Press release
Brazil and China headline top eight field in Peru
Yanchi Pi of China spikes versus Marianne Fersola (1) and Yeniffer Ramirez (10) of Dominican Republic as both teams reached the top eight
Lima, Peru, July 25, 2011 – Brazil and China headline FIVB Volleyball Women’s Junior World Championship Peru 2011 top eight teams in the second round being held in Lima and Trujillo from July 26 to July 28.
The two teams, the only countries to have participated in all 16 FIVB Women’s Junior World Championships, advanced as the top seeds in their first-round pools held in Lima. United States and Peru captured their respective first-round pools in Trujillo with 3-0 records. Host Peru is the only team to not lose a set in the first round.
Other teams in the top eight still in search for gold are first-round second-place finishers Slovakia, Italy, Belgium and Dominican Republic. During the second round, the top eight are divided into two four-team pools playing a round-robin format with the top two finishers in each pool advancing the semifinals on July 30.
Live scoring, results, news and photos on FIVB Volleyball Women's Junior World Championship Peru 2011.
Peru, Italy, United States and Dominican Republic have been grouped into the second round Pool E to be played in Eduardo Dibos Coliseum. Slovakia, Brazil, Belgium and China will play second-round Pool F matches at Gran Chimu Gymnasium in Trujillo.
The third and fourth-place finishers in the first round have fallen into the 9-16 classification pools. The eight teams are also divided into four-team groups playing a round robin format. Tunisia, Cuba, Korea and Japan will play in Pool G at Eduardo Dibos Coliseum in Lima. Pool H teams Egypt, Serbia, Poland and Russia are set to play in Gran Chimu Gymnasium in Trujillo.
The medal matches and all final classification matches conclude the tournament on July 31.
Five countries in the FIVB female junior and youth world rankings have reached the top eight, including the top three teams in Brazil, United States and Peru in that order. No. 6 Dominican Republic and No. 7 Belgium are also in the mix.
China won the Asia Volleyball Confederation Women’s Junior Championship to reach the FIVB Volleyball Women’s Junior World Championship Peru 2011. Italy won the European title with Belgium finishing with the bronze and Slovakia placing fifth. United States won the NORCECA title over runners-up Dominican Republic. Brazil was the South American champions.
The top eight teams have a combined seven gold medals in the previous 15 FIVB Women’s Junior World Championship events. Brazil are aiming for their seventh gold medal in the event, while China seek their second title.
Despite participating in their first-ever FIVB Women’s Junior World Championship, Belgium and Slovakia have reached the top eight. Aside from Belgium and Slovakia, the United States are in search of their first-ever medal. The Americans’ top finish was fourth place in 2007.
Dominican Republic was one step away from gold at the most recent event in 2009 for their only medal. Italy won the silver medal in 1997 and host Peru captured second place in 1981 for their only trip to the podium.
Capsules on the Top Eight Teams in FIVB Volleyball Women’s Junior World Championship Peru 2011
Belgium: 1st appearance
After a four-set loss to the United States to open the first-round, Belgium bounced back with four-set wins over Korea and Poland in Pool C. In the two victories, Belgium’s Lise Van Hecke scored 77 of her tournament-leading 95 points (37 versus Korea, 40 versus Poland). She has 74 spikes, 11 blocks and 10 aces. Her 0.91 aces per set is third-best in the tournament, while also ranking sixth in Best Spiker with a 43.53 success percent and seventh in Best Blocker with 1.00 blocks per set. Belgium captured the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in 2010 in the same age category.
Brazil: 16th appearance; Gold in 1987, 1989, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007; Silver in 1991; 1995, 1991; Bronze in 2009; 10 total medals
Brazil captured Pool B with a 3-0 record, but were challenged with first set losses to Italy and Serbia before coming back to win in four sets. Brazil shut down Cuba in three sets to conclude the first round. Gabriela Souza is Brazil’s leading scorer with 48 points, ranking fifth in the tournament, while converting 44.2 percent of her spike attempts for fifth best. Samara Almeida has added 44 points for eighth overall in the tournament. Brazil is the only country to have two scorers in the top 10 for the tournament. Ana Beatriz Correa ranks ninth in blocking with 1.00 average, while Thais Saraiva is sixth in Best Digger with 4.64 average. While Brazil’s streak of four gold medals was snapped at the 2009 FIVB Women’s Junior World Championship, the current team has seven of the 12 members that won gold at the 2009 FIVB Girls’ Youth World Championship in the lower age group.
China: 16th appearance; Gold in 1995; Silver in 1977, 2003, 2007; Bronze in 1985, 1987, 1997, 2001, 2005; 9 total medals
China won Pool D with victories over Russia, Japan and Dominican Republic in the first round. Zhou Yang ranks as the third-best scorer in the tournament with 63 points, including a tournament-best 2.00 blocks per set and a 46.4 spike success rate for third-best. Di Yao ranks as the top setter with 9.50 running sets average, while Li Lin ranks third in Best Digger with 5.00 digs per set and is the fourth-rated libero in the tournament.
Dominican Republic: 7th appearance; Silver in 2009
Dominican Republic won their first two matches against Japan and Russia, but lost to China on the final day of the first round to finish second in Pool D. Elizabeth Martinez ranks as the fourth-leading scorer in the tournament with 53 points, while Candida Arias has a 1.18 block average for fourth-best in the category. Brenda Castillo leads the Best Digger and Best Receivers category with a 6.55 dig average and 50.82 passing efficiency, helping her rate as second in the Best Libero category.
Italy: 11th appearance; Silver in 1997
After losing to eventual Pool B champion Brazil, Italy rallied to defeat Cuba and Serbia in three sets to advance to the top eight as the group’s second-place team. Valentina Diouf leads Italy with 45 points to rank seventh in scoring. Caterina Bosetti holds a 38.6 reception efficiency for fourth-best in the tournament, while Letizia Camera ranks sixth in Best Setter with 5.90 running sets average. Carolina Zardo is rated as the eighth-best libero in the tournament with a 52.0 success rate.
Peru: 9th appearance; Silver in 1981
Peru was the only team to win all three of their matches in straight sets with victories over Egypt, Tunisia and Slovakia to claim the top spot in Pool A. Due to the quick work on the court, Peru’s top scorer Brenda Uribe ranks 23rd in the tournament with 36 points. However, the host country has three of the top 10 Best Spikers in Uribe (42.6 success rate for eighth-best), Vivian Baella (41.8 for ninth-best) and Grecia Herrada (40.8 for 10th best). Uribe leads the Best Server category with 1.11 aces per set, while Baella is eighth and Clarivett Yllescas is ninth. Maria Acosta has a 54.7 success percent in passing for fifth place in Best Libero.
Slovakia: 1st appearance (3rd appearance including time as Czechoslovakia – best finish 6th in 1993)
Under its own flag for the first time in the event, Slovakia won a spot into top eight with wins over Tunisia and Egypt before falling to host Peru to finish second in Pool A. Nikola Radosova ranks 11th in scoring with 41 points to lead Slovakia, while also ranking second in Best Server with 1.00 aces per set. Nina Herelova holds 0.67 aces per set for fifth spot in Best Server. Lucia Nikmonova holds a 37.3 passing efficiency for fifth-place in Best Receiver.
United States: 7th appearance; Best finish of 4th in 2007
The United States won Pool C with four-set wins over Belgium and Poland before sweeping Korea. Haley Eckerman is the top American scorer with 43 points for 10th place overall, closely followed by Kelly Reeves in 12th place with 40 points. Eckerman leads all players with a 52.00 spike percent, converting 39 of 75 attempts with just seven faults. Natalie Hagglund is the top libero in the tournament with a 60.58 success percent on pass attempts, while ranking third in Best Receiver with 38.78 efficiency. The Americans won the silver medal at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games, but the squad represented in Peru has 12 new members.
Highest Scorer by Day
Day 1: 22 points by Zhou Yang (China) in 3-1 win over Russia, Aleksandra Sikorska (Poland) in 3-2 loss to Korea and Gabriela Souza (Brazil) in 3-1 win over Italy
Day 2: 37 points by Lise Van Hecke (Belgium) in 3-1 win over Korea
Day 3: 40 points by Lise Van Hecke (Belgium) in 3-1 win over Poland
Top 5 Scoring Performances
40 – Lise Van Hecke (Belgium) in 3-1 win over Poland on July 24
37 – Lise Van Hecke (Belgium) in 3-1 win over Korea on July 23
27 – Zuzanna Czyznielewska (Poland) in 3-1 loss to Belgium on July 24
26 – Zhou Yang (China) in 3-1 win over Japan on July 23
22 – Zhou Yang (China) in 3-1 win over Russia on July 22
22 – Aleksandra Sikorska (Poland) in 3-2 loss to Korea on July 22
22 – Gabriela Souza (Brazil) in 3-1 win over Italy on July 22
22 – Elizabeth Martinez (Dominican Republic) in 3-1 win over Russia on July 23
22 – Yasmin Hussein (Egypt) in 3-2 loss to Tunisia on July 24
Highest Set Score
29-27 (USA versus Poland) in first round played on July 23 in Trujillo
27-25 (China versus Russia) in first round played on July 22 in Lima
26-24 (Belgium versus Poland) in first round played on July 24 in Trujillo
Highest Scoring Matches
220 – Tunisia def. Egypt 26-24, 25-22, 21-25, 20-25, 17-15 in first round on July 24 in Trujillo
213 – Korea def. Poland 22-25, 25-22, 24-26, 25-19, 15-10 in first round on July 22 in Trujillo
182 – Belgium def. Poland 20-25, 25-21, 26-24, 25-16 in first round on July 24 in Trujillo
180 – United States def. Poland 25-19, 16-25, 29-27, 25-14 in first round on July 23 in Trujillo
177 – Brazil def. Italy 23-25, 25-20, 25-18, 25-16 in first round on July 22 in Lima
177 – Brazil def. Serbia 23-25, 25-15, 25-21, 25-18 in first round on July 23 in Lima
177 – China def. Japan 25-18, 17-25, 25-23, 25-19 in first round on July 23 in Lima
177 – Dominican Republic def. Russia 17-25, 25-20, 25-20, 25-20 in first round on July 23 in Lima
Live scoring, results, news and photos on http://www.fivb.org/EN/Volleyball/Competitions/Junior/Women/2011/index.asp.
All match reports, quotes and photos on www.fivb.org available for free of charge for editorial use only
Email: press@fivb.org
Download highresolution