Lausanne, Switzerland, May 18, 2015 — After visiting Switzerland for the first of two times in 2015, the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) will see its 2015 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour continue in the Czech Republic with the US$75,000 Prague Open, the lone women-only event on the 2015 competition calendar.
With two first-time gold medalist teams surprising the competition, Round 2 of the 2015 FIVB World Tour was the inaugural FIVB Lucerne Open.
On the men’s side winning their first gold medal on the FIVB World Tour at last week’s FIVB Lucerne Open was Italy’s Marco Caminati/Alex Ranghieri while the women’s gold medal was won for the first time by Germany’s Karla Borger/Britta Buthe.
LUCERNE MEN
In the men’s competition, winning the gold medal in impressive fashion with a perfect 9-0 record was Italy’s illustrious duo of Caminati/Ranghieri. The Italians won the gold by forfeit over defending FIVB World Champions Alexander Brouwer/Robert Meeuwsen of the Netherlands as the Dutch forfeited because of a lingering knee injury to Meeuwsen. In the semifinals, Italy’s Caminati/Ranghieri defeated Turkey’s first-time final four team of Murat Giginoglu/Volkan Gogtepe, 21-16, 21-18 in 38 minutes to earn their spot in the gold medal match. Turkey’s Giginoglu/Gogtepe earned their own and their country’s first FIVB World Tour finish when they came back and won the bronze medal over Switzerland’s Nico Beeler/Alexei Strasser in three sets, 21-18, 18-21 and 15-4 in 51 minutes.
LUCERNE WOMEN
In the women’s competition, winning the first FIVB World Tour gold medal with a sterling display and a 7-0 record was Germany’s Borger/Buthe, who won the silver medal in the 2013 FIVB World Championships in Poland. In the gold medal finale, Germany’s Borger/Buthe duo came from behind to defeat Netherlands’ Madelein Meppelink/Marleen Van Iersel in three sets, 16-21, 21-16 and 15-13 in 55 minutes. Winning the gold medal in the FIVB World Tour opener three weeks ago in Fuzhou, China, Canada’s Jamie Broder/Kristina Valjas earned the bronze medal in Lucerne, defeating Switzerland’s Barbara Hansel/Stefanie Schwaiger in straight sets, 21-18, 21-15 in 37 minutes.
MEN’S WINNERS BIG START
Last week’s FIVB Lucerne Open men’s champions Caminati/Ranghieri of Italy earned 500 points on the FIVB World Tour and picked up the gold medal purse of $11,000. Netherland’s Brouwer/Meeuwsen, the Dutch tandem coming back off an injury-riddled 2014 season, earned 450 valuable points in the FIVB World Season Rankings and the FIVB World Tour points as well as earning $8,000 in prize money.
WOMEN’S WINNERS BIG START
Last week’s FIVB Lucerne Open women’s champions Borger/Buthe of Germany also earned 500 points on the FIVB World Tour and also picked up the gold medal purse of $11,000. Netherlands’ runner-up duo of Meppelink/Van Iersel also earned 450 valuable points in the FIVB World Season Rankings and the FIVB World Tour points as well picking up the $8,000 purse to start the season.
MEN’S POINTS/EARNINGS
The top three teams in each gender at FIVB Open events receive 500, 450 and 400 points respectively on the 2015 FIVB World Tour. After two events, with two silver medals, Netherlands’ Brouwer/Meeuwsen lead the tour points with 900 and in earnings with $16,000. Russia’s Konstantin Semenov/Viacheslav Krasilnikov are second in points with 540 and tied for third with 500 points each are the gold medalists from the first two events of the year--Germany’s Markus Bockermann/Lars Fluggen and Italy’s Caminati/Ranghieri.
In the 2015 FIVB World Tour men’s season earnings, tied for second behind Netherlands’ Brouwer/Meeuwsen with $11,000 each are Germany’s Markus Bockermann/Lars Fluggen and Italy’s Caminati/Ranghieri.
WOMEN’S POINTS/EARNINGS
For the women, Canada’s Broder/Valjas duo continues at the top with 900 points and $17,000 in earnings. Second in points is Germany’s Chantal Laboureur/Julia Sude with 690 third is Germany’s Borger/Buthe with 500 total points.
In the 2015 FIVB World Tour women’s season earnings, second and third behind Canada’s Broder/Valjas are a pair of teams from Germany- Borger/Buthe second with $11,000 and Laboureur/Sude third with $10,000.
MEN’S FINAL FOURS
In two men’s tournament so far in 2015 on the FIVB World Tour, seven countries have at least one final four placement. Leading with two final four placements is the Netherlands (two silver medals) and with one each are France (one bronze), Germany (one gold), Italy (one gold), Switzerland (one fourth place), Turkey (one bronze) and the United States (one fourth place).
WOMEN’S FINAL FOURS
In two women’s event so far this year, six countries have earned at least one final four finish. Tied for the top spot with two each are Germany (one gold, one silver) and Canada (one gold, one bronze). With one final four finish each are China (one fourth place), Netherlands (one silver), Switzerland (one fourth place) and the United States (one bronze).
MEN’S WINNING PERCENTAGE
Based on percentage, statistically, in men’s action after two events, Germany’s Bockermann/Fluggen and Italy’s Caminati/Ranghieri both are at a perfect 100.0% winning percentage, but the Italians have a 9-0 record and the German’s have a 7-0 record (100.0% winning percentage). Tied third place are Netherlands’ Brouwer/Meeuwsen with a 12-2 record (85.7%) and Turkey’s Giginoglu/Gogtepe with a 6-1 record (85.7%). Tied for fourth place with 4-1 records (80.0%) are Spain’s Adrian Gavira/Pablo Herrera and USA’s Theo Brunner/Nick Lucena. Netherlands’ Brouwer/Meeuwsen duo has the most match wins with 12 and tied for second with nine each are Italy’s Caminati/Ranghieri and Russia’s Dmitri Barsouk/Yaroslav Koshkarev.
WOMEN’S WINNING PERCENTAGE
For the women to date, following two events on the 2015 FIVB World Tour, Germany’s Borger/Buthe are on top with a 7-0 record (100.0% winning percentage while second is Canada’s Broder/Valjas with a 13-1 record (92.9%). Third is Germany’s Victoria Bieneck/Julia Grossner at 7-1 (87.5%) and tied for fourth with 6-1 records (85.7%) are USA’s April Ross/Kerri Walsh Jennings and Netherlands’ Meppelink/Van Iersel. Tied for fifth place with 4-1 records (80.0%) are Australia’s Louise Bawden/Taliqua Clancy and Canada’s Heather Bansley/Sarah Pavan. Canada’s Broder/Valjas tandem has the most match wins so far with 13, second is Brazil’s Carolina Horta/Liliane Maestrini and third is Germany’s Laboureur/Sude with 8.
ON THE HORIZON
Following this week’s lone women’s-only open on the 2015 FIVB Beach Volleyball calendar at the FIVB Prague Open in the Czech Republic from May 20-24 the first of five grand slams on the 2015 FIVB World Tour will be held with the $800,000 FIVB Moscow Grand Slam running from May 26-31.
GROWING HISTORY
The FIVB Prague Open will be the 280th FIVB women’s tournament since they started competition in 1992. The men have had 316th FIVB events since the FIVB began play in 1987
FIVB 2015
Based in Lausanne, Switzerland as the international governing body for the Olympic sports of Beach Volleyball and Volleyball, the 2015 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour calendar features a record purse of US$9.6 million with a season that extends from late April to mid-December competing at 20 venues in 15 countries. The schedule includes five FIVB Grand Slams, the new Swatch FIVB Major Series of four events, six FIVB Opens and a special Swatch FIVB World Tour Season Final in the United States. A showcase event will be the $1 million 2015 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships in the Netherlands.
The Olympic qualification process begins in 2015 with all FIVB World Tour events (except the FIVB World Tour Finals) in 2015 up until June 13, 2016 counting towards the Olympic Ranking in order to determine 15 spots for each gender that will take part in each 24-team field in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Brazil.
FIVB WORLD RANKINGS
The 2015 FIVB World Ranking system will again include FIVB Beach Volleyball Grand Slam, the new FIVB Major Series and FIVB Open events along with additional pre-approved events at the inter-continental, continental and national levels.
The 2014-2016 FIVB Beach Volleyball Continental Cup also returns this year as it starts its portion of the qualification process for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Brazil.
FIVB WORLD TOUR PURSESThe FIVB Grand Slam and Swatch FIVB Major Series competitions, all double-gender each have $800,000 in total purses. The total purse FIVB World Championships the Netherlands 2015 will be $1,000,000 and $500,000 total for the Swatch FIVB World Tour Season Final which will feature the top eight teams in each gender.
The nine FIVB Open tournaments in 2015, seven double-gender, one men only and one women only, will have $150,000 total purses for the double gender events and $75,000 for the single-gender competitions. The gold medal teams in each gender at FIVB Open tournaments will each split $11,000, the silver $8,000, the bronze $6,000 and fourth place $4,500.
FIVB EVENT FORMAT
Implemented in 2013, the format of all the FIVB Beach Volleyball international tournaments – whether FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships, FIVB Beach Volleyball Grand Slam or FIVB Beach Volleyball Open – are the same, featuring pool play followed by single elimination knockout rounds. Country Quota playoffs will return as needed in 2015 to determine the final teams for the qualification tournament.