AFRICAN SPORTS MONTHLY
'Sports is our Business'
  • Home
  • NEWS
  • Radio
  • TV

World Grand Prix Week 4 preview: Suspense builds as preliminary round is completed

7/17/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
USA will host the FIVB Volleyball World Grand Prix Finals Omaha 2015

Lausanne, Switzerland, July 16, 2015 - Kenya have already been confirmed as the shock winners of Group 3. And the four teams to line up in the Final Four of Group 2 on the first weekend in August have also been decided: Netherlands, Czech Republic, Puerto Rico and hosts Poland. As such, the focus of millions of volleyball fans around the world will be solely on the top twelve teams in Group 1 in week four of the FIVB Volleyball World Grand Prix.

The 18 matches to be played from Thursday to Saturday will determine the destination of three tickets for the big Final Six tournament in Omaha/USA from July 22-26. Three teams have already booked their places after the first two preliminary round weekends: record winners and defending champions Brazil, World Championship silver medallists China, and world champions and hosts of the final round, the USA.



All three teams have a flawless record of six wins from six games. However, only two teams at the most can remain undefeated after the final weekend, as China (18 points) and the USA (17) go head to head in Hong Kong. Looking ahead to this match and the clashes with potential finalists Japan and Thailand, China coach Lang Ping said: “This tournament will be an interesting test for all the teams. We trained hard and hope to gain some more good experience.” Successful US coach Karch Kiraly sees the tournament as further preparation for the final round, which will be held in the USA for the first time: “We are trying to improve all aspects of our game.”

His US team, which won the World Grand Prix three times in a row between 2010 and 2012, is desperate to put on a great show in front of its home fans. The USA is out to bring to an end the winning run of Olympic champions Brazil, who claimed a historic tenth title last year and have their sights set on a hat-trick of successive Grand Prix victories this year. “We still need to work on our defensive side. We will focus on this in the next round, as we have already qualified,” said successful Brazilian coach Jose Roberto Guimaraes.


 

His team face tough opponents in Catania. Hosts Italy and Russia both have eleven points to their name and are thus in pole position to secure the remaining two tickets for the final. Two wins – one of which looks a foregone conclusion against rank outsiders Belgium – could be sufficient to make it to the Final Six. Italian coach Marco Bonitta is confident his team will progress: “We have four victories right now, which is good and will help us make the finals.”

 

His captain Valentina Arrighetti is also optimistic: “Our goal is to reach the Final Six. We are on the right track.” Russia’s coach is focused on “improving the quality of our game, especially receiving. Then success will come of its own accord.”

Because Japan (10 points) and Thailand (8) face two of the toughest possible opponents in the USA and China in their preliminary round tournament, the battle for the final ticket could be played out between Germany (6) and Serbia (6). To progress, however, they must pick up three wins in what is the weakest preliminary round tournament in Stuttgart,Germany. Their other opponents are the teams from the Dominican Republic and Turkey, who are still to score a point in the competition.

Germany’s Lena Stigrot said: “We are looking forward to playing three matches in front of our fans in Germany. We want to put on a great show in Stuttgart.” In the end, it may take a calculator to work out who progresses: after all, six teams still have realistic chances of claiming one of the three tickets still available for the Final Six and joining the best teams in the world.


 

The 23rd staging of the FIVB Volleyball World Grand Prix includes 28 teams for the first time and runs from June 26 to August 2, 2015. The FIVB World Grand Prix has grown spectacularly since it was first held in 1993, when it featured just eight teams. The increase in the number of participating teams brings with it an increased level of competition and has also helped to spread the World Grand Prix to new territories around the world.

By: Editor
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    September 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013

    Menu

    All
    2014 FIFA World Cup
    Athletics
    Basketball
    Boxing
    Commonwealth Games
    Cricket
    Golf
    Hockey
    Marathons
    News
    Olympics
    Rugby
    Soccer
    Spotlight
    Tennis
    Track And Field
    Volleyball
    Women Soccer
    Wrestling


    Picture

    RSS Feed


    Tweets by ASMONTHLY

Tweet to @ASMONTHLY

Contact Us

    Contact Us

Submit

Donate & Support Our Efforts at African Sports Media Network