FIVB: Beach Volleyball World Cup Final and Canadian Trials
From left to right: Christian Redmann, Ben Saxton, Martin Reader, and Josh Binstock at the Olympic Trials in July. They now make up four different pairings. Photo: Zoran Milich, Sporsnet.ca and Sportsnet MagazineThe FIVB has added a brand new competition to its calendar for 2013. The FIVB’s President newly appointed President Dr Ary S. Graça announced in early November that Brazil would host the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Cup Final, an event to crown a champion from the Continental Cup. Ten of the top volleyball countries will converge on Brazil January 9th-13th to crown a champion.
The format invites all Continental Cup Champions, as well as all countries that qualified the maximum of 2 teams at the 2012 Olympic Games via the rankings. If the 10 spots are not filled at that point, then the country with the high finish in London not already participating will be invited. A total of $300,000, $150,000 per gender, will be divided amongst the participants.
Canada will have both a men and women’s team present at the event, having won the NORCECA Continental Cup in Mazatlan, Mexico in late June. Here’s a look at all the participating countries:
Men's Teams in Brazil
- *Brazil
- *U.S.A.
- *Latvia
- *Germany
- *Switzerland
- Canada (NORCECA Champions)
- Venezuela (CSV Champions)
- Norway (CEV Champions
- South Africa (CAVB Champions)
- Japan (AVC Champions)
Women's Teams in Brazil
- *Brazil
- *U.S.A.
- *Germany
- *Czech Republic
- Canada (NORCECA Champions)
- Argentina (CSV Champions)
- Russia (CEV Champions)
- Mauritius (CAVB Champions)
- Australia (AVC Champions)
- China (Top ranked country at 2012 Olympic Games not already qualified)
*Qualified the maximum of 2 teams for the 2012 Olympic Games
Canada’s chances on the women’s side will rest on the shoulders of Heather Bansley and Liz Maloney. For those who don’t remember, Bansley and Maloney fell in three sets to Annie Martin and Marie-Andrée Lessard at the Olympic Trials in July. They were the topped ranked Canadian team all year on the FIVB Swatch World Tour and finished 2nd at Beach Nationals in Vancouver in August.
With none of our men’s time from the 2012 season remaining, Volleyball Canada has opted to go with a trial system pitting the top four teams against each other on November 30th and December 1st at the National Team Training Centre at Downsview Park in Toronto. The match schedule is as follows:
Semi Finals - Friday November 30th, 2012
 |
Redmann-Zbyszewski | vs. | |
Binstock-Hatch | 7:30 p.m. EST |
|
Schalk-Saxton | vs. | |
Reader-Schachter | 8:30 p.m. EST |
Finals - Saturday December 1st, 2012
TBD
If you can’t make it down to Downsview to watch the matches, don’t miss out on the great volleyball action and check out our live feed at www.volleyballsourcemag.com! All matches will be streamed live.