Russia win second World League title in classic final

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1 Official Bulletin N 66 august 2011E edition in english Historic Olympic Games begin to take shape World league Russia win second World League title in classic final It is now under one year until the London 2012 Olympic Games and the countdown has truly begun for volleyball and beach volleyball. Russia landed their first FIVB senior title since 2002 when they won their first World League With the volleyball test event proving very successful in July, August sees the world s top beach volleyball players descend on Horse Guards Parade. The venue is magnificent with its historic setting providing the perfect stage for our beach volleyball stars to illustrate their grace, agility and athleticism. While all eyes will be on our amazing athletes and sport, the venue itself will also command attention as one of the real iconic sites in London. With IOC President Dr Jacques Rogge officially marking the one year to go milestone by inviting athletes to compete at next year s Olympic Games, London 2012 might seem far away for some but in the minds of all the athletes, the FIVB and the organisers it is just around the corner. The qualification race for beach volleyball is already in full swing thanks to the Beach Volleyball Continental Cup and the FIVB Swatch World Tour while volleyball will get underway later this year. Obviously the Olympic Games is the pinnacle in the career of many sportsmen and women and there s no doubting that both the beach volleyball and volleyball competitions will be a highlight in their own right. Thanks must go to LOCOG and the local authorities who are calling on extraordinary resources to ensure that this is definitely the case. Mr Jizhong Wei, FIVB President Russia beat the world No. 1 Brazil to claim their second World League title in five exhilarating sets, winning 3-2 (23-25, 27-25, 25-23, 22-25, 15-11) in front of a fantastic Polish crowd at the Ergo Arena in the port city of Gdansk on July 10. This much-anticipated final between the two best men s teams in the world was a repeat of the 2010 decider which Brazil won and it did not disappoint. MVP Maxim Mikhaylov was exceptional in attack, topscoring with 26 points, while the block of Dmitriy Muserskiy, Alexander Volkov and captain Taras Khtei were outstanding. But the great supporting act for Russia came from 22-year-old Denis Biriukov who spiked and blocked his way to 15 points to give Vladimir Alekno s team their 14 th World League medal but only their second title after beating Brazil in I hope this final was nice to watch for everybody, it was a real volleyball fiesta, Russia captain Taras Khtei said. I would like to thank the Polish fans. You will stay in our hearts for a long time, along with these gold medals. For Brazil who were well led by skipper Giba (16 points), Murilo (12 points) and the classy libero Sergio it was a disappointing denouement given they had looked firm favourites to win their 10 th World League crown, and what would have been a ninth title in 11 years. Earlier, the home fans were in a party mood after Poland won their first ever World League medal by beating Argentina in the third-place play-off 3-0 (25-18, 25-23, 25-22). It was the first time the two countries had played off for a medal and the hosts continued their strong record against their South American opponents, having beaten them 17 times in 22 encounters including 15 times out of 17 in the World League. For Argentina, fourth place marked their best performance in the World League after two fifth-place finishes in 2009 and FINAL STANDINGs 1 Russia (2) 2 Brazil (1) 3 Poland (10) 4 Argentina (5) 5 Bulgaria (7) 6 Italy (6) 7 USA (8) 8 Cuba (4) Brackets indicate 2010 rank BEST PLAYERS (Only players in the last four are eligible) MVP Maxim Mikhaylov (RUS) Best Spiker Theo (BRA) Best Blocker Maxim Mikhaylov (RUS) Best Server Dmitriy Muserskiy (RUS) Best Receiver Murilo (BRA) Best Libero Krzysztof Ignaczak (POL) Best Setter Luciano De Cecco (ARG) Best Scorer Bartosz Kurek (POL) 9 Serbia (9) 10 Finland (13) 11 Germany (9) 12 France (12) 13 Korea (16) 14 Portugal (-) 15 Japan (-) 16 Puerto Rico (-)

2 2 volleyball world grand prix World Grand Prix under way The 19 th edition of the FIVB Volleyball World Grand Prix got under way on August 5 with 16 of the sport s top women s teams competing across three weeks of preliminary pool matches ahead of the Finals in Macau, China. This year s event is the first time that 16 countries have taken part and as a result the Finals were enlarged to feature eight teams. The opening weekend featured Poland hosting Italy, Dominican Republic and Argentina in Pool A, Thailand welcoming Cuba, Peru and world champions Russia in Pool B, Korea facing off against world No.1 Brazil, Japan and Germany at home, and last year s winners USA travelling to China to take on the hosts as well as Serbia women s junior world championship Peru puts on historic show and Kazakhstan. China, the only team guaranteed a spot in the Finals, have the luxury of using the preliminary rounds to build up momentum ahead of the main event in Macau. But for the rest of the teams the need to get off to a good start was paramount to success in the tournament. Germany captain Christiane Fürst underlined the importance of the competition when she said: This year the Grand Prix is really important for us for leading to the Olympic Games. We have three weeks of tough groups against teams like Brazil and USA. But we hope we can make the final. The 2011 FIVB Volleyball World Grand Prix is scheduled to run from August 5 to 28 worldwide. Serbia win London Prepares International Invitational Serbia finished the London Prepares International Invitational on a high thanks to a straight-sets win over Mexico that earned them top spot on the podium ahead of Brazil and USA as the six-team tournament drew to a close at Earls Court on July 24. Serbia s 3-0 (25-21, 25-11, 25-14) win over Mexico was their fourth in five games, with their only loss coming in a surprise defeat against Egypt 48 hours earlier. For Mexico, the defeat against Serbia was their fifth in succession in a tournament where they picked up just one set against Great Britain in a 3-1 loss on July 20. Brazil and USA put on a five-set thriller in the final game of the tournament but had to settle for silver and bronze respectively. After two hours and 12 minutes of closely contested volleyball, and plenty of fluctuating fortunes, it was Brazil who took the honours by prevailing 3-2 (25-21, 22-25, 25-27, 25-16, 18-16). Hosts Great Britain had earlier sealed their second win of the tournament in their penultimate match as they beat Egypt to finish fifth. The British team showed continued signs of improvement ahead of the London 2012 Olympic Games as they overcame Egypt 3-1 (25-18, 21-25, 25-22, 25-23) to build on their opening-day triumph over Mexico. Italy celebrate as they seal the championship point against Brazil to take gold Italy captured the FIVB Women s Junior World gold medal on July 31 with a 3-1 (21-25, 25-13, 25-20, 25-22) victory over top-ranked Brazil at Eduardo Dibos Gymnasium in Lima, Peru as the tournament drew to a close. Italy made history with their triumph as their best finish previously in the tournament was a silver medal won in 1997, their only other medal in the 16 editions of the event. Brazil s silver was their 11 th medal and seventh in succession in the biennial tournament, which they have never missed. The Brazil squad as a group had not lost a match in four years, during which they wonthe 2009 FIVB Girls Youth World, prior to losing out to Italy. In the bronze-medal match, China rallied to defeat the United States 3-1 (20-25, 25-19, 25-16, 25-23) in Lima. With the bronze, China won their 10 th medal at the event a notable improvement on their 10 th -place finish two years ago. The US matched their best finish with a repeat of the fourth-place position obtained in Italy s Caterina Bosetti was named the tournament s Most Valuable Player as well as Best Spiker. Lise Van Hecke (Belgium) was named Best Scorer and Best Server, Zhou Yang (China) earned Best Blocker, Di Yao (China) was Best Setter, Lucia Nikmonova (Slovakia) earned Best Receiver and Natalie Hagglund (United States) was selected Best Libero. FINAL STANDINGs Italy Brazil China USA Dom. Rep. Peru Slovakia Belgium 9 Poland 10 Russia 11 Japan 12 Cuba 13 Serbia 14 Korea 15 Egypt 16 Tunisia Great Britain (spiking) and Serbia were two of the six teams that competed in London

3 Swatch World Tour Stavanger smiles for USA and Brazil pairs Jennifer Kessy and April Ross of the United States won the women s gold medal at the Stavanger Grand Slam on July 2 while Marcio Araujo and Ricardo Brazil's Marcio Araujo and Ricardo celebrate their two-set gold-medal win at the Stavanger Grand Slam Double delight for Brazil in Gstaad Brazil s near-invincible duo of Alison Cerutti and Emanuel Rego captured their fourth gold medal in five events at the Gstaad Grand Slam on July 10 after their compatriots Juliana Felisberta Silva and Larissa França had sealed another win on this year s Tour the day before. Alison and Emanuel overcame the challenge of USA s fourth-seeded Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers to win 22-20, while Juliana and Larissa were in a class of their own as they beat China s Chen Xue and Xi Zhang 21-15, in the women s final. Alison and I are just getting better as a team and I know we have won four of the last five tournaments, including the World s, but we still have a long way to go, Emanuel said. Germany s Julius Brink and Jonas Reckermann bounced back from their semi final loss to Dalhausser and Rogers to hold off Poland s fifth-seeded Grzegorz Fijalek and Mariusz Prudel, 22-20, for the bronze while Italy s Greta Cicolari and Marta Menegatti finished third in the women s contest as Santos of Brazil clinched victory in the men s tournament a day later. Kessy/Ross glided through the drizzle to methodically pull away from Germany s Sara Goller and Laura Ludwig, winning 21-16, in 40 minutes while Marcio Araujo/ Ricardo defeated Polish rising stars Grezgorz Fijalek and Mariusz Prudel 21-18, The women s bronze was won by world champions Juliana Felisberta Silva and Larissa França who defeated the Netherlands' Sanne Keizer and Marleen van Iersel 21-13, Germany s Julius Brink and Jonas Reckermann overcame Norway s Tarjei Skarlund and Martin Spinnangr 17-21, 21-13, for third place in the men s edition. Stavanger Grand Slam, Norway Women - June 27-July 2 1 Kessy/Ross usa 2 Goller/Ludwig ger 3 Juliana/Larissa bra Men - June 28-July 3 1 Marcio Araujo/Ricardo bra 2 Fijalek/Prudel pol 3 Brink/Reckermann ger they beat Brazil s Maria Antonelli and Talita Antunes 22-20, Brazil's Juliana reaches for the Mikasa as she and Larissa earned their 40 th career FIVB Swatch World Tour gold medal at the Gstaad Grand Slam Gstaad Grand Slam, Switzerland Women - July Juliana/Larissa BRA 2 Xue/Zhang chn 3 Cicolari/Menegatti ita Men - July Alison/Emanuel bra 2 Rogers/Dalhausser usa 3 Brink/Reckermann GER Continental Cup catch up The Beach Volleyball Continental Cup continued in July with events in Africa. Free Town, Sierra Leone, July 3-5** MEN Morocco* 1 Cape Verde* 2 Sierra Leone* 3 Guinea Conakry* 4 Guinea Bissau 5 Gambia 5 Liberia 5 women Morocco* 1 Sierra Leone* 2 Cape Verde* 3 Guinea Conakry* 4 Guinea Bissau 5 Gambia 5 Liberia 5 Maputo, Mozambique, July 15-17** MEN South Africa* 1 Mozambique* 2 Mauritius* 3 Zimbabwe* 4 Namibia 5 Swaziland 6 women Mozambique* 1 Mauritius* 2 South Africa* 3 Zimbabwe* 4 Namibia 5 Swaziland 6 Mombasa, Kenya, July 27-29** MEN Kenya* 1 Rwanda* 2 Egypt* 3 Burundi* 4 Uganda 5 Tanzania 6 Ethiopia 7 Sudan 8 women Kenya* 1 Rwanda* 2 Uganda* 3 Ethiopia* 4 Burundi 5 Tanzania 6 *Countries that qualified for the next stage **Knockout format For further information and photos visit 3 beach volleyball fivb WorldVolleyNews N o 66 august 2011

4 4 beach volleyball Swatch World Tour May-Treanor/Walsh seal Moscow triumph USA s Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh won the Moscow Grand Slam on July 16 as Brazil duo Alison Cerutti and Emanuel Rego took top spot in the men s contest a day later in the Russian capital. The two-time Olympic champions, May-Treanor and Walsh, beat world champions Juliana Felisberta Silva and Larissa França of Brazil in just two sets, prevailing 23-21, 21-15, while Alison and Emanuel saw off Swiss tandem Jefferson Bellaguarda and Patrick Heuscher 21-16, 18-21, in the men s final. China s Chen Xue and Xi Zhang finished third in the women s competition, winning the bronze-medal match against Italy s Greta Cicolari and Marta Menegatti 21-17, 22-24, Olympic champions Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers of the United States beat last year s winners Penggen Wu and Linyin Xu of China to the final spot on the podium in the fight for the men s bronze with a 25-27, 24-22, win. USA and Brazil lock out podium in Quebec USA s Kerri Walsh, left, and Misty May-Treanor celebrate their win in Moscow Moscow Grand Slam, Russia Women - July May-Treanor/Walsh usa 2 Juliana/Larissa bra 3 Xue/Zhang chn Men - July Alison/Emanuel bra 2 Bellaguarda/Heuscher sui 3 Rogers/Dalhausser usa Phil Dalhausser receives as he and Todd Rogers clinch the Quebec Open USA, Brazil on top in Stare Jablonki USA s Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers and Brazil s Juliana Felisberta Silva and Larissa França celebrated victories in Poland at the end of July as they came out on top at the Stare Jablonki Grand Slam on the FIVB Swatch World Tour. Dalhausser/Rogers overcame the challenge of home tandem Grzegorz Fijalek and Mariusz Prudel to earn a three-set victory 21-15, 15-21, in the men s final on July 31. In the bronze-medal match Brazil s top-seeded Alison Cerutti and Emanuel Rego shrugged off a relatively slow start to defeat Germany s Jonathan Erdmann and Kay Matysik 23-21, Juliana/Larissa won gold for the third straight year as they saw off USA s Jennifer Kessy and April Ross in the women s final a day earlier, coming from behind to win 14-21, 21-19, The bronze medal went to compatriots Maria Antonelli and Talita Antunes who beat China s Chen Xue and Xi Zhang 12-21, 21-17, USA s Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers saw off compatriots Matt Fuerbringer and Nick Lucena to clinch the men s Quebec Open while Maria Antonelli and Talita Antunes overcame sisters Carolina and Maria Clara Salgado to take the women s title in an all-brazilian final on July 24. Antonelli/Talita scored a 21-17, 19-21, victory in the first final of the deciding day in Quebec before Rogers/Dalhausser picked up a 23-21, win to conclude the tournament. Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal made the men s podium an all-american affair as they beat Alvaro Filho and Moises Santos 22-20, to claim bronze. Vivian Cunha and Taiana Lima defeated Spain s Elsa Baquerizo and Liliana Fernandez 21-13, to complete Brazil s dominance of the women s event. Stare Jablonki Grand Slam, Poland Women - July Juliana/Larissa bra 2 Kessy/Ross USA 3 Antonelli/Talita bra Men - July Rogers/Dalhausser usa 2 Fijalek/Prudel POL 3 Alison/Emanuel BRA Poland s Fijalek/Prudel finished second in front of their home fans, going down to USA s Rogers/ Dalhausser in the final Quebec Open, Canada Women - July Antonelli/Talita bra 2 Carolina/Maria Clara bra 3 Vivian/Lima bra Men - July Rogers/Dalhausser usa 2 Fuerbringer/Lucena usa 3 Gibb/Rosenthal usa

5 FIVB helps refugee victims with donation 5 The FIVB s Social Responsibility Programme continued its good work by delivering balls and nets to refugees in the Central African Republic on June 30 as part of an ongoing collaboration with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) which has existed since The equipment was welcomed with open arms in a country where resources are lacking in many areas, with much of the population living in war-stricken zones occupied by soldiers from the LRA (Lord s Resistance Army) who continue to fight with government forces. Technical & Development The balls and nets are expected to bring social relief to many, providing a distraction from the ongoing troubles in the region. In total, they were delivered to 20 villages and refugee camps, some of which Hundreds of children turned out to receive donations from the FIVB have almost 600 children living there. The donation is part of the FIVB s ongoing commitment to help those in areas affected by conflict or disaster. FIVB Technical Courses and Seminars Calendar Country Type Org. DATES From Lesotho Coaches Level II FIVB Burundi Coaches Level II FIVB United Kingdom Coaches Level III FIVB Japan Coaches Level I FIVB To DAYS FIVB Volleyball Cooperation Programme Calendar Country Type Org. DATES From To DAYS Costa Rica Refereeing FIVB Malawi Young Players FIVB Benin Young Players FIVB India Coaches Level I FIVB Argentina Defensive/Serve/Libero FIVB Successful FIVB courses were held in (from top left to bottom right): Thailand, Nicaragua, Bahrain, Senegal, Puerto Rico, Morocco, Afghanistan, Botswana, Egypt, Tanzania, Togo and Tunisia fivb WorldVolleyNews N o 66 august 2011

6 6 confederations Iran place first at China Volleyball Challenger Beach Volleyball refereeing clinics in Africa Despite losing to China, Iran came out on top at the Volleyball Challenger The second leg of the 2011 China International Volleyball Challenger ended on July 20 in Zhenjiang City in China s southeastern Jiangsu province with Iran finishing on top, followed by China, Australia and Kazakhstan. Hosts China edged Iran 3-2 (25-22, 25-14, 22-25, 19-25, 15-12) in their last match but with both teams holding a record of two wins and one defeat, the Iranians placed first due to their better points ratio. Iran could not maintain the form they showed in beating Australia in their previous match, while China played impressively with powerful serving and blocking as they took the first two sets 25-22, Iran staged a strong comeback in the third set and at took advantage of China s receiving errors, clinching the set In the fourth set, China failed to keep up with the fast pace of the Iranians and lost In the tiebreaker, with strong support from the partisan audience, the Chinese team rallied from 6-9 down, scoring four points in a row through some excellent defensive work and eventually winning the set Meanwhile Kazakhstan pulled off a scintillating 3-2 (25-18, 25-17, 16-25, 20-25, 15-12) victory over Australia. Australia could not match their northern Asian opponents in the first two sets. The Kazakhs were strong in service and attack, while the Australians were inconsistent in their receiving and side-out attack. A number of changes from Australia prior to the third set, together with a new rotational approach, gave fresh impetus to their attack, which became more effective. Australia went on to win the third set convincingly and developed sufficient momentum to take the fourth set and level the score at two sets all. A referee checks a ball ahead of the CAVB Beach Volleyball Continental Cup in Sierra Leone The CAVB has stepped up its referee development work by organising beach volleyball referee clinics during each of the five zonal phase tournaments of the CAVB Beach Volleyball Continental Cup, the qualifying event for the London 2012 Olympic Games. Each zone will host a refereeing clinic prior to the start of the competition, followed by practical implementation during matches and evaluation conducted by FIVB or Candidate beach volleyball referees. The first clinic took place around the Pool A event in Sierra Leone in July and was conducted by Drag Peslc who was selected by the CEV and invited by the CAVB through the cooperation agreement between the two confederations. Peslc opened the clinic for 27 referees, line judges and scorers before the start of the competition at Lumley Beach. He assigned the referees to matches and evaluated them during the competition, monitoring their progress and offering instruction. At the end of play each day a referees meeting was held to exchange observations and prepare for the following day. I believe that my key role as a neutral international referee and referee delegate in this competition is not only teaching and evaluating the referees, but also to lay out the concept and the procedures that referees follow during FIVB events, Peslc said after the competition. This will allow African referees to distinguish the difference between indoor and beach volleyball as well as strengthen their knowledge of BVB refereeing procedures, rules and concepts. Kazakhstan made a good start in the fifth set, but the Australians fought back to lead Two errors in the next phase helped Kazakhstan, however, who scored five points to Australia s two to take the match in a heart-stopping finale.

7 7 Referees test out volleyball skills at event in Czech Republic Brazilian Volleyball Federation earns Corporate Sustainability prize confederations There were a total of nine teams in the men s edition and five in the women s Volleyball referees got the chance to test their skills in an amateur tournament in the village of Pecka in the Czech Republic at the beginning of July. A total of nine teams registered for the men s competition while five participated in the women s event. Dr Graça receives the award from Mr Castelo Branco of company Vale do Rio Doce who sponsor the accolade International referees were included on the rosters of some of the participating teams, including Nenad Davidovic of Serbia, Igor Schimpl of Slovakia, Hungary s Monika Ujhazi and Czechs Jan Krticka, Jaromir Antusak, Rene Cinatl, Dusan Rychlik and Martin Hudik. A technical meeting took place prior to the event, together with the drawing of lots. The tournament featured semifinals and classification matches followed by the finals. The men s final, won by Czech team Plzensky kraj, was whistled by two Hungarian female referees, Melinda Varjasi and Marta Szel. The final game of the women s competition, which the Hungary team won at the expense of Serbia 1, was played at a very high level. Final standings Men (or Mixed): Women: 1 Plzensky kraj (CZE) 1 Hungary 2 Pardubicky kraj (CZE) 2 Serbia 1 3 Jihocesky kraj (CZE) 3 Pecka (CZE) 4 Serbia 2 4 Praha (CZE) 5 Serbia 1 5 Serbia Praha (CZE) Slovakia Moravskoslezsky kraj (CZE) Zlinsky kraj (CZE) After winning almost every title on the court, the Brazilian Volleyball Federation (CBV) is on top of the podium again, but in a new field: Economics. The institution was handed the Corporate Sustainability prize on July 27 by the Brazilian Institute of Finance Executives (IBEF). The trophy was received by CBV President and FIVB Executive Vice-President Dr Ary Graça in Rio de Janeiro. The award reunited 52 companies and the 15 best were commended by the IBEF for their high level of excellence in sustainability and as models to be followed by other companies. The ceremony was witnessed by FIVB officials who were in Rio de Janeiro for the FIVB Volleyball Men s Junior World. Managing conflicts is a permanent task in a sport with so many different categories and widely known athletes, Dr Graça said. Everyone has its personal targets and CBV works to assure the mutual interest. It is a tough mission that demands leadership and, mainly, management. Our administration works as a big wheel, with several parts, and none of them must believe they are bigger or more important than the other or it will get broken. Managing the wheel and keeping its axis safe assures Brazilian volleyball success off and on the courts. CBV s management model has been recognized previously. In 2003, the institution was the first sports organization in Brazil to receive the ISO 9001:2000 certification of quality. The model was also recognized by the FIVB as an example to be followed by other national federations of volleyball world. fivb WorldVolleyNews N o 66 august 2011

8 volleyball Global Calendar Date Event Country Org. M W confederations Dominican Republic sweep Belgium aside Brayelin Martinez, right, led the Dominican Republic to victory in the four-match friendly series with Belgium in Santo Domingo The Dominican Republic overwhelmed Belgium 4-0 in a friendly series held in Santo Domingo from July 22 to 31. The threesome of Brayelin Martinez, Yonkaira Peña and Ana Binet all stood out for the Dominican side while Lise Van Hecke and Lotte Penders were the top scorers for Belgium during the series played at the Volleyball Complex of Santo Domingo FIVB Men s Junior World Women s Junior Central American Brazil FIVB Costa Rica NORCECA Indian Ocean Island Games Seychelles AVC FIVB World Grand Prix Various FIVB Women s Junior Caribbean Virgin Islands NORCECA Girls Youth ECVA Tournament St Lucia NORCECA XXVI Universiade China Other FIVB Girls Youth World Turkey FIVB Women s African Nations Kenya CAVB Boys Youth ECVA Tournament St Vincent and Grenadines NORCECA FIVB Boys Youth World Argentina FIVB The Nursultan Nazarbayev Cup Kazakhstan FIVB rec FIVB World Grand Prix Finals China FIVB Men s Junior Central American NORCECA Continental Men th Pacific Games New Caledonia 2011 beach volleyball Global Calendar Nicaragua NORCECA Puerto Rico NORCECA AVC The home team won the first contest 3-0 (26-24, 25-17, 25-22) with Peña and Martinez leading the way with 17 and 13 points respectively. Van Hecke registered 16 points for the Belgians. The second match finished 3-0 (25-16, 25-22, 25-18) with Martinez the top scorer with 16 points. Binet, Marianne Fersola and Candida Arias each recorded 10 points. Van Hecke and Penders finished with 11 and 10 respectively. The Dominicans won the third match 3-0 (25-20, 25-18, 26-24) although it was Van Hecke who top-scored with 14 points. The last match ended 3-1 (25-21, 24-26, 25-10, 25-23) to the hosts. Arias and Martinez registered 15 points apiece while Peña and Binet recorded 14 and 13 respectively. Van Hecke closed with 12. St Vincent and the Grenadines crowned ECVA champs St Vincent and the Grenadines won the finals of the East Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) tournament on July 12 as they beat Bermuda 3-1 (19-25, , 25-21) to capture the title for the first time. Captain Ijahlon Butler finished as leading scorer with 23 points including 17 spikes. Meanwhile French St Martin repeated their feat of last year by beating Antigua in straight sets (25-23, ) to take the bronze medal. I must say that we are very happy to win this tournament for the very first time, St Vincent and the Grenadines coach Vance Andrews said. I have to commend my team captain [Butler] for his contribution and that of my defensive players in Brendon Smart and Jahmal Edwards who really spurred us on. Date Event Country Org. M W FIVB Swatch World Tour Klagenfurt Grand Slam CAVB Continental Cup Zonal Group C Visa FIVB Beach Volleyball International Olympic Test event WORLDvolleyNEWS N o 66 AUGUST 2011 Official Bulletin of the FIVB FIVB founded in 1947 President: Mr Jizhong Wei Austria FIVB Gabon CAVB Great Britain FIVB/ LOCOG FIVB Swatch World Tour Aland Open Finland FIVB CAVB Continental Cup Zonal Group B FIVB Swatch World Tour The Hague Open Ghana CAVB The Netherlands FIVB events highlighted FIVB rec = FIVB Recognised This time a year ago FIVB Brazil picked up a record ninth FIVB Volleyball World League title and qualification for the 2011 FIVB Volleyball Junior World s got underway. Château Les Tourelles Ch. Edouard-Sandoz 2-4 CH-1006 Lausanne T F Website press@fivb.org Editor Press Department Printed in Switzerland

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