to create a growth mindset mentality within your team. Then think about ways to make your practices as game-like as possible, and how you can maximize the time and reps that your players get in these situations.
If you want to be great find ways to train ugly.
If you want to be a YouTube sensation learn tricks.
Tricks are not skills and being able to do them will not make you a better player.]]>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TU9_iYb5f9s
https://responsible-sports.libertymutua ... mpaign=vid ]]>
https://www.fivb.org/EN/Programmes/educational/moves.asp ]]>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOsI2TbEPeE#t=261 ]]>
Call (585-475-5295) or email ( [email protected] ) with any questions. Thanks!]]>
BJ says:
February 11, 2014 at 11:48 am
Terry Liskevich coached the 1996 USA Women to Olympic Silver in volleyball. He told a group of us that of the 16 players who trained for the final Olympic team, 12 were multiple sport athletes IN COLLEGE. The other four didn’t make the team. We asked, were they good because they played multiple sports, or did they play multiple sports because they were good?
It’s not that simple; he said they work together. You play more sports because you’re a good athlete (as a kid) and you get better as an athlete because you play multiple sports all along.
Seems simple to me.]]>
Toronto (May31-June1) York University
Tait Mckenzie Centre
York University – Keele Campus
Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada
https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.c ... oronto-on/
CLINICIANS
Russ Rose – Penn State University – 5 NCAA National Championships
John Dunning - Stanford University – 4 NCAA National Championships
Terry Liskevych – Oregon State University – Former USA National Team Coach 1985 – 1996
CLINIC SCHEDULE
Saturday
8:00am Check In
8:30am Clinic Begins
12:30pm Lunch Provided
1:15pm Clinic Resumes
5:45pm Clinic Ends for the Night
Sunday
8:00am Clinic Begins
1:30pm Clinic Ends]]>
One is on Carol Dweck's Mindset https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5ZBItSb7jw
& the other is on Top Dog: the science of winning and losing by Ashley Merryman and Po Bronson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5hcVYz5eyU ]]>
https://www.justsportscamps.com/urvolle ... ister.html
Contact head volleyball coach Ladi Iya, 275-9461, with any questions.
Wherever a human being exists, there is an opportunity to do a kindness. -Seneca]]>
https://www.volleywood.net/volleyball-fe ... -anderson/ ]]>
https://www.justsportscamps.com/urvolle ... ister.html
Contact head volleyball coach Ladi Iya, 275-9461, with any questions.
Wherever a human being exists, there is an opportunity to do a kindness. -Seneca]]>
Unfortunately, this past year has not been kind to him and his family, as he nearly lost his life and did lose his leg in a home accident.
This weekend, there is a benefit taking place at Hot Shots to help his family with the medical bills.
https://www.hotshotsvball.com/
Hello Everyone! This is just a friendly reminder that Doug Kleuber's Event is being held this Saturday at Hot Shots volleyball club. All the events that are taking place are listed below, so if you aren't in 'game shape' for playing volleyball, please support the family by bidding on the Chinese Auction items. There are plenty of other activities (Wii Bowling darts and pool table) . In addition, if you can't make the event, please consider making a donation.
Doug and his family have been hit hard financially by this accident. Not only did he not earn any money officiating this season, but even in a best case scenario, Doug's insurance will only cover 80% of his medical costs, which as you can imagine, are huge.
Doug has been a great friend and colleague to us all for many years. He is passionate about his job, his family, and his love of volleyball. This is a great way to support him in his time of need.
We are all busy and are being pulled in many different directions....the economy is still struggling and we have to watch our pennies.... What a great way to help those in need for this upcoming season...by providing Doug and Carrie with some peace of mind that they will receive some financial support.
Thank you for considering helping out with this event... it is truly appreciated by the organizers and the entire Klueber family.
Volleyball Stuff:
8:30 check-in for Men's & Women’s hard court 6’s
9:30 check-in for the Rec & Int 4’s
4:30 check-in for the Int & Adv 3’s
Other Activities:
10 am – 7:00 Chinese Auction tickets for sale
10 am – 7:00 50/50 Raffle tickets
3 pm to 7:00 Wii Bowling
5-6 p.m. Euchre check-in
3-7 p.m. See DOUG + Family]]>
https://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2013/m ... ?mobile=no
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - After four years on the volleyball team at Le Moyne College, Lindsey Gleason figured her competitive playing days ended with her athletic eligibility and graduation.
But then she stumbled on an online ad offering the chance to earn a master's degree in one year while on a volleyball scholarship in England.
''It sounded cool,'' she said. ''But it also sounded like a scam.''
It wasn't.
In fact, the year Gleason spent studying and playing for Durham University in northeast England was so incredible, allowing her to travel the world and work on the 2012 London Olympics, that she's now putting her newly earned master's degree in business to work by giving other college athletes the same chance.
She founded TeamGLEAS, a Buffalo-based network catering to American graduate students interested in playing sports abroad.
The first question I get is, `But what about eligibility?''' said the 25-year-old Gleason, referring to college rules that prevent students from playing more than four years. ''Because we're programmed to think that you're done, you can't play anymore. But it's not an issue over there, which is a beautiful thing.''
She has found a willing clientele in England, where 12 universities and colleges have signed on so far, paying a fee to appear on the 5-month-old website student-athlete clients can access for free. She is working on signing on colleges in New Zealand and Australia for the fall.
The universities see it as way to diversify the student body while taking advantage of the experience and ability of high-level U.S. athletes.
''We recruit talented athletes as part of our normal business. Recruiting people who are leaders is much more difficult,'' said Philip Atwell, director of sport at the University of Exeter in England. ''Athletes who have played four years of NCAA are likely to galvanize our students to achieve their potential.''
For lifelong athletes, leaving competitive sports behind ''is devastating, really,'' said Sara Shipley, who played volleyball and basketball at Nazareth College in Rochester and then coached to stay involved.
''The first year I coached basketball after graduating from college, there was not a single practice that went by the whole season where I didn't want to cry because I missed it so much,'' the 30-year-old Shipley said by telephone from Newcastle.
Through TeamGLEAS, she arrived at Northumbria University in northeast England in September to begin work on a master's in international sports management. She plays volleyball for the college team as well as the British national league.
''The market is there,'' said Gleason, who knew she was on to something after pitching the idea at a college-wide competition of new business ideas while at Durham, which she won.
Since then, she has undertaken a whirlwind schedule to sign on colleges and students. She's met with 32 colleges in England and is now traveling the U.S. meeting student-athletes at Fordham, Temple, Penn State, UCLA and a host of other campuses.
Imperial College has relied on its elite academic reputation to attract international students but sees TeamGLEAS as a more focused way to attract students who also excel at Imperial's target sports of rowing, fencing and basketball, said Neil Mosley, head of sport at the London college.
''Our recruitment for sports students is a challenging operation because what Imperial will never do is dilute or reduce our academic standards,'' Mosley said. ''We've always done this sort of thing informally. ... TeamGLEAS gives us the chance to spread the message a little bit more practically, specifically in the states and specifically focused on two or three sports that we're looking to either retain our standing at or improve our standing at.''
Partial or even full scholarships are often available to defray the cost of tuition, said Gleason, who loves the reaction she gets when she pitches the idea to student-athletes.
''Their eyes light up,'' she said. ''It's a brand-new concept that they now get to consider.''
Read More: https://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2013/m ... z2iNR2e9fN ]]>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUAp_RGnYxw
When you first look at Mireya Luis’ 5 foot 10 inch frame you wouldn’t expect her to be a dominant volleyball player, however her amazing jumping ability more than made up for her lack of height. She started to play volleyball at the age of 10 and competing against older players at the age of 13. By the time Luis was 15 she was a starter on the Cuban National Team.
During her time period she was known as the springiest spiker in the game, thanks in part to her 36-inch vertical leap. Luis was granted the gift of physical power and she used it to the best of her abilities. She was often compared to Michael Jordan since it seemed as if she could climb up way past the antenna to spike a ball.
In her first World Championships in 1986, Luis helped lead the Cuban team to a silver medal just weeks after giving birth to her daughter. However, after this loss Cuba would go onto win the World Championships in 1990, 1994 and 1998 as well as taking the gold medal in the Olympics in Barcelona (1992), Atlanta (1996) and again in Sydney (2000).
Luis’ resume also includes numerous medals World Cups and Grand Prix tournaments. She also won three MVP awards in World Cup play. Her Cuban National team was by far the dominant team of the nineties and could also have dominated the eighties had the Cuban Team not boycotted the Olympics of 1984 and 1988.
Luis was perhaps the most charismatic and reputable player of the nineties and not just because of her spiking abilities. She was a dedicated leader and an influential role model for many of the younger players in not only her country but also around the world. Presently she is the vice-president of the Cuban National Commission for Athletes as well as a member of the International Olympic Committee’s Solidarity Commission.]]>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfUvchfrcS0 ]]>
https://www.volleywood.net/volleyball-re ... ng-system/
FIVB Drops 21 Scoring System
The FIVB previously announced that the 21 point scoring system will be used at the U23 FIVB Men’s and Women’s World Championship but it appears that only the ongoing men’s tournament will be using it.
Volleyball’s governing body has released this statement today:
Two new rules, which were planned to be trialled at the FIVB Volleyball Women’s U23 World Championship Open tournament currently being held in Mexico, will now not be tested following the decision of the Control Committee during the tournament’s General Technical Meeting on Friday.
The two new rules were a) to play 21 points per set (apart from the fifth set, which was to remain until 15) and b) to limit the time between serves to 15 seconds. The tournament will now be conducted under the original FIVB Rules of the Game.
The FIVB Volleyball Women’s U23 World Championship Open Control Committee made the decision after receiving feedback from numerous parties.
The FIVB Volleyball Women’s U23 World Championship Open started in Tijuana and Mexicali on Saturday and runs until October 12.
The new rules will be tested during the FIVB Volleyball Men’s U23 World Championship Open which starts on Sunday in Uberlandia, Brazil and runs until October 13.]]>
https://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/25/opini ... l?hp&_r=4&
Losing Is Good for You
By ASHLEY MERRYMAN
LOS ANGELES — AS children return to school this fall and sign up for a new year’s worth of extracurricular activities, parents should keep one question in mind. Whether your kid loves Little League or gymnastics, ask the program organizers this: “Which kids get awards?†If the answer is, “Everybody gets a trophy,†find another program.
Trophies were once rare things — sterling silver loving cups bought from jewelry stores for truly special occasions. But in the 1960s, they began to be mass-produced, marketed in catalogs to teachers and coaches, and sold in sporting-goods stores.
Today, participation trophies and prizes are almost a given, as children are constantly assured that they are winners. One Maryland summer program gives awards every day — and the “day†is one hour long. In Southern California, a regional branch of the American Youth Soccer Organization hands out roughly 3,500 awards each season — each player gets one, while around a third get two. Nationally, A.Y.S.O. local branches typically spend as much as 12 percent of their yearly budgets on trophies.
It adds up: trophy and award sales are now an estimated $3 billion-a-year industry in the United States and Canada.
Po Bronson and I have spent years reporting on the effects of praise and rewards on kids. The science is clear. Awards can be powerful motivators, but nonstop recognition does not inspire children to succeed. Instead, it can cause them to underachieve.
Carol Dweck, a psychology professor at Stanford University, found that kids respond positively to praise; they enjoy hearing that they’re talented, smart and so on. But after such praise of their innate abilities, they collapse at the first experience of difficulty. Demoralized by their failure, they say they’d rather cheat than risk failing again.
In recent eye-tracking experiments by the researchers Bradley Morris and Shannon Zentall, kids were asked to draw pictures. Those who heard praise suggesting they had an innate talent were then twice as fixated on mistakes they’d made in their pictures.
By age 4 or 5, children aren’t fooled by all the trophies. They are surprisingly accurate in identifying who excels and who struggles. Those who are outperformed know it and give up, while those who do well feel cheated when they aren’t recognized for their accomplishments. They, too, may give up.
It turns out that, once kids have some proficiency in a task, the excitement and uncertainty of real competition may become the activity’s very appeal.
If children know they will automatically get an award, what is the impetus for improvement? Why bother learning problem-solving skills, when there are never obstacles to begin with?
If I were a baseball coach, I would announce at the first meeting that there would be only three awards: Best Overall, Most Improved and Best Sportsmanship. Then I’d hand the kids a list of things they’d have to do to earn one of those trophies. They would know from the get-go that excellence, improvement, character and persistence were valued.
It’s accepted that, before punishing children, we must consider their individual levels of cognitive and emotional development. Then we monitor them, changing our approach if there’s a negative outcome. However, when it comes to rewards, people argue that kids must be treated identically: everyone must always win. That is misguided. And there are negative outcomes. Not just for specific children, but for society as a whole.
In June, an Oklahoma Little League canceled participation trophies because of a budget shortfall. A furious parent complained to a local reporter, “My children look forward to their trophy as much as playing the game.†That’s exactly the problem, says Jean Twenge, author of “Generation Me.â€
Having studied recent increases in narcissism and entitlement among college students, she warns that when living rooms are filled with participation trophies, it’s part of a larger cultural message: to succeed, you just have to show up. In college, those who’ve grown up receiving endless awards do the requisite work, but don’t see the need to do it well. In the office, they still believe that attendance is all it takes to get a promotion.
In life, “you’re going to lose more often than you win, even if you’re good at something,†Ms. Twenge told me. “You’ve got to get used to that to keep going.â€
When children make mistakes, our job should not be to spin those losses into decorated victories. Instead, our job is to help kids overcome setbacks, to help them see that progress over time is more important than a particular win or loss, and to help them graciously congratulate the child who succeeded when they failed. To do that, we need to refuse all the meaningless plastic and tin destined for landfills. We have to stop letting the Trophy-Industrial Complex run our children’s lives.
This school year, let’s fight for a kid’s right to lose.
Ashley Merryman is the author, with Po Bronson, of “NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children†and “Top Dog: The Science of Winning and Losing.â€]]>
https://theridinginstructor.net/75/top-3 ... structors/
Top 3 Reasons Why America’s Producing so Many Mediocre Instructors
Vince Lombardi, the famous coach of the Green Bay Packers, once said, “Dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. Hard work is the price we must pay for success. I think you can accomplish anything if you’re willing to pay the price. “ Vince Lombardi knew a lot about human nature and success. He drilled his team in the basics daily and ignored the fads, and his teams succeeded. Vince Lombardi didn’t waste his or his player’s time with short cuts.
In the 60s and 70s US horsemen were formidable, admired and envied throughout the world. The U.S. system developed from the U.S. Cavalry and was combined with the influence of several good horsemen from the 30s, 40s and 50s. U.S. horsemen were formidable because they were grounded in the basics.
Then changes occurred in U.S. Horsemanship. Around the early ‘80s we became a big “Industry†and U.S. Horsemanship began a downward spiral. Where have our good horsemen gone? Why are horses and riders dying in competition? And why can’t our riders take care of their own animals? What happened to the attitude that said that the horse’s welfare and needs were taken care of before those of his owner or rider?
I believe the fault lies in the education of the upcoming generation of horse lovers. There are 3 major reasons why the current education of horse lovers is inadequate.
1. Too many Instructors are not learning and teaching foundations and basics
Instructors can only teach what they have learned, whether it be from their instructors, clinics, books or experience. If a system of basics isn’t taught to the first generation , the second generation will be weaker and so on down the line. This is a reason that so many of our current instructors lack depth. They may have miles and miles of show ring experience, but they lack the fundamental foundation and do not understand how one principal depends on another to form a strong base of knowledge.
Students are not usually encouraged to read the classics and when they are, the classics are out of print and unavailable. A horseman can’t go into a tack or book store and purchase books by authors such as, Harry Chamberlin, Gordon Wright, Vladimir Littauer, Piero Santini, or Margaret Cabell Self. In the January 11, 2002 Chronicle of the Horse article “Observations I’ve Made While Teaching†George Morris wrote “Unless teachers review the classics of riding and jumping literature on a regular basis, they will become stale and fall prey to fashions and fads.â€
Instructors can only teach what they know or what they see. We have a generation of copy cat instructors who see something but have no idea about the principles behind what they see. They teach it to students, some who become instructors themselves, and their knowledge is more shallow than their predecessors. This has created a spiraling down cycle and a dilution of the quality of instruction in the U.S.
2. Too many riding instructors in America are in the wrong profession.
A person is not automatically a teacher because he knows how to do something himself. There are many extremely talented, even Olympic level, riders who are naturally gifted. They ride like they really know riding, but as spectacular as they and their horses are, they can’t explain why they do what they do. The most important quality of a good instructor is that he or she is able to get you, the student, to understand the principle of what he or she is teaching.
A trainer of horses does not automatically have the tools to be a good teacher, either. A trainer communicates without words. Many who are patient with their horses have no patience for human students and they lack good communication skills. She or he may be the best trainer, able to get their horses to do amazing things, but it is no indication that they will be a good teacher.
A coach is a motivator who is also a teacher in many ways, but a coach is concerned with competition. Frequently, equestrian coaches deal more with the psychology of winning than they do the art of horsemanship. In a the July 7, 2006 Chronicle of the Horse article “Where Did We Come from? Where are We Going?†George Morris quotes former USET 3 day Coach, Jack LeGoff. Morris says, “When talking to Jack the other day about his new book, I asked him what was wrong. He hit the nail on the head, as usual: The young trainers are teaching their students to compete. They are not, necessarily, teaching them to ride.â€
The ability to teach is a gift and a talent. Instructors who lack the gift of teaching also lack the passion and ability to understand their subject and are unable to give their students a thorough riding foundation. They are usurpers masquerading as instructors.
3. Too Many Riding Instructors Teach for the Wrong Reasons
In an October 10, 1997 Chronicle of the Horse article “Values- And Boys- Are Hard To Find On Our Horse Show Scene†George Morris wrote “Money and greed are the worst problems that have crept in to what I used to think of as my sport. I’m afraid unless our society has a big shock, that money will be the eventual ruination of this sport as we once knew it.â€
It takes lots of money to run a good barn and keep up the right appearance. Money is a driving force in today’s horse industry, even more than it was in 1997. A trainer’s lifestyle depends on clients and commissions. Many instructors and trainers strive to keep their students dependent on them so they can keep clients, and they teach “over their heads†in order not to lose their client to another barn.
The goal is wrong. Horse Shows used to be a “progress test†for riders, a way to see how you compared to other riders in order to improve yourself as a horseman. More often than not, today horse shows ARE the goal for riding. The horse professional, be it trainer, instructor or coach, makes much of his money at and because of, horse shows. This causes trainers to find the fast track, the easy way, the short cut for their students, in order to get their student on the show circuit faster. Students don’t learn how to work through problems. They learn how to replace problems with a better horse. They don’t develop an eye for distances. They count strides. They don’t develop a base of support. They lay on their horses over fences.
Judges reward bad training techniques and short cuts because they are obligated to place classes. And competitors do what it takes to win. If a slow canter placed this week, next week the horses will be cantering even slower. If the winner’s horse had its face on the vertical this week, next week the horses will be slightly behind the vertical. Trainers copy to win without knowing what they copied and they teach these short cuts to their students. Instead of giving students the tools that are required to train a horse and to ride well, our riders are becoming gimmick professionals. The crutches become the way to ride and copy cat riders and trainers turn them into fads. Fads, crutches, gimmicks, and short cuts lead to cruel training practices, over use of artificial training aids, quick fixes and disposable horses.
The Results
The result of not educating our future riders in classical principals, of turning our sport into an industry that is motivated by money, and providing quick fixes and fast tracks, is that we have diluted U.S. Horsemanship. U.S. Horsemanship is no longer the envy of other countries. And our equestrian venues have become increasingly dangerous to the point that we are killing horses and their riders. Teachers and instructors are the people who have the most powerful influence over the upcoming generation of horsemen and women. Unless instructors choose to develop depth in their own education and unless instructors are willing to slow down and teach the foundation to their students, U.S. Horsemanship will continue on it’s downward spiral.
“Life is cause and effect. In other words, sooner or later, you do sit down to a banquet of consequences.†Quoted from “What it Takes to be Number One†by Vince Lombardi and Vince Lombardi, Jr, Simple Truths, Illinois 2006, Pg 114
Thanks for reading The Riding Instructor!
Barbara Ellin Fox
Copyright 2009 -reprint]]>
One of the best way to improve is to watch and learn from the best, well, here it is.
The World Grand Prix Finals were in Japan for the first time since 2009 and take place in Sapporo from August 28 to September 1. Japan has hosted the World Grand Prix Finals four times in the past with Sapporo being a fifth host city after Tokyo in 2009, Yokohama in 2008, Sendai in 2005 and Kobe in 1997.
Following the Preliminary Round, the organisers and the next best five teams will qualify for the Finals. Here you can see all the matches.
https://www.laola1.tv/en-int/fivb-world- ... x/395.html
https://www.fivb.org/EN/volleyball/compe ... anguage=en ]]>
Main Street]]>
SKILLS CAMP (girls ages 10-14) Friday, July 19– Sunday , July 21
ELITE CAMP(girls ages 15-18)-Friday, July 19– Sunday , July 21
You can mail in an application or use our convenient online registration.
Online Registration:
https://www.justsportscamps.com/urvolle ... ister.html
Skills/Elite Application:
https://www.rochester.edu/athletics/summ ... yball.html
Please let me know if you have any questions! [email protected] or 585-275-9461
cheers,
Ladi
Wherever a human being exists, there is an opportunity to do a kindness. -Seneca]]>
https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Volleyball/F ... t-Mens-PVL ]]>
https://www.usapvl.com/
Our team is seeded 13th and takes on:
NorCal's Dream team (6) first.
Badger Blizzard's (7) coached by Rod Wilde
Puget Sounds' Premiere (12) coached by Bill Neville
then finish the pool with:
last year's champions, Hoosier Exterminator's (1), Alyssa D'Errico's team.
The top four finishers in each of the three pools advance, last place teams go into consolations.
It is going to be an awesome time!
Here is our roster.
https://www.advancedeventsystems.com/Ev ... 0&t=211564 ]]>
USA Volleyball Indoor High Performance announced today that it has invited 27 players to participate in a second tryout for the U.S. Girls’ Youth National Team, which will ultimately compete in the 2013 FIVB Volleyball Girls’ Youth World Championships July 25 to Aug. 4 at Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.
https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Volleyball/F ... ryout.aspx
The U.S. Girls’ Youth National Volleyball Team consists of players born in either 1996 or 1997. The program’s second tryout will take place June 13-16 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Following the tryout, the roster will be pared down to the 12 athletes who will compete in the FIVB Volleyball Girls’ Youth World Championship event. Prior to leaving for Thailand, the dozen players will train July 8-21 primarily at the American Sports Centers in Anaheim, Calif., the host city for the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Volleyball Teams.
Luisa Schirmer (OH, 2014, Pittsford, N.Y., Volley FX, Western Empire)]]>
https://www.volleywood.net/volleyball-re ... ns-roster/ ]]>
Main Street]]>
https://www.volleywood.net/volleyball-fe ... -anderson/ ]]>
Main Street]]>
We were able to raise several hundred dollars to support Coach Hoffman and her battle with a rare form of cancer.
All 12 teams had a chance to play 4 pool play matches and at least one playoff game.
Congrats to Mike Fink's team for winning the finals, very exciting stuff!
See you all next time!]]>
Main Street]]>
Main Street]]>
Main Street]]>
Main Street]]>
https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Volleyball/F ... htman.aspx ]]>
https://www.uofrathletics.com/custompage ... ath=wvball
Online Registration
https://www.justsportscamps.com/urvolle ... ister.html
Please let me know if you have any questions and have a wonderful weekend!
Cheers,
Ladi
Wherever a human being exists, there is an opportunity to do a kindness. -Seneca]]>
Thanks for the great info - exactly what I needed! Also definitely aware of the ongoing costs; that comes next [
]I'll post my findings from other sources here too in case it helps someone else.]]>
Also any donations of items that could be used for raffle prizes are also greatly appreciated!!
Main Street]]>
only a couple spots left!
Main Street Armory!]]>
Mondays- 6's Intermediate and 6's recreation starting November 19th
Tuesdays-Advanced Men 6's, Intermediate 6s, Recreation 6s and women's 4s
Wednesdays-Upper Intermediate/Advanced 6s, Intermediate 6s, and Recreation 6s.
For more info log onto our website our friend us on facebook at msa vball
Main Street Armory.
Spaces are almost all full]]>
Thanks!
Jason Brannigan
Sports Staff Associate
Bay View Family YMCA
(585) 341-3227]]>
https://www.vballworld.com/to-switch-or- ... otation-1/
Thoughts?
Guides on becoming a better volleyball player from the pros - https://www.vballworld.com !]]>
https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Volleyball/F ... -Gold.aspx
Destinee Hooker (San Antonio, Texas) scored a match-high 24 points to help the U.S. Olympic Women’s Volleyball Team, ranked No. 1 in the world, advance to the Olympic Games gold-medal match for the second straight time with a 25-20, 25-22, 25-22 victory over No. 15 Korea Thursday afternoon in the semifinal round at Earls Court in London.
The U.S., searching for its first-ever Olympic Games gold medal in women’s volleyball (indoor), will face the second semifinal winner of second-ranked Brazil and fifth-ranked Japan on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. local time (10:30 a.m. PT). At the 2008 Olympics, the Americans lost to then-top-ranked Brazil in the gold-medal match to earn its second Olympic silver medal as the first came in 1984 at the Los Angeles Games. Team USA also possesses a bronze from the 1992 Olympics held in Barcelona.
Aside from the Olympics, the U.S. has not won a major season-ending tournament including the FIVB World Championship and FIVB World Cup. However, the Americans have won the FIVB World Grand Prix, the premier annual international women’s volleyball tournament, the last three years and five times overall.
Team USA, now 7-0 at the 2012 London Games and 30-1 overall this year, defeated Korea in four sets on July 28 to open the 2012 Olympics Games. The Americans finished Pool B with wins over No. 2 Brazil (3-1), No. 3 China (3-1), No. 7 Serbia (3-0) and No. 8 Turkey (3-0). The U.S. advanced to the semifinals with a sweep over NORCECA rival Dominican Republic in the quarterfinal round.
The U.S. used a 6-0 run to come back from a 16-15 deficit in the opening set to win 25-20 as the Americans out-blocked the Koreans 6-0. Hooker scored four of her eight points in the second set after the U.S. trailed 20-17 and came back to win 25-22 by scoring eight of the final 10 points. The U.S. held a 13-7 lead in the third set, but Korea came back to tie the set at 18-all to it interesting down the stretch. However, Team USA closed out the set with a 4-1 run and 25-22 victory.
“Korea is a tough team,†U.S. Olympic Women’s Volleyball Team Head Coach Hugh McCutcheon (Christchurch, New Zealand) said. “We have said this from the beginning press conference. I thought our team battled and needed to battle to win tonight. They create a lot of troubles with good serving, defense and of their offense is tough to stop. They were good at exploiting some of our weaknesses, but luckily we were able to make some adjustments. Our athletes played with a lot of heart, and I am really proud of our team and how they competed.â€
Hooker tallied her 24 points with 21 kills on 33 attacks and only one error, along with three blocks. After the match she felt an added energy from the crowd as the team came out onto the court.
“The crowd is very loud and very energetic,†Hooker said. “We hear it more when we walk out on the court at the beginning of the game. During the game it’s like, ‘Look, we’re all here on the court. We need to figure things out and go from there.’â€
Jordan Larson (Hooper, Neb.) charted 14 points with 10 kills on 23 attacks, three blocks and an ace. Foluke Akinradewo (Plantation, Fla.) added 12 points on eight kills via 10 attacks and two aces. Logan Tom (Salt Lake City, Utah) provided six kills, a block and an ace for eight points.
“I think we came out a little bit tight to tell you the truth,†said Logan Tom, a four-time Olympian. “We made some errors. We weren’t moving very well. We didn’t have our usual rhythm. I think we just picked it up. We needed a little bit of time to get accustomed to it. I think we do a really good job when it comes to that. I get nervous when I don’t have a match like that.â€
Christa Harmotto (Hopewell Township, Pa.) totaled three kills on four attacks and two blocks for five points. Tayyiba Haneef-Park (Laguna Hills, Calif.) tacked on two kills and Lindsey Berg (Honolulu) round out the scoring with an ace.
Berg, who missed the quarterfinal round victory over Dominican Republic due to injury, set the Team USA offense to a 52.6 kill percent and .400 hitting efficiency in her return to the starting lineup. She dealt out 36 running sets in the victory.
“I thought (Lindsey) did a great job tonight,†McCutcheon said. “We were very happy with her performance. Of course there were doubts (on whether she would play). She was hurt. We will evaluate tonight and see how she looks and maybe even see how she is tomorrow. She ran around a little last night and it looked promising. We chatted late last night and early this morning and things seemed to be on plan so we decided to go with it.â€
“I feel amazing,†Berg said after the match. “My team helped me out a lot and I didn’t have to run around. I feel way better than I expected. I am just going to give it my all. If I can’t walk after Saturday’s match, I don’t care.â€
Nicole Davis (Stockton, Calif.) tallied a team-high 10 digs and added 11 excellent receptions. Larson picked up a team-high 17 excellent receptions to go with five digs.
“We didn't play our best match, not the best of the tournament and hopefully we are saving that for the gold-medal match,†Berg said. “We played great after 20 points, and that's what makes a winning team win. We stuck together as a team and found a way to win."
McCutcheon started Akinradewo and Harmotto at middle blocker, Tom and Larson at outside hitter, Hooker at opposite and Berg at setter. Davis is the U.S. designated libero for the Olympics. Tamari Miyashiro (Kaneohe, Hawaii) was a sub in all three sets, while Haneef-Park and Courtney Thompson (Kent, Wash.) were subs in the last two sets as part of a double-switch.
Team USA held an 11-5 margin in blocks over Korea, along with a 5-3 edge in aces. The American defense limited Korea to a 43.0 kill percent and .270 hitting efficiency (43-16-100).
Korea was paced by tournament-leading scorer Yeon-Koung Kim’s 20 points, while Song-Yi Han added 13 points.
The U.S. gained a two-point edge at 4-1 with consecutive kills from Larson and Tom followed by an Akinradewo ace prompting a Korea timeout. Korea answered with five quick points to take a 6-4 advantage. Like Korea’s timeout, the U.S. came out of a timeout with a Harmotto kill and Larson block to knot the score at 6-all. Out of the first technical timeout USA hit wide to expand Korea’s lead to 9-7. The Americans took the lead back at 11-10 with a Hooker kill and consecutive blocks by Akinradewo. Korea answered with two straight points to reverse the lead to its side at 12-11. The U.S. took the lead back with a Korea error and Hooker block at 14-13. Korea answered with two straight points to switch the lead again to its side at 15-14. Team USA changed the lead for a sixth time at 17-16 with kills from Harmotto and Hooker. Tom expanded the lead to 18-16 with a block prompting a Korea timeout. Out of the break, Korea hit long and Hooker found the court for a kill for five straight points on Larson’s serve at 20-16. Team USA stretched its lead to 23-18 with an Akinradewo kill and Korea error. The U.S. closed out the first set 25-20 on a Korea error. Hooker tallied eight points in the opening set as all five starting hitters scored at least two points.
Korea reached an early 4-1 lead in the second set on three unanswered points. Team USA closed to 4-3 with a Larson kill and an overpass dig that fell for a point on the Korea side. The Americans squared the set at 5-all with a Hooker kill and Korea attack error. Korea regained a two-point cushion at 7-5 on an ace. Larson and Harmotto put up monster blocks to knot the score at 7-all. Korea pushed ahead 13-10 on an ace by star Kim and a block by Han. Hooker and Larson hit back-to-back kills to close to 14-13 and prompt Korea to call timeout. Team USA tied the set at 16-all with kills from Tom and Haneef-Park. Korea answered quickly with two straight points for an 18-16 advantage. The U.S. called timeout down 20-17 after Korea scored four of five points out of the second technical timeout. Hooker hammered a kill and won a long rally with a block to close the American deficit to 20-19. Hooker followed with a kill on a second long rally to knot the score at 20-all going into a Korea timeout. The U.S. took the second set lead for the first time at 23-22 on consecutive Korea errors, then reached set point at 24-22 on a Larson kill. Korea hit long for the final point at 25-22 as Hooker was on the service line for the winning 4-0 scoring run. Hooker tallied eight points in the second set push her match total to 16, while Larson added four points.
Team USA scored a 3-1 advantage in the third set with kills from Akinradewo and Larson. Hooker and Larson hammered kills to extend the American lead to 5-2. Tom served an ace after a Hooker kill to extend the American lead to 10-6 at a Korea timeout. Larson picked up a kill and block and Akinradewo served an ace to increase the Team USA lead to 13-7 at Korea’s second timeout. Korea closed to one points at 15-14 with a 6-1 scoring run. Korea served an ace off the net to tie the set at 18-all. Hooker answered with a kill and Harmotto followed with a block. Korea rallied to knot the score again at 20-all. Larson served an ace after a Hooker kill to push the American lead to 23-21. Team USA closed out the set and match with kills from Hooker and Tom at 25-22. Hooker scored eight points in the final set.]]>
https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Volleyball/F ... inals.aspx
https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Volleyball/F ... Walsh.aspx
On the court, into the semis. All good! https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Volleyball/F ... Semis.aspx ]]>
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Here is the women's schedule so you can track down how to see or stream it live. Times are EST:
Sat 7/28 2:50 pm USA vs South Korea
Mon 7/30 11:45 am USA vs Brazil
Wed 8/1 3 pm USA vs China
Fri 8/3 3 pm USA vs Serbia
Sun 8/5 3 pm USA vs Turkey
Tue 8/7 Quarterfinal Matches - TBD
Thurs 8/9 Semifinal Matches - TBD
Sat 8/11 Bronze and Gold Final Matches - TBD
If you go to the nbc olympic link above in an earlier post - click on "select a sport". Chose Volleyball. Click on the calendar/days running at the top of that page. You will get the schedule of all matches that day and there is an "Alert Me" link for those who need a reminder in the middle of the day so you don't miss anything.
FYI - the men play on the women's off days.
Read more: https://volleytalk.proboards.com/index.c ... z21llkJXUg ]]>
https://usavolleyball.org/blogs/blog-for ... ceremonies
Monday the 15th we traveled to Pula, Croatia by bus. On our way we stopped to visit a huge castle right on the water to do some site seeing and to take a lot of pictures. It was incredible to see.
Afterwards we piled back into our bus and headed to Pula. We all were ecstatic to finally arrive in Croatia. Though our hotel is packed with other teams it's beautiful and lies just minutes from a rocky beach where a few of us went and swam. Luisa and I were actually stung by a sea urchin.
We spent a few hours soaking our feet and extracting fine black spikes from them but we still enjoyed the beach experience nonetheless.
After our beach adventure we all cleaned up and prepped for opening ceremonies held in downtown Pula. There were lots of shops so we were given around 45 minutes to roam. We bought everything from gelato to dresses. We all had a lot of fun. After the 45 minutes were up we gathered for the ceremony beginning and ending with a traditional Croatian dance which was very good and entertaining. Then the hostess began introducing teams. When we were called up we proudly held our flag and took pictures. The hostess interviewed our captain, Taylor Tashima about her home town in Illinois. Some more pictures were taken, people cheered and we stepped down. We enjoyed our few minutes in the spotlight and I think being around competition really fired us up for the tournament. We’re all so eager to compete after a well spent volleyball free day. Look out Israel!!!
Crissy Jones]]>
https://www.mercurynews.com/other-sports ... ze-victory
USA’s May-Treanor/Walsh win women’s gold in Gstaad
https://www.fivb.org/viewPressRelease.as ... anguage=en
Relishing in the moment of their 39th FIVB SWATCH World Tour career gold medal, USA's Misty May-Treanor, left, and Kerri Walsh defeated Netherland's Sannie Keizer/Marleen Van Iersel to win the 1to1 energy Grand Slam in Gstaad, Switzerland.
Relishing in the beauty and majestic of a sunny summer day in the Swiss Alps, in a performance that would rival the sheer beauty of this inspiring valley, USA’s two-time Olympic Gold medalists Misty May-Treanor/Kerri Walsh won the women’s gold medal in convincing style to complete a stirring run of seven consecutive victories through a world-class field at the double-gender $600,000 1to1 energy Grand Slam in Gstaad, Switzerland.
The 2012 FIVB Beach Volleyball SWATCH World Tour has continued in Gstaad as the world’s top tandems have returned to Switzerland as the double-gender event marks the 13th consecutive visit by the world tour with Gstaad hosting 11 men’s and 12 previous women’s events. Village Gstaad is nestled in a magnificent valley in Southwestern Switzerland at 3,440-feet (1,050 meters) above sea-level, the highest altitude a FIVB SWATCH World Tour stop is held annually.
GOLD ‘N’ GLITTER
In the glistening gold medal match Saturday afternoon in front of an enthusiastic and appreciative packed house at the Gstaad Stadium center court, USA’s May-Treanor/Walsh won the 39th gold medal of their illustrious FIVB SWATCH World Tour by dismantling Netherland’s fifth-seeded Sanne Keizer/Marleen Van Iersel, 21-10, 21-13 in 32 minutes.
USA’s May-Treanor/Walsh, playing in their 76th world tour event with their 62nd final four finish as a team and have won 39 gold medals and 59 total medals including their sixth gold medal in this popular grand slam in a picturesque valley in the Swiss Alps. Ending the tournament with a 7-0 match record, they were only pushed to three sets once in their quarterfinal victory over American compatriots Jennifer Kessy/April Ross, now have a 2-1 record against Netherlands Keizer/Van Iersel.
Netherlands’ Keizer/Van Iersel were playing in their 43rd career tournament and earned their 12th final four finish and first silver medal.
Both matches the two teams played against each other prior to Saturday where three-setters with the Dutch winning the first meeting and the Americans the second.
GOLD MEDAL MATCH DETAILS
In what may will be their final event together on the FIVB SWATCH World Tour as May-Treanor, 34, has announced her retirement following the London 2012 Olympic Games in a few weeks, neither set was close as USA’s May-Treanor/Walsh played as spectacular a match as one could in these circumstances and easily built a comfortable cushion quickly in both sets as Netherland’s Keizer/Van Iersel seldom stopped May-Treanor’s attacks or Walsh’s blocks.
The German expression so familiar at this event when the packed stadium pays honor to great blocks by bowing their arms in unison while chanting “mein block, mein block†roared throughout both sets as the Americans played in their final FIVB SWATCH World Tour event before heading to Great Britain in two weeks for the London 2012 Olympic Games where they enter the competition as the two-time Olympic gold medal winning team.
SEMIFINAL SHOWDOWNS
In the semifinals played Saturday morning in front of another enthusiastic packed house at the Gstaad stadium center court, Netherland’s Keizer/Van Iersel hung on to defeat Belgium’s Gielen/Mouha in three sets, 21-19, 19-21 and 15-8 in 51 minutes. To the dismay of the very partisan home-country fans in the second semifinal, USA’s May-Treanor/Walsh overpowered Switzerland’s Kuhn/Zumkehr in twin sets, 21-13, 21-14 in 34 minutes.
USA’s May-Treanor/Walsh remained undefeated against Switzerland’s Kuhn/Zumkehr as the Americans now have a 6-0 career record against this Swiss team.
THEY SAID IT
After such a successful FIVB career, a visibily emotional USA’s May-Treanor reflected, “It is first of all very exciting to play against such a young, fired-up team and to see them in the finals. We needed to stay balanced against the Dutch, they are always dangerous competitors. For me as an older player, it is fun to see how beach volleyball is growing, I saw them already in their very beginnings on the tour and now they are in the final against us. And most important, I am also happy to see the Netherlands, the Swiss and the USA on the podium. This makes a great picture, that I would like to get used to it.It has been my very last world tour event here as a player. It is just so wonderful up here. I will come back in the crowd next time, cheering for Kerri.â€
Remember herself after exhorting the crowd to recognize her teammate which they did, Walsh said, “I am first of all so proud of Misty. It was our last event before London and she just did a great job. Beach volleyball is getting strong, we had lots of qualification teams there that made it all the way to the elimination rounds. There are also some new teams on the tour making it to the top 10 in this tournament. I think the top 24 on the world tour are very strong and that’s the difference we have noticed. But I think this is exactly what we want to see, how beach volleyball is growing. We played very well in this tournament especially against the Dutch team. Now we will go home and practice on things that will make is even better for London. It has been a frustrating season for us without a victory on the tour until today. We are just happy we could make it here at this incredible tournament in this amazing place called Gstaad where we have certainly had a lot of success.â€]]>
When they recently chose their team, it was interesting to see Ryan Millar and Riley Salmon not on the team. Ryan has long been one of the US's best middles. & Salmon's passing and defense were key components of our last gold medal winning team. These decisions on who to keep and who not to keep were finalized after Dallas. We've got a mix of veterans and rookies, just like our women's team, going into the Olympics. Although, our setter, Donald Suxho was touted as ready for the Olympics prior to our last title.
Our men's team is also in the Finals of World League vs. Cuba on Sunday.
https://usavolleyball.org/news/2012/07/0 ... 7?ngb_id=2
World League matches are being live streamed at laola.tv.
The U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team will play in its first FIVB World League final since 2008 on Sunday after defeating Cuba, 25-23, 25-22, 25-23. on Saturday at Arena Armeec in Sofia.
The U.S. Men (2-1) will play the winner of Saturday’s second match between Poland and Bulgaria for the World League championship on Sunday at 10:45 a.m. PT. Cuba will play the loser in the bronze medal match at 7:30 a.m. PT.
The U.S. Men won the 2008 FIVB World League, then went on to win the Olympic gold medal in Beijing. The U.S. has also won World League bronze medals in 1992 and 2007.
On Saturday, the U.S. led Cuba in blocks, 7-2 and aces, 5-3. Cuba held the edge in attacks, 46-42. The U.S. scored on 21 Cuba errors while committing 17.
“We know Cuba pretty well from playing them both in World cup and the Olympic qualifier,†U.S. outside hitter Matt Anderson (West Seneca, N.Y.) said. “They have a different lineup here, but we were still confident in our preparations."
U.S. opposite Clay Stanley (Honolulu) led his team with 17 points on 13 kills and a match-high four aces. Anderson added 13 points on 13 attacks. Outside hitter Sean Rooney (Wheaton, Ill.) totaled 11 points on 10 attacks and one ace.
Wilfredo Leon paced Cuba with 16 points on a match-high 16 attacks.
Among other U.S. scorers, middle blocker David Lee (Alpine, Calif.) tallied six points on four attacks and two blocks. Middle blocker David Smith (Saugus, Calif.) added five points on two kills and a match-high three blocks. Setter Donald Suxho tallied two points with two blocks.
U.S. Men’s Head Coach Alan Knipe started Anderson and Rooney at outside hitter, Lee and Smith at middle blocker, Stanley at opposite, Suxho at setter and Rich Lambourne (Tustin, Calif.) at libero.
Opposite Dave McKienzie (Littleton, Colo.), outside hitter Paul Lotman (Lakewood, Calif.) and middle blocker Russell Holmes (Fountain Valley, Calif.) played as substitutes.
The U.S. Men took an 8-5 lead at the first technical timeout (TTO) of the first set, getting a block from Smith, kills by Stanley and Suxho and aces from Stanley and Rooney. Cuba had pulled to within one point at 12-11, but the U.S. Men scored twice on a serving error and violation to give the U.S. a 14-11 advantage. A Stanley ace made it 15-11 before Cuba scored the next three points, including two Cepeda attacks, to pull to within one. A back-row attack from Anderson gave the U.S. the 16-14 lead at the second TTO. Cuba kept the score close. With the U.S. leading 23-22, Cuba’s serving error gave the U.S. set point. The United States’ next serve went out of bounds, but Rooney ended it for the U.S. with a kill.
Cuba held an 8-6 lead to open the second set as the U.S. got points off attacks from Rooney, Stanley and Anderson along with a Lee block. The U.S. Men tied the score at 12-12, getting help from two straight Stanley aces, and led 16-15 at the second TTO, scoring on a left side strike by Anderson. With the score tied 17-17, the U.S. Men scored on two straight blocks from Smith and Lee. After Cuba scored, Lee added a quick kill followed by a Suxho block to give the U.S. a 21-18 lead. Cuba called timeout and pulled back to within one at 21-20. The U.S. called timeout and came back with a Stanley kill. Cuba had a Bell kill and Bisset ace to tie the score at 22-22. But the U.S. scored the final three points on a Stanley spike and two Anderson attacks.
Cuba took the early lead in the third set, 8-5. The U.S. scored on a Stanley attack along with kills from Anderson and Smith. The U.S. came back to tie it at 12-12 with a Lee tip and Anderson kill off the block. The teams traded points until Cuba held a 16-15 lead at the second TTO, scoring on a U.S. net violation. The U.S Men took a 20-17 lead using a 4-0 run, but Cuba came back to tie the score at 21-21. At 23-23, Cuba’s serve went out of bounds. The U.S. won on a Cuban hitting error.]]>
https://usavolleyball.org/news/2012/07/0 ... 5?ngb_id=2
Setters: Lyndsey Berg, Courtney Thompson
Middles: Foluke Akinradewo, Christa Harmotto and Danielle Scott-Arruda
Outsides: Logan Tom, Jordan Larson & Megan Hodge
Opposites: Tayyiba Haneef-Park & Destinee Hooker
Liberos: Nicole Davis, Tamari Miyashiro
Surprised that Heather Bown isn't there. Keeping the old guard of Scott-Arruda, Haneef-Park is interesting, but Dani plays so wisely (5th olympics?). Courtney Thompson is also a bit interesting; tough, little girl with a winning attitude, though. Our setters are lacking in size, but so was Debby Green. It looks like we're going big and powerful! Only worry I see is in passing and in some of the ladies' serving acumen.
Such a tough decision.
The U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team, ranked No. 1 in the world by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB), has nominated its 12-player Olympic Games Team to the United States Olympic Committee.
Pending approval from the USOC, U.S. Olympic Women’s Volleyball Head Coach Hugh McCutcheon (Christchurch, New Zealand) has selected setters Lindsey Berg (Honolulu) and Courtney Thompson (Kent, Wash.) for the Olympic Games roster. Middle blockers chosen for the squad are Foluke Akinradewo (Plantation, Fla.), Christa Harmotto (Hopewell Township, Pa.) and Danielle Scott-Arruda (Baton Rouge, La.). Outside hitters earning a spot on the Olympic Games nomination roster are Megan Hodge (Durham, N.C.), Jordan Larson (Hooper, Neb.) and Logan Tom (Salt Lake City, Utah).
Tayyiba Haneef-Park (Laguna Hills, Calif.) and Destinee Hooker (San Antonio, Texas) are opposites selected to the U.S. Olympic Games roster. Nicole Davis (Stockton, Calif.) and Tamari Miyashiro (Kaneohe, Hawaii) are liberos being nominated to compete in the 2012 Olympic Games.
“We’ve developed a lot of depth in this program over the course of the Olympic quadrennial and, as you would expect, it was very difficult to determine the final composition of this team,†McCutcheon said. “However, after a lot of time and deliberation, we all believe that the group we've selected gives our program the best possible chance of being successful in London.â€
Replacement athletes for the U.S. Olympic Women’s Volleyball Team are setters Alisha Glass (Leland, Mich.) and Carli Lloyd (Bonsall, Calif.), middle blockers Heather Bown (Yorba Linda, Calif.) and Jennifer Tamas (Milpitas, Calif.), outside hitters Cynthia Barboza (Long Beach, Calif.) and Kristin Richards (Orem, Utah), and opposites Nancy Metcalf (Hull, Iowa) and Nicole Fawcett (Zanesfield, Ohio).
The 2012 U.S. Olympic Women’s Volleyball Team, which holds its training headquarters at the American Sports Centers in Anaheim, Calif., includes five Olympic Games veterans and seven players making their Olympic Games debuts. Scott-Arruda, 39, becomes the first U.S. volleyball player – male or female – to compete in five Olympic Games. She becomes just the third female volleyball player worldwide to compete in five Olympic Games, matching the feat of Brazilian setter Hélia Rogério de Souza (Fofão) and Russia’s Yevgeniya Artamonova-Estes.
Tom, who earned Best Scorer at the 2008 Olympic Games and helping the squad to the silver medal, becomes just the third four-time Olympian for the U.S. in women’s volleyball. Haneef-Park and Berg will be appearing in their third Olympic Games. Davis returns as the libero from the 2008 Olympic Games.
Short player biographies on each of the 12 players can be found at the end of this press release. Further, quotes from selected players will be added to this release above the roster graph as received.
The 12-team women’s volleyball Olympic Games competition will take place on alternating days at Earls Court starting July 28. The preliminary round consists of two pools of six teams playing a round-robin format with the top four teams in each pool advancing to the quarterfinal round. The U.S. is part of Pool B with No. 2 Brazil, No. 5 China, No. 6 Serbia, No. 11 Turkey and No. 15 Korea. The top pool finisher crosses over to play the fourth place team in the quarterfinals, while a drawing of lot decides the crossover matches for second- and third-place finishers. Semifinals are on Aug. 9 with the medal-round matches on Aug. 11.
The U.S., ranked No. 1 in the world by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) since November 2011, qualified for the 2012 Olympic Games in the first qualification tournament by claiming silver at the 2011 FIVB World Cup held in November.
Team USA has continued its winning momentum into the 2012 season with a 14-0 record after capturing the FIVB World Grand Prix, the premier annual international volleyball tournament for women, for the third consecutive year. During the World Grand Prix, the U.S. produced victories over Olympic Games bound Brazil twice (No. 2 in the world), Italy (No. 4), China (No. 5), Serbia (No. 6), Dominican Republic (No. 9) and Turkey (No. 11.). The U.S. has now defeated reigning Olympic champion Brazil and Italy in each of the last four meetings, along with three straight wins over China.
McCutcheon has mentored the U.S. program to a 99-37 record in his four years after leading the U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team program to the 2008 Olympic Games gold medal. The U.S. holds a 71-23 record in the past three years with podium finishes in nine of 11 tournaments. During the quadrennial McCutcheon has brought in over 70 players to train at the U.S. National Team Center in Anaheim, Calif.
The U.S. Olympic Women’s Volleyball Team has medaled at the Olympic Games three times, earning the silver medal at the most recent edition at the Beijing Games. The U.S. women also earned the silver medal at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, as well as the bronze medal at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona. The U.S. seeks its first gold medal in any of the major tournaments – Olympic Games, FIVB World Championships, FIVB World Cup – that happen every four years.
In its final preparations for the Olympic Games, the U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team and the City of Anaheim will host Bulgaria in a three-match Challenge Series. The first match will be held July 14 at Canyon High School in Anaheim, Calif. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the door. Seating is limited, so it advised to arrive early. The second and third matches of the series will be played July 16 and July 18 at University of Southern California’s Galen Center. Admission is $10 adults, $5 for children 12-and-under or groups of 10 or more. Tickets can be purchased online at www.usctrojans.com/usa . All three matches will be played at 7 p.m. PT.
Player Quotes:
Foluke Akinradewo: “I can't believe my Olympic dream is finally coming true. I'm so excited to represent the USA in London. I'd like to thank my family, coaches of the past and present, and friends who have supported my journey.â€
Jordan Larson: “Words cannot express my excitement to be a part of this team. It has been something I have dreamed about for a very long time. I would like to thank all my family, friends, coaches and teammates who have helped me along the way to be the player and person I am today. I couldn't have done it without you all.â€
2012 Olympic Games Player Notes
2 - Danielle Scott-Arruda (MB, 6-2, Baton Rouge, La., Long Beach State)
Five-time Olympian (1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012) having played making Olympic Games debut in 1996…Will turn 40 on Oct. 1…U.S. Women’s National Team career has spanned 18 years with first international appearances in 1994 at the Goodwill Games, FIVB World Grand Prix and FIVB World Championship…Has been on U.S. roster for 410 international matches…Will become just the third women’s volleyball player to compete in five Olympic Games…Named MVP, Best Scorer and Best Blocker at the 2001 FIVB World Grand Prix…Earned silver medal at the 2002 FIVB World Championship, 2008 Olympic Games and 2011 FIVB World Cup…Selected to USA Volleyball’s 75th Anniversary Women’s 1978-2003 All-Era Team in 2003…Served as the U.S. delegation flag bearer at the 2007 Pan American Games…Gave birth to daughter Julianne Arruda in April 2010…Speaks fluent Portuguese and some Italian.
3 - Tayyiba Haneef-Park (Opp, 6-7, Laguna Hills, Calif., Long Beach State)
Three-time Olympian (2004, 2008, 2012) and was part of 2008 Olympic Games silver-medal team…Made U.S. international debut in 2001 at Montreux Volley Masters with 263 international matches to date…Earned Best Scorer at the NORCECA Continental Championship in 2005…Was second leading scorer for the U.S. at the 2008 Olympic Games…Selected as Best Server at the 2007 Pan American Games…Earned silver medal at the 2011 FIVB World Cup and 2002 FIVB World Championship…Played as an outside hitter early in her career with the U.S…Gave birth to son Ajani in 2010...Competed in 2000 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials finishing 10th…Tallest player on the team at 200cm.
4 - Lindsey Berg (S, 5-8, Honolulu, Hawaii, Minnesota)
Three-time Olympian (2004, 2008, 2012) and was part of 2008 Olympic Games silver-medal team…Shared the setting duties at the 2008 Olympic Games and sparked the team in wins over Italy in the quarterfinals…Named USA Volleyball Female Indoor Volleyball Player of the Year in 2008 and 2011…Selected Best Setter at the 2005 and 2011 NORCECA Women’s Continental Championship, along with the 2003, 2004 and 2005 Pan American Cup …Missed much of the 2009 season after post-2008 Olympic Games surgery…Made U.S. international debut in 2003 at the Montreux Volley Masters and now has 208 international matches…Berg was never selected as an American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American.
5 - Tamari Miyashiro (L, 5-7, Kaneohe, Hawaii, Washington)
Making first appearance in Olympic Games…Made U.S. international debut in 2010 on a tour of China and now has been on U.S. roster for 61 international matches…Starting libero at the 2011 Pan American Games in which the U.S. captured the bronze medal with a young lineup… Played in 43 of a possible 48 sets in the 2012 FIVB World Grand Prix…As a serving sub in 35 sets at 2012 FIVB World Grand Prix, served 60 times with two aces averaging 1.71 serves per substitution… Reserve libero on the 2011 FIVB World Cup silver-medal team…Three-time AVCA All-American at University of Washington.
6 - Nicole Davis (L, 5-4, Stockton, Calif., Southern California)
Two-time Olympian (2008 and 2012) after holding the starting libero role at the 2008 Olympic Games in which the U.S. finished with the silver medal…Joined the U.S. National Team in 2004 and made international debut in 2005 against Brazil in the Front Range Tour…Now has 209 international matches…as starting libero at 2008 Olympic Games helped the U.S. to a .302 hitting efficiency and finished sixth in Best Digger…Named Best Digger at 2009 Pan American Cup and Best Libero at 2010 Montreux Volley Masters…Helped University of Southern California to back-to-back NCAA titles in 2002 and 2003
10 - Jordan Larson (OH, 6-2, Hooper, Neb., Nebraska)
Making first appearance in Olympic Games…Made U.S. senior team international debut in 2009 at the Pan American Cup after being a member of the U.S. Women’s Junior National Team in 2004 and the U.S. Girls’ Youth National Team in 2003…Since joining the U.S. team has primarily been a starter…Has been starting outside hitter on three straight FIVB World Grand Prix gold-medal teams, along with silver medal at the 2011 FIVB World Cup…Has played in 118 international matches for the U.S…Will be making the switch to jersey No. 10 for the Olympic Games, which was her college number at University of Nebraska where she was a three-time AVCA All-American.
11 - Megan Hodge (OH, 6-3, Durham, N.C., Penn State)
Making first appearance in Olympic Games…Made U.S. senior team international debut in 2010 on a tour of China followed by 2010 Montreux Volley Masters…Selected MVP and Best Scorer of 2012 FIVB World Grand Prix in which the U.S. the event for the third straight time…Helped U.S. to the silver medal at the 2011 FIVB World Cup…Will be making the switch to jersey No. 11 for the Olympic Games, which was her college number at Penn State University…Selected co-Honda Broderick Cup Award winner for the best female collegiate athlete in all NCAA sports for 2009-2010…Led Penn State to three consecutive NCAA Division I volleyball titles from 2007 to 2009 …Named American Volleyball Coaches Association Player of the Year in 2009 as well as ESPN The Magazine/CoSID Academic All-American of the Year…Four-time AVCA All-American…Member of the 2006 U.S. Women’s Junior National Team and the 2004 and 2005 U.S. Girls’ Youth National Team…Born in U.S. Virgin Islands
13 - Christa Harmotto (MB, 6-2, Hopewell, Pa., Penn State)
Making first appearance in Olympic Games…Made first U.S. senior team international debut in 2009 on tour of Egypt…Has made 90 appearances in U.S. international matches…Helped the U.S. to the 2012 FIVB World Grand Prix title…Led all blockers through the 2012 FIVB World Grand Prix preliminary round phase and finished the tournament with averages of 3.23 points, 1.31 blocks and 1.74 kills per set with a 55.5 kill percent and .482 hitting efficiency…Three-time American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American as she led Penn State to back-to-back NCAA titles in 2007 and 2008…Named 2008 ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year…Selected for the 2004 and 2005 U.S. Women’s Junior National Teams.
15 - Logan Tom (OH, 6-1, Salt Lake City, Utah, Stanford)
Four-time Olympian (2000, 2004, 2008, 2012) with first Olympics coming at the age of 19…Becomes just the third U.S. women’s volleyball player to compete in four Olympic Games…Made U.S. senior national team international debut in 1998 at age 16 as part of the NORCECA World Champions Qualification Tournament…Has now made 221 international appearances with the U..S…Earned Best Scorer at the 2008 Olympic Games with 124 points and a 3.76 scoring average per set...Chosen MVP, Best Scorer and Best Server of the 2004 FIVB World Grand Prix…Earned Best Receiver at the 2003 Montreux Volley Masters…Selected Best Server at 2003 Yeltsin Cup and the 2011 NORCECA Continental Championship…Sat out all of the 2005 and 2006 seasons before rejoining the team late in 2007 to help the team win the silver medal at the FIVB World Cup to qualify for the 2008 Olympic Games…Sat out the 2009 season and returned in July 2010 to help the U.S. win the first of three consecutive FIVB World Grand Prix titles…Helped the U.S. to the silver medal at the 2011 FIVB World Cup…Became just the third player to earn four consecutive American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American First-Team honors (1999-2002) while playing at Stanford University, which won the 2001 NCAA title…Named AVCA Player of the Year in 2001 and 2002…Father Melvin Tom played in the National Football League with the Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears.
16 - Foluke Akinradewo (MB, 6-3, Plantation, Fla., Stanford)
Making her first appearance in the Olympic Games…Made first appearance with the U.S. senior team at 2005 Pan American Cup and now has 127 international matches…Joined the U.S. National Team full-time in 2009 after spending summers with the team in 2007 and 2008 while still competing at Stanford University…Helped U.S. to bronze medal at the 2007 Pan American Games…Named MVP and Best Block at the 2010 FIVB World Grand Prix in which the U.S. captured the first of three straight titles…Starter 2011 FIVB World Cup silver medal team…Named either American Volleyball Coaches Association or Volleyball Magazine National Player of the Year in 2007 and 2008 while at Stanford where she concluded her career as a four-time AVCA All-American…Finished Stanford career with then-NCAA record .446 hitting efficiency…Starting middle blocker for the 2005 U.S. Women’s Junior National Team that competed in FIVB Women’s Junior World Championship…Did not play club volleyball…Holds tri-citizenship with USA, Canada and Nigeria.
17 - Courtney Thompson (S, 5-8, Kent, Wash., Washington)
Making her first appearance in the Olympic Games…Made first appearance with the U.S. senior team at 2007 Pan American Cup and now has 74 international appearances…Helped the U.S. win the bronze medal at the 2007 and 2011 Pan American Games…Named Best Setter and Best Server at the FIVB World Championship Qualification Tournament – NORCECA Pool G in 2009…Three-time American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American while at University of Washington…Helped lead Washington to the 2005 NCAA Division I title…Set the NCAA Division I record for career assist average (14.56).
19 - Destinee Hooker (Opp, 6-4, San Antonio, Texas, Texas)
Making her first appearance in the Olympic Games…Made first appearance with the U.S. senior team on a tour of Chinese club teams in 2008 followed by the 2010 FIVB World Grand Prix and now has 65 international matches…In her first official tournament with the U.S., averaged 4.76 points and 2.46 digs in helping the U.S. win the first of three consecutive FIVB World Grand Prix titles…Ranked fourth in Best Scorer in 2010 FIVB World Grand Prix Final Round…Started all 11 matches of 2010 FIVB World Championships and finished as fifth in scoring…Named MVP of the 2011 FIVB World Grand Prix and ranked second in scoring in the Final Round with 101 points…In 2011 selected as one of 13 FIVB Heroes for women’s volleyball…Helped the U.S. to the gold medal at the 2011 NORCECA Continental Championship and the silver medal at the 2011 FIVB World Cup…Selected Best Spiker at the FIVB World Cup with a 49.5 kill percent to go with a 5.91 points scored average…Scored U.S. career-high 39 points against China on Nov. 16, 2011…Three-time American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American while at University of Texas…Won the 2009 NCAA Indoor High Jump championship and the 2009 NCAA Outdoor High Jump championship, becoming just the second female in NCAA history to win three NCAA Outdoor High Jump titles and the first female high jumper to sweep the indoor and outdoor crowns since 2004.]]>
https://usavolleyball.org/news/2012/06/1 ... 4?ngb_id=2
USA Volleyball is saddened to learn of the passing of legendary volleyball great Gene Selznick (March 19, 1930 to June 10, 2012) after a series of health issues culminating in pneumonia.
To call Gene Selznick one of the greatest players in the history of volleyball is a disservice. Selznick was also a great innovator, a wonderful entertainer, an outstanding coach and an outspoken individual who first started playing the game in the sand when he was 18-years-old.
“Volleyball has lost one of the most remarkable performers and personalities in our entire life,†USA Volleyball CEO Doug Beal said. “Gene Selznick’s entire life was lived through and about the sport of volleyball. It is hard to imagine anyone who will by the level of their skill and personality to have a greater influence on the sport he loved so much. Gene’s accomplishments are legendary and he was truly someone who became larger than life. He was innovative, creative, stubborn, dogmatic, visionary and enormously influential. His mark on the sport will last for as long as most of us will know, and we have truly lost a significant portion of our history. I cherish the memories of the times I spent with Gene and know I was one of so many that he touched and influenced in his long tenure in our sport.â€
But Selznick was even more. He was a visionary whose efforts to change the way the game was played in the United States met with staunch opposition from the USA Volleyball leadership at the time and led to the only regret about a sport he loves so much when he was not allowed to participate on the U.S. National Team that participated in the 1964 Olympic Games.
Selznick, a 1988 inductee into the Volleyball Hall of Fame, was one of the most talented volleyball players who could play offense and defense both indoor and on the sand. He was selected USA Volleyball First-Team All-American 10 times between 1951 and 1965. Selznick was selected the USA Volleyball Open National Championships most valuable player three times following the 1959, 1960 and 1962 events. As part of a team, Selznick helped his clubs to national titles in 1951-1953 and 1956 with Hollywood YMCA), 1960 and 1965 with Los Angeles Westside Jewish Community Center and 1966 with Santa Monica Sand and Sea Club.
Selznick served as captain of the U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team from 1953 to 1967. In 1956 Selznick became the first American to be selected All-World following the FIVB World Championship in Paris. He also played on the1960 FIVB World Championship team and the Pan Am Games team in 1955 and 1959.
“The biggest contribution Gene made was as architect of the modern game,†said Ron Lang, who was one of Selznick’s indoor teammates and playing partners on the beach for many years. “After the 1956 FIVB World Championship, he came back and wanted us to play more like the Europeans did. He started the concept of the 2-man block. I don’t think Gene has gotten enough recognition for what he gave to the game. He was a great defensive player on the beach. He just loved the game and was always striving to better the game. He was one of a kind.â€
Selznick was selected to USA Volleyball All-Era Team for the period of 1953 to 1977, for which he was named most valuable player. He was honored as a USA Volleyball All-Time Great Player in 1982.
Selznick, who won the title King of the Beach from 1950 to 1966, also won countless tournaments on the beaches of California, including every Laguna Beach Open from 1955 to 1961. He won a total of 38 of 63 tournaments he played in, along with 19 runner-up finishes. Teamed with Bernie Holtzman, the tandem won 18 tournaments and advanced to the finals in all 20 events. Selznick earned “Mr. All-World†status as most valuable player of an international tournament of 24 teams held in 1956.
Selznick, who introduced basketball legend Wilt Chamberlin to the game of beach volleyball, won his first beach tournament with Ev Keller at the 1950 State Beach Men’s Open, and later teamed with Don McMahon and Lang to win tournaments.
During his great playing career, Selznick also tried his hand at coaching, leading the U.S. Women to the gold medal at the 1963 Pan Am Games.
Later, Selznick became an accomplish coach on the sand that originated his game. At the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, he coached Sinjin Smith and Carl Henkel to a near upset of eventual gold-medalists Karch Kiraly and Kent Steffes. At the 2000 Olympic Games, Selznick coached Misty May-Treanor and Holly McPeak and would later train Kerri Walsh.
2006 USA Volleyball Article on Gene Selznick
Mr. Volleyball, Gene Selznick, Still Going Strong at 75
To call Gene Selznick one of the greatest players in the history of volleyball is a disservice. Selznick was also a great innovator, a wonderful entertainer, an outstanding coach and an outspoken individual who first started playing the game in the sand when he was 18-years-old.
He was a visionary whose efforts to change the way the game was played in the United States met with staunch opposition from the powerful United States Volleyball Association (USVBA) leadership at the time—and led to the only regret he feels about a sport he loves so much.
Mixing his natural physical talents with skills he “copied†from players around the world, Selznick dominated volleyball like no other player during the 1950s and 60s. In 1995, Volleyball magazine called him the “Karch Kiraly of his era.â€
His list of awards and honors is long and impressive: Volleyball Hall of Fame inductee, 1988; FIVB All-World Team, 1956; USA Volleyball All-Time Great Player, 1982; USA Volleyball 75th Anniversary Men’s 1953-77 All-Era Team Most Valuable Player, 2003; USA Volleyball 75th Anniversary Men’s 1928-87 Beach All-Era Team selection, 2003; Two-time USVBA Men’s Open Player of the Year, 1959 and 1960; Five-time USVBA Men’s National Champion; 10-time USVBA Men’s Open First-Team All-American.
On the eve of his 75th birthday (Saturday, March 19), Selznick is still very active in volleyball. He coaches the greatest women’s beach volleyball player ever, 2004 Olympic bronze medalist Holly McPeak, along with her new partner for the 2005 season, Jennifer Kessy.
“I met Gene in 1996 and he has helped me off and on ever since,†recalled McPeak. “He is a busy guy so I grab him when I can get him. We just spent a week in Hawaii training—Gene came with us and really helped Jen on her hitting footwork. I love Gene…I think he has been amazing for our sport and continues to help make me better every day!â€
In 2000, he helped McPeak and Misty May qualify for the Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, but an abdominal injury to May limited the duo to a fifth-place finish. At the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta, he coached Sinjin Smith and Carl Henkel to a near-upset of eventual gold-medal winners Karch Kiraly and Kent Steffes as beach volleyball made its debut on the Olympic stage.
“Gene has so much knowledge of the sport and is so good at the footwork aspect of the game,†McPeak revealed. “I wish I played for him when I was younger so that I would have developed his style of footwork as my own. Now I have to work extra hard to remember it but when I take my approach like he tells me to, I hit great.
“Gene also likes to challenge his players and make them better,†McPeak added. “He sees their potential better than they do and pushes them. Some players have a hard time with this; others excel with that type of input. I love it because he is always pushing me to be better!â€
Selznick also coaches girl’s club volleyball, tutoring 14, 16 and 18-year-olds for Team Steam in Southern California.
The years have not diminished his quick wit, his sharp mind or his elephant-like memory, but time, Selznick admits, has caught up with him physically.
“I’m not in the greatest shape; I have a bad knee,†he said. “Once I get my knee cut off I’ll be ready to get in shape again. I am going to do that after the Junior Nationals. In July I am going to have a knee operation and get a new knee. Then I can start playing again. Maybe I can have another 75 years…I don’t know.â€
Selznick started playing beach volleyball in 1948, and the attraction was instantaneous, in more ways than one.
“I liked all sports…but volleyball was much nicer because we played on the beach and there were lots of girls in bathing suits,†he recalled with a laugh. “Those other sports didn’t have that.â€
After his first year on the beach, his friends Bernie Holtzman and Manny Saenz introduced him to the indoor game, and for that Selznick is forever grateful.
“They taught me how to play,†he admitted. “They were two great players…they were my role models. Bernie, especially, is a wonderful guy and a great promoter of volleyball.â€
Selznick soon developed into one of the best to ever play beach volleyball in the “early years.†A true innovator, he is credited with bringing the "spike" to the beach game. Although other players used to spike the ball occasionally on the beach, Selznick was the first to use it as his main weapon.
His first “Open†tournament win came with Everette "Ev" Keller at the 1950 State Beach Men's Open. Selznick later enjoyed a great deal of sand success with Don McMahon, Holtzman and Ron Lang. With Holtzman and Lang combined, he won nearly 40 events.
When asked to recall the best partners he ever had on the sand, Selznick did not hesitate.
“The best partner, all around volleyball, was Ron Lang,†he said quickly. “But the best partner for a lot of fun and everything else was Bernie. Keith Erickson was a wonderful guy to play with too. That was just total fun. Of course, we didn’t play for money so we just had a great time. Keith and I, we just laughed our way through most of the tournaments. We just had a great time playing.â€
When Selznick was asked to name his greatest opponents, he was equally responsive—and detailed.
“Well, you had (Mike) O’Hara and (Mike) Bright,†he began. “Bright was exceptional out there. Mike Bright was wonderful. Mike O’Hara was a very good volleyball player. Then you had George Yardley; he was the first guy to score 2,000 points in an NBA season. George could hit that ball about two million miles an hour. So we never served George; we kept the ball away from him and served his brother (laughs).
“Of course you had Manny Saenz, but he just got old too soon,†Selznick added. “Then you had Everette Keller, you had (Ron) Von Hagen, you had Lang…I could go on and on. There was a guy named Bill Stratton from Chicago. He was a pilot and he was a hell of a volleyball player. I copied a lot of his moves. The only reason I did that was because when we played him at the Nationals I couldn’t dig him. He came to play on my team, Hollywood, the next year and I just watched everything he did. I said to myself, 'If I can’t dig you then you must be a good hitter.’ Bill was one hell of a hitter; he was excellent.
“Larry Rundle was wonderful,†he continued. “Larry Rundle, to me, was probably one of the most outstanding volleyball players for his size that they ever made. You know, he could jump about 40 inches. He had great hits, a lot of power; he was a hell of a volleyball player. He had great hands. Rundle was maybe 6-feet tall at the most. But the guy was overpowering; he could hit that ball. He could pass it, he could set it; he could do everything. Rundle was superb. It was hard to beat him.â€
Selznick’s most memorable match in the sand was also played in the dark with Lang in “1958 or 1959.â€
“There was a match that we played against O’Hara and Bright in Laguna Beach, I think it was,†he remembered. “It was dark, and they had to put the car lights on to light up the court. O’Hara was trying to intimidate us. He wanted one game because he was getting cramps. We wanted the regular game, which was two-out-of-three in the finals.
“So he tried to intimidate us. He told me: ‘If you play one game you’re going to have to play three.’ Well, I knew he would never last three games anyway so we just laughed at him. We played the game, and we beat them, of course, because he was cramping up.
“But in those days you had to play in the dark,†Selznick added. “The tournaments, they were run much differently then. But it was a lot of fun.â€
Selznick’s most memorable match indoors comes to him as if it were yesterday.
“The Nationals, 1960 in Dallas, Texas,†he declared. “We (Westside Jewish Community Center) had to come through the loser’s bracket to beat Hollywood YMCA. That was an outstanding game. We started at 8 o’clock at night and got through at 1 in the morning.
“We lost the first game of the finals—we had to play a double final (two out of three)—and then won the next two. Then we lost the first game of the second final and had to come through and win the next two games. I think that was the greatest finals we ever had, really.â€
In 1953 Selznick represented the United States internationally indoors for the first time and discovered that there were different, and perhaps better, ways to play the game.
“We toured Europe for six weeks, I believe it was,†he remembered. “Back then we played the No. 1 team in the world, which was Yugoslavia. It went to a five-game match. Of course in those days they were playing international rules, and we played the 4-2 high sets power. They beat us because the referee was on their side in the fifth game.
“Anyway, it was a great match and we learned a lot of volleyball,†Selznick added. “It was very thrilling and exciting because they (other international teams) had a different way of playing volleyball. It was much faster and a better way of playing the game than our game.â€
Selznick was hooked on the international style of play, and he made every effort to convince the powers that be in the USVBA that the American system of play had been surpassed by the Europeans. For years, he urged the USVBA to consider changing their rules and to adopt the international rules and systems.
But his demands fell on deaf ears, and eventually it cost Selznick his dream of playing on the world’s biggest stage: he was left off the 1964 USA men’s Olympic volleyball team because of the long-running dispute.
“No matter what anybody else says, this was the way it happened: I was told that if I would stop fighting the committee about international rules, I’m on the Olympic team,†Selznick admits. “That was told to me by Harry Wilson, the coach. He said ‘You’re on the team if you stop talking about international rules. We’re not going to change.’ I said ‘Well, I’ll just make the team on my ability.’ Of course I was wrong because the committee had to choose you.â€
Despite being one of the only players at the time that had any real international experience, Selznick was snubbed for standing his ground.
“I have regrets, of course…I didn’t get to go to the Olympics,†he said. “I trained for that. Everything I did was to go to the Olympics. It didn’t work out, and that’s the biggest thing. And the only reason was because they didn’t want to change the rules, which was a stupid reason not to go.
“But that’s the only regret I have,†Selznick is quick to point out. “Everything else was wonderful in volleyball, and I am still having a great time.â€
Part of that enjoyment comes from watching his son, Dane, follow in his footsteps, first as a champion beach volleyball player, then as a champion beach volleyball coach. This past summer, Dane saw his team of May and Kerri Walsh win the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. Earlier this week, Dane was selected as one of five finalists for the United States Olympic Committee National Coach of the Year.
So did father teach son everything he knows about volleyball?
“I hope I taught him even better than that,†the elder Selznick quips. “Dane started playing volleyball when he was two or three years old. He’s been playing his whole life. He told me he’s giving me half the medal (laughs). I’m glad he won. It was a fun deal to see that. If I can’t win, at least he wins. As long as one of us wins, that’s OK.â€
While he has not thoughts of ending his connection to the game anytime soon, Selznick did offer a few thoughts on how he would like to be remembered when he is gone.
“I would like to be remembered as someone who helped change the game in the United States…someone who helped develop the game that we play now in the United States,†he revealed. “I would like to be remembered as someone who did something good for volleyball. Maybe some of my ways weren’t the best, but I had no other way to do it.â€]]>
https://usavolleyball.org/blogs/blog-for ... o-training
Comforts of Home and Back to Training
by Alisha Glass / June 06, 2012
NOTE: Alisha Glass is writing a blog for Mizuno, a key USA Volleyball sponsor and partner. Glass is a Mizuno-sponsored athlete and will periodically provide insights into being a U.S. Women's National Team athlete while representing Mizuno. For more information Mizuno, visit mizunousa.com.
Hello Mizuno People
It has been a crazy couple of months. Coming back from Poland and starting training with the National Team has been quite the whirlwind. I got to go home, and if you’ve read my previous blogs, I got to have my favorite sandwich from Sisson’s Main Street Specialties. I’ve tried to explain how wonderful it is, but maybe this will help. While I was in Poland, I experimented with being a vegetarian, or more specifically a Pescatarian. My reasons for the change weren’t typical. I used to be a very picky eater and I was never particularly excited about protein sources like beef, chicken, pork. I liked them, but mostly the reason for me eating them was to get the protein we athletes need. Through being a vegetarian, I’ve learned to like fish more, and I’ve found many other protein sources that I can incorporate into my diet that I never thought about before, like putting black beans and nuts into a salad, or making dishes with quinoa. So back to the sandwich, I hadn’t eaten any meat until I got back home and I thought about missing out on that sandwich, and I decided that it was too good to miss out on, so I ate it and it was WONDERFUL!!
After home, I flew out to Anaheim and got started training. The first couple weeks are always unusual because we are all trickling in from our various countries. We haven’t seen anyone in six months and it’s great to catch up and also show the progress we’ve made as players. We had comfort in our time getting back into the swing of things because we had already qualified; it’s the way to go. However, we felt a little anxiety for the men who needed to qualify, but were trickling in just like us. Fortunately, their first chance to qualify was on our own turf. They played the qualifier in The Pyramid and Long Beach State. It’s so fun to have an International tournament in America. People showed their support and the guys had some pretty good crowds, especially for the finals. They used that to their advantage and were able to qualify. It was so fun to watch! It was also great to see Emily Adams Knight and Brynn Murphy from Mizuno.
Now that both National Teams have qualified, we can focus on becoming the best team that we both can be. We have to be good on the court, but this year we’ve done some things that will help us come together off the court. We got a visit from a couple of War Veterans and a member of our National Sitting Women’s Volleyball team. One of the War Veterans was severely wounded and lost his sight. Hearing all of their stories, about their pride in representing our country and selfless service, it makes you realize that in a different way, we are doing the same thing. We have to represent our country at the Olympics and it makes it more powerful when you hear other people’s personal accounts doing the same, just on a different level. It was an emotional day, but I think it really had a huge impact on us.
We have one major tournament left before the Olympics – The FIVB World Grand Prix. It will be an opportunity for the team to improve, and also a time for player’s to prove themselves worthy of making that 12 person roster that will go to London. It’s a pretty stressful time. It’s what the last three summers have been about; it’s what we’ve been working towards. There is so much time put in and so many sacrifices made. No matter what happens, everyone will have played their own part and made an impact somehow. Whether it’s being a starter, or being that player that potentially doesn’t get to go to London, it makes the people around them better just by battling everyday. It takes the entire group focused on one common goal -to be the best USA team we can be. It’s a powerful thing.
-Alisha]]>
<b>DAY CAMP-Monday, July 9 – Wednesday, July 11
SKILLS CAMP- Thursday, July 12 – Saturday, July 14
ELITE CAMP-Thursday, July 12 – Saturday, July 14
POSITION CAMP- Saturday, July 14 – Sunday, July 15</b>
You can mail in an application or use our convenient online registration.
<b>Online Registration:</b>
https://www.justsportscamps.com/urvolle ... ister.html
<b>Day Camp Application:</b>
https://www.uofrathletics.com/custompage ... ath=wvball
<b>Skills/Elite/Position Application:</b>
https://www.uofrathletics.com/custompage ... ath=wvball
Please let me know if you have any questions!
cheers,
Ladi
Wherever a human being exists, there is an opportunity to do a kindness. -Seneca]]>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vo2xFgYdaLY ]]>
https://imvolleyball.org/unity-shines-in ... ague-game/
Unity Shines in First Ever Premier Volleyball League Game
Inaugural Event for New USA Volleyball Sanctioned Professional League
Salt Lake City (May 25 2012)- The hometown Utah Unity showed well in the Asics Preview, the inaugural event for the new Premier Volleyball League. In the main event of the exhibition Unity defeated Team Florida WAVE 20-25, 25-22 and 15-13.
The PVL is a new professional women’s volleyball league sanctioned by USA Volleyball. Teams will vie for the first ever PVL Championship as a part of the USA Volleyball Open National Championships taking place in Salt Lake City this week.
A crowd of over 500 volleyball fans took to the Dolores Dore Eccles Health, Wellness and Athletic Center on the campus of Westminster College to see the six-team exhibition that included an autograph signing and free kids clinic before the matches.
Nearly 40 boys and girls took part in the free volleyball clinic before the match. Unity players gave hands on training to kids of all skill levels and ages, ranging from six to 17 years old. Following the clinic the team signed autographs and posed for pictures.
Besides Utah and Florida, four other PVL teams participated in the exhibition. Puget Sound, Arizona Sizzle, Team North Texas and Dream Team of Northern California also scrimmaged prior to the Unity match. The six teams that took part in tonight’s exhibition will be joined by Team Iowa Ice, Hoosier Exterminators, Team Evergreen, Team Great Lakes, Team New England and Western Empire to make up the 12 team league. Teams will battle in the inaugural league event for the title of PVL Champion and a prize of $20,000 put up by USA Volleyball.]]>
I wish I could give you a blow by blow, but luckily its on video somewhere. In the end, maybe our energy was just a little stronger and we pulled it out.
We won. 20-25, 25-21, 25-23, 25-19.
Alyssa D'Errico 17 kills, 16 digs, 1 block, 1 ace
Steph Jansma 46 assists, 3 kills, 2 blocks, 2 aces, 10 digs
Ladi Iya 9 kills, 3 blocks, 3 digs
Casey Wright 10 kills, 7 blocks, 3 digs
Laurie Gonzalez 14 digs, 1 assist
Lauren Costello 6 kills, 6 digs, 1 assist, 1 block
Teresa Coppiellie 8 kills, 19 digs, 2 blocks, 1 ace
Brooke Stanley 6 digs, 1 assist]]>
We lost 20-25; 15-25; 19-25.
Alyssa D'Errico 15 kills, 7 digs, 2 aces
Brooke Stanley 12 assists, 4 digs
Steph Jansma 11 assists, 6 digs, 1 block
Casey Wright 6 blocks, 1 kill, 1 dig
Ladi Iya 4 blocks, 2 kills
Kait O'Hara 3 kills, 1 dig
Teresa Coppiellie 2 kils, 1 block, 1 dig
Amanda Hubbard, 4 digs, 1 kill
Laurie Gonzalez 3 digs
Lauren Costello 3 digs]]>
Brooke Stanley 28 assists, 9 digs, 1 kill, 1 block
Alyssa D'Errico 15 kills, 15 digs, 1 assist
Steph Jansma 14 assists, 2 digs, 2 kills, 1 block
Teresa Coppiellie 9 kills, 5 digs, 2 blocks
Laurie Gonzalez 24 digs
Casey Wright 6 kills, 5 digs, 4 blocks, 3 aces
Ladi Iya 9 kills, 3 digs, 1 block
Amanda Hubbard 5 dogs
Kait O'Hara 2 kills
Sara Shipley 1 dig
Lauren Costello 2 kills, 1 ace]]>
25-22, 19-25, 17-25, 25-22, 10-15
Alyssa D'Errico 14 kills, 10 digs, 2 aces, 1 assist, 1 block
Casey Wright 7 kills, 5 digs, 1 assist, 1 block
Stephanie Jansma 23 assists, 11 digs, 7 kills, 1 block
Teresa Coppiellie 8 kills, 10 digs, 1 block
Brooke Stanley 15 assists, 7 digs, 1 kill
Ladi Iya 7 kills, 3 blocks, 1 ace
Laurie Gonzalez 24 digs, 1 assist
Kait O'Hara 6 kills, 3 blocks, 1 dig]]>
•Two-time AVCA All-America First Team (2007, 2010)
•Two-time Volleyball Magazine All-America First Team (2007, 2010)
• 2010 NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team
<b>Kanani Danielson</b> - Hawaii OH
4-time AVCA All-American (first-team in 2011, 2010, 2009 and third-team in 2008).
<b>Kelly Murphy</b> - 6;2" S/OP University of florida
2011, 2010 AVCA All American first team
<b>Arielle Wilson</b> 6'3 Penn State M
first team AVCA 2010, 09.
<b>Rachael Adams</b> 6'2" M Texas
2011, 10 first team avca All American
<b>Lauren Van Orden</b> 5'11" UCLA setter
Among others. Get the idea?
Score: 20-25, 20-25, 17-25.
Respectable match! We battled. Girls gave their all.
Alyssa D'Errico 14 kills, 9 digs, 2 blocks, 2 assists
Stephanie Jansma 34 assists, 11 digs, 5 blocks, 3 kills
Casey Wright 6 kills, 5 blocks, 1 ace
Laurie Gonzalez 14 digs, 2 kills
Ladi Iya 6 kills, 3 blocks, 1 assist
Teresa Coppiellie 6 kills, 6 digs
Kaitlin O'Hara 6 kills, 2 digs, 1 block
Brooke Stanley 2 digs
Amanda Hubbard 2 digs]]>
Tourney started quiet, lots of nervous energy. We served well and passed well in 1st game and won. Then, the Sizzle starts to get their opposite and their middle going and we had difficulty stopping those two hitters. Sizzle had obviously been in training for some time, had scrimmaged the day before and became stronger as the match went on. We were still getting it together and bogged down in a few difficult rotations. Some adjustments would take some time.
A good start...
Alyssa D'Errico 14 kills, 10 digs, 2 aces, 1 assist, 1 block
Stephanie Jansma 23 assists, 7 kills, 11 digs, 1 block
Teresa Coppiellie 10 digs, 8 kills, 1 block
Brooke Stanley 15 assists, 7 digs, 1 kill
Ladi Iya 7 kills, 3 blocks, 1 ace
Laurie Gonzalez 24 digs, 1 assist
Casey Wright 7 kills, 5 digs, 1 assist, 1 block
Kaitlin O'Hara 6 kills, 3 blocks, 1 dig]]>
c'mon]]>
Western Empire Women’s Volleyball Team
<b>3 Laurie Gonzalez 5’9†L</b>
4 year Great Dane career at University of Albany (2008-11), Laurie was four times named the America East Conference Defensive Specialist of the Year. She was also named by the AVCA to the Division I All-Northeast Region Honorable Mention squad. In 2009 she earned a bronze medal as a member of the U.S. National A2 Team
Graduate of the St. Francis School in Carolina, Puerto Rico, where she was named the Student-Athlete of the Year, as well as, a three-time LACC All-District All-Star selection.
Her parents are Ramon Gonzalez and Dominique Van Quathem .
<b>4 Lauren Costello 6’1†M</b>
4 year Purple Eagle career at Niagara University in Buffalo, NY (2007-11), Lauren was a six semester member of the MAAC All-Academic Team. In 2010-11, she was awarded the Universities’ Purple Heart Award for outstanding character and contribution to the institute’s life.
A graduate of Our Lady of Mercy high school in Rochester, NY, where in 2005 Lauren was named MVP of her league’s championship
Daughter of Mary and Bill Costello, her two sisters Kaitlin and Emily also play volleyball.
<b>5 Sara Shipley 6’1†OH/M</b>
4 year Golden Flyer career at Nazareth College in Rochester, NY (01-04), Sara was a two sport athlete competing in both volleyball and basketball as a center.
A graduate of Palmyra-Macedon high school, Sara was a four-year standout in volleyball and basketball. A two time Finger Lakes East league all Star, she was named to the Section 5 Class B All Tournament Team in 2001.
Daughter of Anna and Tim Shipley, she has a brother, Ryan.
<b>6 Stephanie Jansma 6’ S/OH</b>
Coaches at Canisius College in Buffalo, NY
4 year Tar Heel career @ North Carolina where Stephanie competed as a setter and was named to the All ACC Academic team three times.
2004 New York Gatorade Player of the year.
A graduate of Lancaster high school, her squad made four trips to the State Championships, winning the title in 2004.
Her parents are Pamela and Michael Jansma, her brother Michael also is a volleyball player/coach.
<b>7 Brooke Stanley 5’9†S</b>
4 year Great Dane career at University of Albany (2007-11), Brooke, the America East Conference Setter of the Year, was named the 2011 America East Conference tournament's Most Outstanding Player. She sat out 2010 due to injury. In 2009, she was also named the America East Conference Player and Setter of the Year. In 2008, she was named the America East Conference Setter of the Year while earning All-Conference first-team honors.
A graduate of West Henderson high school in North Carolina, Brooke was a member of four conference championship teams. She led team to the North Carolina State Championship in 2003-04 (earning MVP honors) and a state runner-up finish in 2005-06.
She is the daughter of Paul and Jan Stanley.
<b>8 Ladi Iya 6’1†M/OH</b>
Coaches at University of Rochester in Rochester, NY
4 year Purple Ace career @ University of Evansville where Ladi competed as a middle blocker and was named Second Team All Missouri Valley in 2000 and earned Academic All-Conference honors three times in her four-year career. (1997-2000).
In the spring of 2002, she was the starting middle blocker for the Grand Rapids Force of the USPV.
Member of the Nigerian National Volleyball team in 2003-04.
Ladi grew up in Nigeria and England.
<b>9 Amanda Hubbard 5’7†OH/DS</b>
Coaches at University of Rochester in Rochester, NY
3 year Bomber career at Ithaca College where she was named Empire 8 Player of the Year in 2006 and was a member of the AVCA All-New York Region Team all three of her seasons(2005-07).
1 year career at Binghamton University (2004)
A graduate of Horseheads high school where she received all-state honors her sophomore, junior, and senior years.
She is the daughter of Janet Hubbard.
<b>10 Casey Wright 6’2†M</b>
4 year Great Dane career at University of Albany (2008-11), Casey was named to the All Conference first team in 2010 and 11. Casey also earned her first Honorable Mention AVCA All-Region award in 2011.
A graduate of Ballston Spa, NY high school, Casey earned all-state third-team honors as a senior. She was also a three-time all-council first-team honoree and a member of the Section II Class AA championship team in 2006-07.
She is the daughter of David and Sharon Wright and was Salutatorian of her high school class.
<b>11 Katilin O’Hara 6’3†Op/M</b>
Coaches at Nazareth College in Rochester, NY
4 year Penguin career at Youngstown State (2006-09) as a middle/outside hitter
A graduate of Canandaigua high school, O'Hara earned first-team all-state honors as a senior in 2005 and third-team honors in '04 as she led the team to back-to-back Finger Lakes League titles. She also helped the team reach the state finals in '05.
Her parents are Patrick and Patricia O’Hara and she has a sister, Lauren.
<b>12 Alyssa D’Errico 5’9†OH/DS</b>
Just finished her first professional season, playing for Feel Volleyball Alcobendas in Madrid, Spain
4 year Lion Career @ Penn State where Alyssa’s squads made four consecutive trips to the National Championships and walked away Champions (2007-2010).
A graduate of Byron-Bergen high school, she was the five-time Section V Class C Most Valuable Player (2002-2006), beginning in her eighth grade year ... led the Bees to three New York state titles (2004-2006) and five sectional titles.
2006-2007 New York State Gatorade Player of the Year
Her parents are Cindy and Dave D'Errico. She has one sister, Brianna. Her mother Cindy was a member of the 1977 volleyball national A2 team and sister Brianna was an all-conference volleyball player at Ithaca.
<b>14 Teresa Coppiellie 6’1†OH</b>
4 year Great Dane career at University of Albany (2007-10), Teresa was named to the America East Conference First Team in 2009. In 2010, she was named the America East Player of the Year helping to lead her team to the regular season and conference titles.
A graduate of Salem high school in Wisconsin, she earned all-region and all-area first team honors as a senior and was named to the Western Lakes Athletic Association first team on two occasions.
Teresa is the daughter of Ray and Holly Coppiellie.]]>
Alyssa D'Errico - named to the 2012 Walk of Fame!
Steve O'Dell - named the Rochester Knighthawks High School Male Athlete of the Year!]]>
This weekend (5/19-20) the Western Empire women's team that will represent NY in the US Nationals (the PVL league)* on Memorial Day weekend will conduct their final pre-tournament sessions at the Buffalo Niagara Court Center in West Seneca, NY. Please come out and support the team.
The team, consisting of Alyssa D'Errico, Stephany Jansma, Ladi Iya, Amanda Hubbard, Lauren Costello, Kaitlin O'Hara, Sarah Shipley, Brooke Stanley, Laurie Gonzales, Casey Wright, Teresa Coppielli, Sarah Ward and Cherisse Rehman, will have a practice/exhibition session Saturday evening, 7PM. On Sunday, they will have a scrimmage session with Niagara Frontier's top teams, 2PM.
A final fundraising Reverse Coed challenge court will occur Friday night @ Hot Shots in Rochester. Contact Roger Majeski for information...
[email protected]
The advertisement follows:
This is the last of the Reverse coed challenge court. Advance level players $ 15 person,check in/ warm up starts at 6:30pm.
Play begins 7pm.
Please help support the Women's Premier volleyball team- Western empire as they will be traveling to Salt Lake next week to represent the WEVA Region in the National championship.
* https://www.usapvl.com/
The USA PVL is a grass roots professional volleyball league beginning in 2012 and it will be made up of teams from among of the forty (40) regional volleyball associations across the United States. The USA PVL will be sanctioned by USA Volleyball and will offer tournament play and a League Championship event each year.
In 2012 the PVL will offer a single league championship event at the USA Open National Championships in Salt Lake City, UT. In 2013 (and beyond), the PVL will offer tournament play at various USAV Jr. National Qualifiers (JNQ’s) in addition to the USA Open National Championships. The league championships (after 2012) will take place in conjunction with the USA Volleyball Girls’ Jr. National Championship event that is held in various locations throughout the USA. The goal is to add a men's division in the near future and the league championships for the men will take place at the USA Volleyball Boys' Jr. National Championship event.
Post-collegiate athletes that are interested in participating in the PVL should contact their Regional Volleyball Association (RVA) office and inquire about their respective team. CLICK HERE to contact your respective RVA.]]>
Alyssa D'Errico https://www.gopsusports.com/sports/w-vol ... ssa00.html
Stephanie Jansma https://www.tarheelblue.com/sports/w-vol ... nie00.html
Ladi Iya https://www.uofrathletics.com/coaches.as ... ath=wvball
Amanda Hubbard https://www.uofrathletics.com/coaches.as ... ath=wvball
Kaitlin O'Hara https://www.nazathletics.com/coaches.asp ... ath=wvball
Sara Shipley https://www.nazathletics.com/custompages ... vb0304.pdf
Sarah Ward https://www.genesee.edu/athletics/teams/ ... terID=1251
Lauren Costello https://www.purpleeagles.com/news/2011/5/12/13100.aspx
Teresa Coppiellie https://www.ualbanysports.com/ViewArticl ... ID=1213004
Casey Wright https://www.ualbanysports.com/ViewArticl ... EASON=2011
Brooke Stanley https://www.ualbanysports.com/ViewArticl ... EASON=2011
Laurie Gonzalez https://www.ualbanysports.com/ViewArticl ... EASON=2011
Cherisse Rehman of Churchville was also asked to be a member of the team, but declined due to other commitments.]]>
Not a tattoo guy my self but......
I remember when Matt was 14 and walked in my gym and served a ball.....#1 thought ....he has a text book armswing.]]>
https://usapvl.com/ ]]>
Booooooom]]>
Call (585-475-5295) or email ( [email protected] ) with any questions. Thanks!]]>
Email addresses above are still good! Get your spot today!]]>
You can call us at 232 3221 or find us on the web at
www.msavolleyball.com with any further questions.
Main Street Armory]]>
Main Street]]>
Guides on becoming a better volleyball player from the pros - https://www.vballworld.com !]]>
Giba will be aiming for a second Olympic gold medal in London following success at the Athens 2004 Games
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, February 15, 2012 – Brazil captain Giba said his recovery from surgery to his lower left leg on Monday is going well at a press conference held in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday.
Accompanied by Dr Ney Pecegueiro, the Olympic champion and three-time world champion said his focus is now on the London 2012 Olympic Games and a second gold medal.
“From today on, I am on an Olympic project,†the 35-year-old said. “I will take care of myself and do whatever I need to be in shape for London. I am pretty sure the surgery was the best option as the traditional treatment did not work as we expected. I could not play the South American Championship and, as I needed to play more than I expected at the World Cup, as Dante was injured, the fracture happened.â€
According to Dr Pecegueiro, Giba will not be able to train for two months and can begin playing again in a full capacity in three months.
“We introduced a titanium rod on his tibia so the fracture can heal faster,†Dr Pecegueiro explained. “Now Giba needs to recover from the surgery, which is aggressive to the organism. In the next three weeks, he will not be able to put his left foot on the floor. According to the fracture’s consolidation, he will start physical work. The surgery makes the recover quicker than usual.â€
“When it is about Giba, everything is possible,†he added. “I used to say he is not from this world [in terms of recovery].â€
Monday´s surgery was the first in the seven-time World League champion and two-time World Cup winner’s long career. In over two decades as a player the worst injury Giba has suffered has been two twisted ankles.
“The first time was in the 1998 World Championship, when I fell over a ball, but kept playing, even if I had broken the ligaments,†Giba, who has also won eight FIVB Volleyball World Leagues and two World Cups, said. “In 2008, before the Olympics, I also twisted my ankle, but I recovered in time.â€
“I believe volleyball´s structure is different. I came to Rio de Janeiro one week before the surgery and talked to Dr Ary Graça [FIVB executive vice-president and Brazil Volleyball Federation president] and he said he was with me for whatever I needed. I have worked with him for over 10 years and I know and appreciate the support he gives to the sport.â€
https://www.fivb.org/viewPressRelease.as ... anguage=en ]]>
Just in case you don't know, The FIVB World League is an international men's volleyball competition. Created in 1990, it is the longest and richest of all the international events organized by the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB). The tournament is annual. The women's version of the competition is called FIVB World Grand Prix. In 2006, $20 million dollars in prize money were distributed amongst 16 participating teams from 5 continents.
History:
Old FIVB World League logoThe World League was created in 1990 as part of the intensive marketing programme that would become a distinctive mark of the FIVB's activities near the end of the century. The idea was to promote the sport of volleyball by establishing an annual competition that would appeal to audiences all over the world.
At that point, international competitions involving top volleyball teams (e.g., the Olympic Games, the FIVB World Championship) took place only in 4-year cycles, and were usually confined to a host city or nation. By contrast, the World League was designed to be played on a one-year basis, with a system of rotating cities that allowed every team to host a number of matches in the preliminary round. Further restrictions on participation, such as mandatory local broadcasting, ensured massive TV & media coverage.
The FIVB's strategy eventually proved visionary: at the turn of the century, the World League was fully consolidated as a major international volleyball event. Generous rewards in cash - from 1990 to 2004, the total sum spent on prize money jumped from $1 to $13 million dollars - compensated in the eyes of the national federations for the competition's relative lack of tradition and prestige.
Following the success of the World League, the FIVB launched a sister project in 1993 for women's volleyball, the Grand Prix. It was very effective in East Asia, where this type of event has become tremendously popular, but its results in a worldwide scale still remain timid.
WinnersIn the 1990s, the Italians dominated the World League, winning the first three tournaments in 1990, 1991 and 1992. Playing at home, Brazil, at the time the Olympic champions, managed to take the gold in 1993, but Italy regained the title in 1994 and 1995.
In 1996, foreshadowing what would happen just a couple of months later at the Atlanta Olympic Games, the Netherlands beat them in an extremely tight five-set match, before Italy once again won the gold in 1997. In 1998, the winner was Cuba, while in 1999 and 2000 Italy won again.
As can be seen, Italy were clearly the dominant team in the first decade of the World League: from 1990 to 2000, the World League was played 11 times, and Italy took gold eight times, while the remaining three titles were won by three different teams.
Italy's supremacy in the World League began to wane in 2001, when Brazil won a second gold medal, beating the Italians in three straight sets. With further titles each year from 2003 to 2007, and winning another titles in 2009 and 2010, the Brazilians were the preeminent at the start of the 21st century, being also World and Olympic Champions. The interruptions to Brazil's dominance came in 2002, when Russia took the title, and in 2008, with the United States winning gold and gaining positive momentum going into the Beijing Olympics.
Competition formulaThe FIVB is constantly adapting the World League's competition formula to improve competitivity and to make the games more attractive to the audience. Nevertheless, a few basic rules and restrictions will probably remain unchanged in the following years.
Teams who participate must provide local media coverage and live TV broadcasting.
The competition is divided in at least two phases: a preliminary round (usually called "Intercontinental Round"), with a system of rotating host cities; and one or more final rounds, with one or more host nations.
In the preliminary round, teams are organized in pools. Each team plays a total of four matches against all other teams in its pool, two at home, two as visitors. Each pair of matches is played over a weekend.
When all the matches of the preliminary round have been played, the top n teams in each pool qualify for the final round(s), and the remaining ones leave the competition. The value of n depends on the number of participating teams and the format that will be employed in the finals.
Host nation(s) automatically qualify for the final round(s).
The FIVB has tried various formats for the final round(s): Top Six, Top Four, Quarter-Semi-finals (Olympic format). For some years now (2004), the most commonly used is a mixed format: quarterfinalists are organized in two pools, and the top two teams in each pool play semifinals and finals according to the Olympic format.
In the preliminary round, a team is usually given the right to work with a list of nineteen players, from which the coach builds the fourteen-player line-up included two liberos(if the team include only one libero in the roster, their max roster number is limited to 12) that will be employed in a particular weekend. For the final round(s), only fourteen players included two liberos are allowed.]]>
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