New Zealander Polley and Tilley had all the answers, winning 21-12, 21-18, and then convincingly won their remaining two pool matches of Australian Championships on the Gold Coast

New Zealand beach volleyballers Shaunna Polley and Julia Tilley have confounded the handicappers by dominating their pool on the opening day of the Australian Championships on the Gold Coast.

Polley and Tilley, New Zealand’s top female team, were given 14th seeding for this weekend’s event, despite strong form in New Zealand this summer.

“Today coming out there mentally we thought we had something to prove, being 14th seed, so we were really hungry to take that top spot,” Tilley said.

“It’s been a busy season so far in New Zealand, which has been really good prep for us.”

The New Zealanders found themselves drawn in the opening match against tournament fourth seeds, and home town favourites, Jordan and Justine Mowen.

Polley and Tilley had all the answers, winning 21-12, 21-18, and then convincingly won their remaining two pool matches.

Despite their success, the Polley-Tilley combination may soon be coming to an end.

“I’m planning on doing a year’s worth of travel in the States, so we’re still working out how it’s going to work out for us as a team, but it’s not looking all that good,” Polley said.

“This season we’re really just starting to peak, our base level is much higher, so we’re playing a lot more consistent, and winning against some top girls.”

There were few other surprises on the opening day of competition, played in mostly dry conditions under threatening skies.

Women’s top seeds, Nikki Laird and Mariafe Artacho del Solar, comfortably topped their group, while the top men’s teams all emerged unscathed.

The Australian Championship finals will be played on Monday afternoon

The Volleyball Federation of India on Tuesday announced the Indian teams for the South Asian Games (SAG) to be held at Guwahati from February 5 to 9.

The teams:

Men: G.R. Vaishnav, Naveen Raja Jacob, Ukkrapandian (all Tamil Nadu), Lavmeet Kataria (Rajasthan), Karthik (Karnataka), Prabagaran, Prabakaran Pattani (Railways), Hardeep Singh, Gurinder Singh (Punjab), Vinit Kumar, Ranjit Singh (Uttarakhand), C. Jerome Vinith (Kerala).

Head coach: G.E. Sridharan.

Women: Tiji Raju, S. Rekha, M. Sruthi, K.S. Jini (Kerala), Anusri Ghosh, K.S. Smisha, Nirmal, M.S. Poornima, Preeti Singh, Priyanka Khedkar, Terin Antony (Railways), P. Narmada (Telangana).

Head coach: R.P. Tailor.

The Kazakhstan Volleyball Federation has announced the appointment of coach Vyacheslav Shapran to lead their women's team at the World and Asian Olympic Qualification Tournamen

Astana, Kazakhstan, January 20, 2016 - The Kazakhstan Volleyball Federation has announced the appointment of coach Vyacheslav Shapran to lead their women's team at the World and Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament in Japan from May 14 to 22 and at the FIVB Volleyball World Grand Prix this year.

It will be the 68-year-old Almaty local's second stint with the national team. Between 2001 and 2006, Shapran led Kazakhstan to silver at the 2005 Asian Championship and to the 17th place in their first ever appearance at a FIVB Volleyball World Championship in 2006.

Kazakhstan will join Japan, Korea, Thailand, the Netherlands, Italy, Peru and the Dominican Republic at the combined World and Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament from May 14-22 in Tokyo, Japan. The top three ranked teams plus the best ranked Asian team will qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. If an Asian team is ranked among the top three, then the next ranked team will be qualified.

Williams Diaz joins the Qatar League

Volleyball is to Cuba what football is to Brazil. Cuban players bring a certain flavour to the game which is unmatched. Be it their impromptu jig after scoring a point or catch-me-if-you-can style runs following a retrieval or their runaway celebrations after winning a match, they are the ultimate entertainers of the game.

From Lionel Marshall to Osmel Camejo, the Qatar League has been blessed with an array of Cuban players and the latest to join the list is Williams Diaz. The 29-year-old spiker, who joined Police at the start of the season from Italy’s Volley Monza, is giving the sport a new dimension with his bag of theatrics.

A livewire on the court, Diaz is noted as much for his celebrations as for his contributions to his team's play.

In a crucial match against champions Al Rayyan last week, Diaz relieved the tension in the Police camp with his light approach and presence of mind. Over-the-top celebrations after winning a point were followed by animated ear-pinching gestures.

And finally, the win over the champions was celebrated with a chest-bumping exercise and war cry which reverberated inside the Qatar Volleyball Association Indoor Hall.

“I play like this because I love the sport. Volleyball has been my life ever since I was a child. I don’t have any inhibitions and I’m always like this on the court. My team knows that I’m like this and they’re happy. So am I,” Diaz told Doha Stadium Plus Magazine.

In a short span of time, Diaz has broken the stereotype image of Qatar League players who prefer to be serious on the court.

Not the one to let go of an opportunity to have friendly banter with a rival, the 2m-tall player makes sure that he never crosses the line.

“I know that I’m different from other players in the Qatar League. I’m a person of jovial nature and I always approach things with an open heart. There’s no point being too serious on the court. Sport is meant for enjoyment and relaxation, and you’ve to take it that way. If I see a player in trouble, even if he’s in the opposition, I don’t mind helping him,” added Diaz, who has plied his trade with some of the best-known clubs in Italy and Cuba.

Diaz feels at home in Qatar, as there are many Cubans playing in the league, even though most of them play for different teams.

Al Arabi’s Camejo has already proved his mettle with his stellar performance in the season-opening Association Cup. Diaz will be up against his compatriot on Saturday when Police take on Arabi in an eagerly-awaited contest.

“Cubans, we’re like a family here in Qatar. On the field we may be strong rivals, but we do go out together for dinner on non-match days. Club rivalry doesn’t stand in the way of friendship and family,” he added.

Police, whose best performance in the league was a runners-up finish in 2014, have not lost a single match so far this season and Diaz hopes he can help the team continue in the same vein and has high ambitions for the club.

“We play every day thinking each match is a final. That’s the only way we can raise the bar. The Qatar League is strong with teams like Rayyan and Arabi all having a big history. I want Police to break their stranglehold and if I can contribute to that, I’ll be a happy man.

“It’s all about the right mentality. If you approach each game thinking you can win it, then nothing is impossible. I hope we can break through this season,” he concluded.

Tianjin Bohai Bank win first battle in China Women’s League Finals

Tianjin, China, January 19, 2016 - Tianjin Bohai Bank kicked off the China Women’s Volleyball League Finals with a bang after producing a magnificent comeback 3-1 (18-25, 25-16, 34-32, 25-18) home victory over Jiangsu Zhongtian Steel on Saturday.

It was a real breath-taking battle as both parties even produced the season-highest score 34-32 in the third set, where Jiangsu saved six set points compared with three of Tianjin.

Both teams are quite familiar with each other and both head coaches Wang Baoquan and Cai Bin were once head coach of China national team. There was a fantastic energy and tension throughout the match. In the first set, Tianjin Bohai Bank caught stalled as Jiangsu posed a perfect defense. In the second set, Tianjin Bohai Bank substituted their “trump card” Li Ying and locked a big lead immediately, leading a smooth going to the end, except the third set of jigsaw pattern.

The best scorer went to Cuban Nancy Carrillo, as she bagged 28 points for Tianjin. Both Zhang Changning and Gong Xiangyu contributed 21 points apiece for Jiangsu.

“Tianjin Bohai Bank are formidable rivals. Our team need to take warning from them. Technique and mentality matter, but sometimes a little luck decides. Of course, the intimidating home atmosphere also helped Tianjin a lot.”said Cai Bin, head coach of Jiangsu Zhongtian Steel.

The Finals of China Women’s Volleyball League will play best of five. Both teams will resume the second match Tuesday in Tianjing, and then Jiangsu will have consecutive three home matches.

Tianjin Bohai Bank hold the record for the highest set score during the League Finals with a 39-37 win over Shanghai in 2010.

NSW Premier joins Olympic stars of the past and future at Volleyfest Launch on Manly Beach

Sydney, Australia, January 18, 2016 - NSW Premier, Mike Baird, joined Sydney 2000 Olympic gold medalists, Kerri Pottharst and Natalie Cook, for the media announcement of the biggest beach volleyball event in Australia since the Sydney Olympics.

In the space of just two weeks, Manly Beach will host the Australian Beach Volleyball Tour Finals, the inaugural 4 Nations Cup, and the Asian Volleyball Confederation Beach Volleyball Championships.

Joining Premier Baird and the Olympic gold medalists at the launch on Monday morning were Manly locals Nicole Laird and Mariafe Artacho del Solar, who are hoping to qualify later this year to represent Australia in Beach Volleyball at the Rio Olympics.

The Manly Volleyfest, which will run over three weekends from March 18 until March 28 and will become a regular fixture over the next three years at Manly Beach, thanks to the partnership with the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.

“Volleyfest is a festival of beach volleyball that sees some of the world’s best converge on Manly Beach for nine days of competition. With the Rio Olympics around the corner, the competition will be intense, and it will attract visitors to Manly from around Australia and overseas,” Mr. Baird said.

Over the next three years, Volleyfest is expected to attract more than 8,000 domestic and international visitors, with an estimated visitor spend of $6.2 million. The event will also showcase Manly Beach to a worldwide audience, highlighting the spectacular beach and surrounds.

Taking place just after the Australian Open of Surfing at Manly Beach, the event will see the Australian Beach Volleyball Tour Finals played from March 19-20, the 4 Nations Cup from March 21-22 and the AVC Asian Championships from March 25-28.

Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events and Minister for Sport, Stuart Ayres said the event was perfectly suited to Manly Beach.

“Manly is one of our State’s most iconic beaches, and is the ideal host for Volleyfest. I encourage all visitors to Volleyfest to take some time to explore the area’s restaurants, shops and natural attractions as there is something on offer for all ages and tastes,” Mr. Ayres said.

Volleyball Australia would like to thank the NSW Government, Destination NSW, Manly Council, Hancock Prospecting, the Georgina Hope Foundation, Bendon Lingerie, Three Threes Condiments and the Schwartz Family Company for their on-going support of its beach and indoor programs.

Mairangi BV Open concluded in NZ

Auckland, New Zealand, January 18, 2016 - The North Shore turned on some spectacular weather for the last leg of the New Zealand Beach Volleyball Open Tour.

Hosted by the Mairangi Bay Beach Volleyball Centre on Auckland’s North Shore, players turned up expecting some tight battles, after the three previous events. And they were not disappointed. First pool play of the day saw Paora Morunga and Thomas Hartles have an epic battle with locals Charlie Stewart and Liam Munday, both teams pushed hard, with Morunga and Harltes narrowly coming away with the 22-24, 21-18, 21-19 win.

It set the tone of the tournament with many tight three setters right throughout both days.

The final showdown was a repeat of the Mount event with O’Dea / Watson taking on Shiratori and Ageba from Japan. The New Zealand team showed their class after resting from Karapiro winning in two straight sets.

O’dea said after the match “After losing to Japan in Mt Maunganui we were eager for some revenge and finish the first leg of the tour on top. Our decision to rest the Karapiro event was the right decision for our team as we were mentally and physically fresh for the Mairangi Open. We had Craig Seuseu working with us as our coach and came up with some solid strategies going into the final. We were able to execute our game plan and closed the game out in straight sets. We now practice and leave to Australia for the Australian Championships which we are defending champions."

The women’s side of the draw was just fairly straight forward until the quarters when things became tense.

The experience of Micah Lindsay-Brown combined with the blocking skills of Jessie Muggeridge came back from one set down against Mount Maunganui duo of Alice Bain and Kiana Tawa to be the first into the semi-finals, winning 16-21, 24-22, 15-9.

The women’s final was also a repeat which saw New Zealand’s top female team of Julia Tilley and Shaunna Polley face the International team from Japan, Hasegawa and Kusano. However, the result wasn’t on repeat with the New Zealand team determined to take the win of the final event. In a fitting tribute to an exceptional game, Tilley aced on match point, winning 21-19, 21-11.

Tilley said, "Playing the Japanese for the fourth time in the final we knew we really had to bring our A game and put them under pressure. We came out with a good strategy and stayed focused feeding off each other's energy. It was great to take the win over such an experienced team, especially in front of friends and family. There was a great atmosphere at the venue and was all round an awesome event! We are looking forward to stepping up our game even more as we head over to Australia next weekend and into the New Zealand pro tour events”.

Roberto Piazza named Qatar men's coach

The Qatar national volleyball team, which made history by making the cut for the FIVB World League, will have an Italian expert at the helm to help them negotiate tricky waters.

The national teams commission, headed by Qatar Volleyball Association President Mr. Khalid Ali Al Mawlawi, appointed Roberto Piazza as national coach on Saturday.

The experienced tactician, who is currently training Greek side Olympiacos, is expected to join the national team directly after the domestic season in Greece.

The 48-year-old, who has won every Italian club title multiple times, had a very short playing career.

He began with Italian side Pallavolo Parma’s youth team in 1985 and graduated to their senior side within two years. In 1989, he moved to Pallavolo Piacenza (Italy) and ended his playing career there.

From 1990 to 2009, he worked as an assistant coach at three clubs — Parma, Volley Treviso and Russian side Dinamo Moskva.

He got his first break as coach at Volley Treviso in 2009. After three years at the helm, he moved to another Italian club Piemonte Volley before signing on as Olympiacos coach last season.

Piazza replaced Argentinian Juan Manuel Cichello as Qatar coach. Cichello has joined the Iranian national team as an assistant coach.

In addition to the World League, Qatar will also compete in the AVC Cup in India from September 19 to 25 as well as the Arab Championship in Jordan, also in September.

Iran to host FIVB BV World Tour for first time

It has been for the first time Iran will host the 2016 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour from February 14 to 19 in Kish Island.

The registration has been open since December 21 and will last for one month. A total of 65 teams from 23 countries have so far submitted their entries. However, a number of the participating teams are expected to increase when it comes to the deadline of registration. Iran and Kazakhstan will be sending seven teams apiece, making it the highest amount of the participants to be fielded by a country.

Aside from seven teams each from Iran and Kazakhstan, the other teams to be pitted in the six-day tournament are Italy (6 teams), Austria (5), Poland (5), Norway (5), Canada (4), Germany (3), Turkey (3), USA (2), China (3), Czech Republic (2), Qatar (2), Russia (2) and one team apiece from Australia, Belgium, England, France, Lituania, Estonia, Switzerland, Venezuela , and Mexico.

Seven teams from Iran have already made their presence certain, from which the players comprise 1. Bahman Salemi/Rahman Raoufi, 2. Saber Houshmand/Abas Pourasgari, 3. Abdulhamed Mirza Ali/Ibrahim Sansabili, 4. Amir Shoushtarizadeh/Shahram Ghasemkhah, 5. Behnam Tavakoli/Arash Vakili, 6. Bahman Gholipour/Reza Naeini, 7. Parviz Farrokhi/Agh Mohammad Salagh. Mr. Kasra Ghafoori, Secretary of Beach Volleyball Organisation, said: “We are going to have one more team from Iran in the preliminary round”.

It is noteworthy to add that registration does not secure any right for the candidates. Two or three days before the starting time, final teams are decided on. However, the registration shows the amount of interest drawn into the Kish Island Open and there is still the possibility for more teams to be added. The final candidates will be selected on the basis of world ranking.

The starting numbers will be 32 teams grouping into eight four-team pools. The cash prize will be awarded to 32 teams on the basis of the final ranking.

Japan stamp class at Waikato Open

As the Tour moved inland, the teams were able to take a break from the wind, with Lake Karapiro, usually reserved for New Zealand’s rowing finest came alive with beach volleyball players from around the country and the world.

Day One had pool play completed with the only upset being Hayley Griffiths and Alex Lawrence seeded third in their pool to overcome rivals Bex Story and Dani Tuagalu to evict them from the quarter-final playoffs. With New Zealand’s top men’s team taking a well-earned break from the tour, second seed Hartles and Morunga were favourites to make it to the final.

However, the young pairing of Taraunga Thomas Reid and Canadian Jake MacNeil had another agenda and managed to take the win over Hartles and Morunga in straight two sets, sending them home. This would be the first semi- final encounter for Reid and MacNeil. Tame Malcolm and Griffin Muller found the great form they had been searching for all season and defeated Rene Kapa and Morgan Seymour to make their first final of the Tour.

The final was an intense battle between clinical Japan and Malcolm / Muller. Japan narrowly took the first set, which saw Malcolm and Muller come back fighting convincingly and taking the second set. The crowd was watching this intense battle with great delight. The third set was so close until Japan had a late run, coming away with their third win in the Tour 15-10.

Meanwhile, the women’s side of the draw was more true to form with New Zealand’s top seeding Julia Tilley and Shaunna Polley meeting Japan in the final. Once again Japan took the first set, and with a repeat of the first two tour events, Tilley and Polley scrambled for every ball and deservedly won the second set. Their efforts in the second set left them exhausted and Japan came out firing, winning the third set, to go up 3-0 in the Tour.

The final leg of the New Zealand Open Tour closes out on Auckland’s North Shore this weekend, at the purpose built courts of Mairangi Bay.

After a week’s break the New Zealand Beach Volleyball Pro Tour will commence with the Tour heading to Hutt City on January 29.

China women's volleyball squad seek for breakthrough in the Olympic year

Beijing, China, January 14, 2016 - China Volleyball Association held a signing ceremony on Tuesday at Beijing Diaoyutai State Guesthouse concerning the official strategic partnership between China women's volleyball team and Bright Dairy, a leading dairy company in China.

Head coach Lang Ping led four players - Zeng Chunlei, Liu Xiaotong, Ding Xia and Yan Ni - in attending the ceremony and revealed the new national squad's preparation and training plan before the Rio Olympic Games.

According to Lang, the team's preparation will be divided in three phases.

In the first session, the team will be assembled in late January with 12- 15 players checked in for a physical training of strength and conditions. Players from Jiangsu, Tianjin, Shenzhen Army and Shanghai Clubs will join the training later as they are still contending in the Finals of China Volleyball League.

The second training session will feature high intensity starting from March to April, followed by some warm-up and friendly matches in May. The third session will concentrate for the FIVB World Grand Prix in June and July right before the journey to Rio.

"It is quite a tough schedule for the young team. though we made it in World Cup last year, it doesn't mean we are the top team of the world. Every team in Rio Olympics will play their trump cards posing an extreme challenge to China. We still have plenty of potentials to be exploited and shortcomings to be improved. I hope veterans as well as rookies are able to make breakthroughs and find their own groove physically, mentally and technically in the New Year," concluded Lang Ping.

Photo: Lang Ping, head coach of China women's volleyball team, in the contract-signing ceremony on Tuesday

Entries for 2016 AVC indoor competitions to be closed next few days

Bangkok, Thailand, January 14, 2016 - With a few days remaining before the close of the late entry on January 16, all six AVC indoor volleyball competitions due to be held this year have drawn a huge interest from the AVC’s affiliated member countries, resulting in cutting back on the number of participating teams to a maximum of 16 to meet the Confederation’s set criteria.


According to the 2016 competition calendar released recently by AVC, a total of six tournaments will be held this year. Chinese Taipei will start the 2016’s campaign with the 18th Asian Men’s U20 Championship from July 9 to 17. However, despite the fact that the late entry can be made on January 16, the number of participating teams in the Chinese Taipei meet has already surpassed a maximum of 16 to see a massive 21 teams in contention for the title.

However, at press time (11.35am Bangkok time), Sri Lanka have submitted their late entry, making 22 teams in total to compete in the Asian Men’s U20 Championship in Chinese Taipei.

To make sure only a maximum of 16 teams to contest each tournament, the teams ranked 1-10 from the previous championship and the host nation will first receive the AVC’s green light to take part in the biennial competition. Therefore, Iran, China, Korea, Bahrain, Japan, Qatar, Thailand, India, Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia plus hosts Chinese Taipei are the first 11 qualified teams to be eligible for the tournament. The other 11 teams comprise Iraq and Kuwait from Western Zone, Pakistan, Turkmenistan and Sri Lanka from Central Zone, Hong Kong, Macao and Mongolia from Eastern Zone, Myanmar from Southeastern Zone and Australia and New Zealand from Oceania Zone.

Only five teams from five Zones will join the 11-team cut. This resulted in only one team apiece from each zone needed to join the fray. Therefore, a qualification tournament is necessarily required for each zone to have only one team representing each zone, aside from the 11-team cut, in the 16-team championship in Chinese Taipei.

It’s likely that qualification tournaments will be held in the Western (two teams), Central (two), Eastern (three) and Oceania (two) Zones, but no need to have the qualification in Southeastern Zone as only Myanmar is the lone participating team. The AVC will announce further information on qualification tournaments in each zone ahead of the championship in Chinese Taipei.

Meanwhile, at the latest information on January 7, a number of 15 teams have already confirmed their participation in the 18th Asian Women’s U19 Championship in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand from July 23 to 31. However, till the late entry will be closed on January 16, the application remains possible.


In the 2016 Asian Men’s Club Championship in Myanmar between August 23 and 31, a number of 17 teams have so far submitted their entries, while a maximum of 16 teams are needed to compete in the meet. The teams ranked from 1st to 10th from the previous edition plus hosts Myanmar got the AVC’s nod to contest the championship, while additional five teams are required to join the cut.

Still, six teams from four zones have shown their interests to contest the Myanmar competition. Among them are Saudi Arabia and the UAE from Western Zone, Hong Kong from Eastern Zone, Indonesia and Malaysia from Southeastern Zone and Australia from Oceania Zone. Only one team will be dropped from the mentioned six participants, ensuring the tournament to have a maximum of 16 teams in contention for the crown. However, it has been ruled that if a cut of teams taking part in the tournament cannot be done through qualifications, the teams with better world rankings can be selected to join the 11-team cut, totalling 16 teams for each competition.

Thirteen teams have confirmed their participation in the 2016 Asian Women’s Club Championship in the Philippines between September 3 and 11. Interested teams wishing to submit their late entries can contact the Competition Department at the AVC Headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand via avc.bk@asianvolleyball.netwithin January 16.

In terms of the 5th AVC Cup for Women in Vietnam between September 12 and 18 and the 5th AVC Cup for Men in India from September 19 to 25, the entry has already been closed since the qualified eight teams apiece have already been confirmed in each tournament.

Toyoda Gosei Trefuerza and Hisamitsu Springs triumphs after capturing the recent Emperor’s Cup and Empress’ Cup Volleyball Championships.

Toyoda Gosei Trefuerza and Hisamitsu Springs were on cloud nine after capturing the recent Emperor’s Cup and Empress’ Cup Volleyball Championships.

It was a very first time for Toyoda Gosei to advance to the final showdown in the men’s Emperor’s Cup which saw a total of 536 teams vie for the top honour on December 27, 2015. Toyoda Gosei faced an uphill task against JT Thunders, defending champion and 2014/15 V Premier League winner. Toyoda Gosei won the first two sets with hard attacks and serves of Croatian opposite Igor Omrčen.

However, JT, fielding a strong line-up with the likes of Brazilian opposite Leandro Vissotto, showed solid defense and fought back bravely to take the third set. Still, they could not  stop the onslaughts from the Croat attacker to go down in dramatic four sets 19-25 22-25 25-21 21-25.

Omrčen was satisfied with the team’s performances. “I am very happy with the result. Also I appreciate our supporters and my team-mates’ dedication.”

Swedish head coach Anders Kristiansson praised his players, “I’m really proud of my players. We could show what we have built up as a team for these two years. It’s true that we had very difficult moment that being reconciled to the lowest rank in the national league. However, we could overcome the difficulty, so I’m very grateful to lead this team to victory.”

Meanwhile, the women’s Empress’ Cup saw strong players of Japan national team for the FIVB World Cup 2015 join the fray including Sarina Koga and Haruyo Shimamura for NEC and Miyu Nagaoka, Yuki Ishii, Chizuru Kotoh, and Kotoki Zayasu for Hisamitsu Springs.

It was the second time that these two teams confronted each other in the final of national tournaments in the Year 2014/15 consisting the V Premier League and the Empress’ Cup.

Thanks to Kotoh’s tricky serves, Hisamitsu had big lead in first set. NEC attempted hard to counter-attack Hisamitsu with devastating spikes from Shimamura and Risa Shiragaki, but Hisamitsu totally controlled the match and closed the match without much effort 25-13, 25-21, 25-22.

It was four times in a row for the Hisamitsu’s victory in the Empress’ Cup since Kumi Nakada started leading the team as head coach. During the interview, she said in tears, “I didn’t care about the number of championship, but had great pleasure. We missed the title of 2015 Asian Women’s Club Championship in September and had difficult time in national league this season. We came back what we are like by great effort of my players.”

Hisamitsu’s scorer Nagaoka, showing her delight, said, “I feel relieve to see everybody happy. My team-mates and I played well with good concentration in each set. I will keep in mind that I had great support from lots of people and will play our best again in 2016”.

Both Toyoda Gosei and Hisamitsu captured the top spot in the 2015/16 V Premier League in their latest ranking and are seeking more successes in another season.

The Iran Volleyball Federation signed Argentinean Raul Lozano as the new head coach of the national volleyball team of Iran

The Iran Volleyball Federation signed Argentinean Raul Lozano as the new head coach of the national volleyball team of Iran, hoping that the 56-year-old will make their dreams of qualifying for the Rio Games come true.

Right after 2015 World Cup and achieving world’s eighths title, the IVF in various meetings has concluded to implement major changes in the technical committee. A number of Inquiries brought the national federation to Raul Lozano. On Tuesday, September 22, the contract has been officially signed by both parties – Lozano and IVF President Dr Mohammadreza Davarzani.

Davarzani said, “Earning the Olympic ticket is our long-lasting dream and now we have come up to a crucial moment to approach the goal. We finally made up our mind to choose Lozano as he had already experienced two participations in the Olympic Games and he is well worth a trust. In our first step, we both agreed on a term cooperating up to the end of the Olympic Games. Since Iran are also planning for the 2020 Olympic Games, we will think of the extension of the signed contract if required.

The new coach of Iran in a press conference said, “There is no enough time, yet the goal is as big as qualifying for Olympic Games in Rio.”

He admitted that Iran proved their high potential in volleyball and explicated more: “The Olympic Games are incomparable with those of the other major world and continental events. It is always an honour for any team to take part in the Olympic Games and it will never repeat for any professional athlete”.

“We have to perform well in the World Olympic Qualification Tournament in Japan first to secure an Olympic berth. The Iran national team are scheduled to set up the trainings by the end of March. So, we still have up to seven months at most to get prepared. Fortunately, Iranian players are strongly motivated, for they are ready to record an important time in the history of Iran Volleyball. Tough trainings await us”, he said.

He found the technical matter on the priority for selecting the players. In addition, the players’ performance in the Premier League as well as their injuries are to be taken into account.

In reply to the question of whether Iran will mount to the Olympics, Lozano said: “I wish so. It is so hard to make any response for it. We have to try first. I have a special feeling toward Iranian volleyball. I love this feeling. People must enjoy watching volleyball. I hope we will see a high volleyball from Iran in Rio. This is my dream that I am here to make it come true”.

FIVB Congress date confirmed

Lausanne, Switzerland, December 10, 2015 – The FIVB Executive Committee approved dates of the 2016 October 4-6 for the 2016 FIVB Congress, which will be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The elective Congress will take place on October 5 & 6 with workshops for National Federations in categories 1 & 2 taking place on October 4.

The Executive Committee also approved the electoral process, which will be sent out to all federations, and includes the process of Election of the FIVB President, the Process of Election of the Members of the gender in minority in the Board of Administration along with key excerpts from the FIVB Constitution on the subject of the FIVB Rules of the Congress.

Derakhshandeh named Chairman of League Organization in Iran Volleyball Federation

 Following resignation of Manoucher Pourhasan from his position, Saeed Derakhshandeh, director of International events, becomes chairman of the League Organization in Iran volleyball federation.

In his speech, Dr M.R. Davarzani, president of the Iran Volleyball Federation  said: “For several times Mr. Pourhasan had requested his resignation, we were not agreeing with his decision. However, when considering his hard work as well as his mental and physical conditions since his health is more important, this time we agreed to his resignation.

“Therefore, Mr. Saeed Derakhshandeh, who currently serves as Director of the International Events Committee and has a lot of experience in holding the international tournaments, normally each year FIVB nominates him as observer and responsible for holding the international competitions, we appointed him as Chairman of the League Organization. We want to bring our national competitions more closely to the international standards.”

He added: “Pourhasan was tired. We then allowed him to take a temporary break. Certainly in the future and during other opportunities we still ask for his assistance because he is a very experienced person. In terms of Mr Derakhshandeh, he has experience and sufficient skills to accept this responsibility. At the recent World Cup tournament, he served as an observer.

Meanwhile, Saeed Derakhshandeh said: “Mr. Pourhasan has dedicated his life for hard work in the league Organization. During his working term, the league of Iran volleyball has got noticeable improvements.  Credits of this success go to Mr Pourhasan.”

Pourhasan said:” Form sometimes ago I wanted to reduce my responsibility.  Management of the League Organisation is a very difficult task. It demands a lot of energy. I had given my service in this post for seven years for competitions of volleyball league in different situations. Just today, I had to work from 7am till the sunset. This situation has caused problems to my health. For a while I feel that physically I feel uncomfortable. Pain starts to take its toll at  my joints. I went to see the doctor and he advised me to take more rest, do exercises and reduce sitting for a long time. That’s why I asked to reduce my responsibility and keep a low profile.”

AVC releases revised calendar for 2016-2019 indoor volleyball competitions

The revised calendar for the 2016-2019 indoor volleyball competitions has been recently released by the Asian Volleyball Confederation, with Thailand receiving the AVC's green light to host major tournaments for three consecutive years.
This year, all eyes will be on Thailand when the sports-loving country will host one of the most-watched competitions in the FIVB World Grand Prix Finals (Group 1) in Bangkok from July 6 to 10, which will see the best five teams after the three-week preliminaries plus hosts Thailand vie for the top honour.

In the same month, Thailand, where the AVC Headquarters is located in its capital city, will organise the 18th Asian Women's U19 Championship in Nakhon Ratchasima from July 23 to 31. Thailand has also got the AVC's nod to host three major competitions in the next three years. In the following year, the country will become the battle ground for the second Asian Women's U23 Championship in the fourth week of May.
In 2018, Thailand will host the sixth AVC Cup for Women in the first week of July. Volleyball will again hit a fever pitch in Thailand in 2019 when they will organise the 20th Asian Senior Women's Championship in the fourth week of June. When the 2013 edition of the Asian Senior Women's Championship was hosted by Thailand in Nakhon Ratchasima, it turned out to be a volleyball phenomenon when local spectators started to arrive at the competition venue as early as midnight in an effort of booking the tickets. Still, thousands of fans made a long queue each morning, waiting patiently for their turns to book tickets. At around 8 am, all tickets were sold out, smashing dreams of hundreds of fans to watch the match at the jampacked actual venue.
Meanwhile, a total of six AVC competitions will be held this year. Chinese Taipei will get the 2016 volleyball events off the ground when they will host the 18th Asian Men's U20 Championship from July 9 to 17, followed by the 18th Asian Women's U19 Championship in Thailand between July 23 and 31.
After the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil from August 5 to 21, Myanmar, following their significant success in organising the inaugural Asian Men's U23 Championship last year, will take a major step in hosting the 2016 Asian Men's Club Championship from August 23 to 31. The 2016 Asian Women's Club Championship will take place in the Philippines during September 3 and 11.
In the same month, the fifth AVC Cup for Women will be held in Vietnam from September 12 to 18, with the fifth AVC Cup for Men starting the next day in India between September 19 and 25.
The indoor volleyball will approach its peak in Asia in 2017 which has been regarded as one of the busiest years ever for the AVC. A total of eight AVC competitions will be held across the continent, starting with the 2017 Asian Men's Club Championship in Malaysia in the first week of April, followed by the 2017 Asian Women's Club Championship in Chinese Taipei in the second week of April.
In May, Australia will organise the second Asian Men's U23 Championship in the third week of the month, with Thailand hosting the second edition of the women's competition in the fourth week of the month.
Three tournaments will be held in June. Myanmar will kick off the month with the 11th Asian Boys U19 Championship in the second week of the month, followed respectively by the 11th Asian Girls U18 Championship in Vietnam in the third week and the 19th Asian Senior Women's Championship in the Philippines in the fourth week.
In the first week of July, Indonesia, which will host the next Asian Games in 2018, will hold the 19th Asian Senior Men's Championship, the last stop of the AVC competition in 2017.
In 2018, the first AVC competition will start with the Asian Men's Club Championship to be hosted by India in the first week of April, followed by the Asian Women's Club Championship in Chinese Taipei in the second week of April.
Thailand will organise the sixth AVC Cup for Women in the first week of July, with Vietnam holding the 19th Asian Women's U19 Championship in the third week of July.
Iran and Malaysia have shown their interests in staging the 19th Asian Men's U20 Championship in the first week of August and AVC will later decide the right host nation. In the second week of August, Chinese Taipei will stage the sixth AVC Cup for Men.
From December 5 to 20, Indonesia will host the 19th Asian Games, a Pancontinental multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia.
The year 2019 will turn out to be another busy year for the AVC when a total of eight competitions will be held. However, among the eight tournaments to be contested, six of them have yet confirmed the host nations. Thailand will organise the 20th Asian Senior Women's Championship in the fourth week of June, followed by the 20th Asian Senior Men's Championship in Australia in the first week of July.
Earlier, the 2019 Asian Men's Club Championship will take place in the first week of April, with the Asian Women's Club Championship being held the following week.
In May, the third edition of the Asian U23 Championship for the men's and women's events will be held in the third and the fourth weeks respectively.
The 12th Asian Boys U19 Championship will be organised in the second week of June, followed by the 12th episode of the Girls event in the third week of the month.
Opportunity is still open for interested countries to host the mentioned six tournaments. To become the candidate countries for any 2019 AVC competitions which have yet confirmed the host nations, the interested countries have to contact the AVC Headquarters in Bangkok earlier to make sure their applications will be submitted in time.

Women Volleyroos head coach appointed

Volleyball Australia is proud to announce the appointment of its head coach for the Women Volleyroos (indoor team) for the 2016 international season including the FIVB Women’s World Grand Prix.

Shannon Winzer has been the coach of the winning WAVL (Women’s Australian Volleyball League) team for the last 3 years, and in 2013 and 2014 also contributed as an assistant coach to the Women Volleyroos. She played in the WAVL for five years, and was a member of the national team in 2008 and 2009. A Canadian national, she also has playing experience in her home country and the UK.
She will guide the Volleyroos during the FIVB Women’s World Grand Prix (Group 3) in June, when they will play against Cuba, Colombia and Croatia in Wollongong from June 3-5, and against Mexico, Colombia and Kazakhstan in Colombia from June 10-12, aiming for the finals in Kazakhstan from June 17-19.
The campaign begins with a camp in Melbourne at the Maribyrnong Academy of Sport and Fairhills High School from January 22 to 24, followed by camps in Adelaide (February), Sydney (Easter) and Brisbane (April) before some international matches in May.
“Shannon brings both enormous enthusiasm and passion to the Volleyroos campaign, together with significant and sustained success in the WAVL over recent years”, said John Boultbee, VA High Performance Director. “This stood her out in a strong field of international candidates, and provides a role model for Australian based coaches seeking to ply their skills on the international stage. Our best Australian based players have all nominated for the January camp, and will eventually be joined by some of the overseas based players, prior to the World Grand Prix.”
Shannon Winzer commented “I am excited about this opportunity to bring together the best players Australia has to offer and work with them to build a program that we can all be proud of setting the foundation for future success.”
Photo: Volleyball Australia is proud to announce the appointment of its Head Coach for the Women Volleyroos (indoor team) for the 2016 international season including the FIVB Women’s Grand Prix.

2016 AVC competitions draw huge interest

 
Powerhouses China, Japan, Iran and Chinese Taipei emerged as the only four teams to confirm their participation in all six indoor volleyball competition to be held this year by the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC).
The Confederation has recently released the 2016-2019 competition calendar and its 65 affiliated member countries paid tremendous attention in hosting those competitions. In 2006 in particular, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, Myanmar, the Philippines, Vietnam and India have already received the AVC’s green light to host the tournaments.

However, among the six competitions to be held this year, only China, Japan, Chinese Taipei and Iran have confirmed their participation in all events, with the 18th Asian Men’s U20 Championship attracting a large number of 21 teams. Among 65 affiliated member countries, only 37 have shown no interest in contesting any AVC competition in 2016.

Chinese Taipei will kick the AVC competitions in 2016 off in the 18th Men’s U20 Volleyball Championship as they will host the prestigious tournament from July 9 to 17. So far, a total of 21 countries have already confirmed their participation in the top-flight competition, which will serve as the qualification tournament for the 2017 Men’s U21 World Championship.

Reigning champions Iran will return for their title defence in Chinese Taipei, with tough challenges expected from Korea and China.

The indoor volleyball will then take centre stage in Thailand as they will host the 18th Women’s U19 Championship in Nakhon Ratchasima, in which the top-flight tournament was held ten years ago in 2006. Only Korea, Japan and China dominated the biennial competition, with the formidable Chinese ruling the roost with 11 titles including the previous edition in 2014 in Chinese Taipei.

So far, a total of 15 countries have been confirmed to strut their stuff in the thrilling tournament in Thailand, which is due to take place from July 23 to 31.

After a great success in organising the last year’s inaugural Men’s U23 Championship in Nay Pyi Taw,bj Myanmar will this year host the 2016 Asian Men’s Club Championship, where 17 countries have already submitted their entries to be pitted against one another. Surprisingly, as the entry will be closed on January 16, Korea, one of the strong teams to be reckoned with, have yet confirmed to send their club team to the Myanmar meet, due to be held during August 23 and 31. Korea’s Sangmu finished a disappointing sixth place in the previous edition in Chinese Taipei last year, while in the 2014 edition in Pasay, the Philippines, Korea did not send any team to the Asian Men’s Club Championship.

Meanwhile, the 2016 Asian Women’s Club Championship will take place in the Philippines from September 3 to 11. A total of 13 teams are expected to take part in the championship, from which Bangkok Glass VC emerged as the first club team ever from Thailand to capture the last year’s crown in Ha Nam, Vietnam following their stunning victory over title-holders Hisamitsu Springs from Japan in the final showdown.

The remaining two competitions will be the 5th AVC Cup for Women in Vietnam from September 12 to 18 and the 5th AVC Cup for Men in India between September 19 and 25, with eight teams apiece competing in both competitions.

Since only top eight teams each from the previous Asian Senior Men’s and Women’s Championships will make the cut for the respective AVC Cup for Men and Women, eight teams have confirmed their participation in both events.
Nevertheless, in the AVC Cup for Men in India, Thailand finished eighth in the previous episode in Chinese Taipei, but India has already gotten the AVC’s nod to host the 2016 edition, leaving Thailand to miss the cut for this year’s AVC Cup for Men.