2015 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour update after Swatch FIVB Porec Major

Lausanne, Switzerland, June 8, 2015 — Keeping the sport in the forefront of the global sports nation, the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) will see its 2015 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour in Norway this week with the US$800,000 Swatch FIVB Stavanger Major, the second of three double-gender events on the 2015 competition calendar that are part of the new Swatch FIVB Major Series within the FIVB World Tour. Last week the 2015 FIVB World Tour held the $800,000 Swatch FIVB Porec Major in Croatia.

POREC MEN
In the men’s competition last week in Crotia, winning the gold medal against another strong field with a 7-1 record was reigning FIVB World Champions Alexander Brouwer/Robert Meeuwsen of the Netherlands. The Dutch won the gold in straight sets over Canada’s Josh Binstock/Sam Schachter, 21-15, 21-13 in 38 minutes. It was the second career FIVB World Tour gold medal for Netherlands’ Brouwer/Meeuwsen. Earning the bronze medal was Italy’s Adrian Carambula/Alex Ranghieri in three sets over Netherlands’ Reinder Nummerdor/Christiaan Varenhorst, 21-18, 18-21 and 15-10 in 54 minutes.

POREC WOMEN
In the women’s competition, Brazil’s Talita Antunes/Larissa Franca went an unblemished 7-0 to win their sixth straight FIVB World Tour gold medal (including the last two events this year) by defeating Canada’s Heather Bansley/Sarah Pavan in three sets, 21-16, 25-27 and 15-12 in 46 minutes. It was the Brazilians’ sixth FIVB gold medal in just eight events as a team on the FIVB World Tour. It was the 24th FIVB career gold medal for Talita and the 52nd for Larissa, the all-time FIVB career leader in gold medals. Larissa also moved into the career lead in FIVB World Tour winnings with $1,537,735 over her 13-season career. In the bronze medal match, Australia’s Louise Bawden/Taliqua Clance defeated Canada’s Jamie Broder/Kristina Valjas in straight sets, 21-15, 21-17 in 35 minutes.

MEN’S WINNERS SHARE
Last week’s Swatch FIVB Porec Major, men’s champions Brouwer/Meeuwsen of the Netherlands earned 800 points on the FIVB World Tour and picked up the gold medal purse of $57,000. Canada’s Binstock/Schachter, earned 720 valuable points in the FIVB World Tour Rankings as well as earning $43,000 in prize money.

WOMEN’S WINNERS ROLL
Last week’s Swatch FIVB Porec women’s champions Talita/Larissa of Brazil also earned 800 points on the FIVB World Tour and also picked up the gold medal purse of $57,000. Canada’s runner-up duo Bansley/Pavan earned 720 valuable points in the FIVB World Tour Rankings as well picking up the $43,000 purse to split from their silver medal placement.

MEN’S POINTS/EARNINGS
The top three teams in each gender at Swatch FIVB Major events receive 800, 720 and 640 points respectively on the 2015 FIVB World Tour. After three events, with one gold medal and two silver medals this year, Netherlands’ Brouwer/Meeuwsen lead the tour points with 2,180 and are also first in earnings with $90,000. Canada’s Binstock/Schachter duo is second in points with 1,440 and fourth in earnings with $54,575. In third with 1,340 points is Spain’s Adrian Gavira/Pablo Herrera while fourth is Brazil’s Evandro Goncalves/Pedro Salgado with 1,340 and fifth is Russia’s Viacheslav Krasilniov/Konstantin Semenov with 1,060 points.

In the 2015 FIVB World Tour men’s season earnings, second behind Netherlands’ Brouwer/Meeuwsen is Spain’s Gavira/Herrera with $67,375 while third is Brazil’s Goncalves/Salgado with $60,000 and fifth after Canada’s Binstock/Schachter is Italy’s Adrian Carambula/Alex Ranghieri with $39,000.

WOMEN’S POINTS/EARNINGS
For the women, Canada’s Jamie Broder/Kristina Valjas tandem duo is at the top of the point list with 1,880 with Germany’s Chantal Laboureur/Julia Sude second with 1,710 points and third is Canada’s Bansley/Pavan with 1,630 points.

In the 2015 FIVB World Tour women’s season earnings, leading is Bazil’s Talita/Larissa with $114,000, second is Canada’s Bansley/Pavan with $58,375 while third is Netherlands’ Madelein Meppelink/Marleen Van Iersel with $55,000.

MEN’S FINAL FOURS
In four men’s tournament so far in 2015 on the FIVB World Tour, 10 countries have at least one final four placement. Leading with three final four placements is the Netherlands (one gold medal, two silver medals, one fourth place) followed with two final four placements each are Brazil (one silver, one fourth place), Germany (one gold, one bronze) and Italy (one gold, one bronze) and with one each are Canada (one silver), France (one bronze), Switzerland (one fourth place), Spain (one gold), Turkey (one bronze) and the United States (one fourth place).

WOMEN’S FINAL FOURS
In five women’s event so far this year, seven countries have earned at least one final four finish.  Tied at the top with five placements each are Brazil (three gold, one bronze, one fourth place) and Canada (one gold medal, two silver, one bronze, one fourth place) while tied with two final fours each are Germany (one gold, one silver), China (two fourth places) and Netherlands (two silver) and with one each are Australia (one bronze), Italy (one bronze), Switzerland (one fourth place) and the United States (one bronze).

MEN’S WINNING PERCENTAGE
Based on percentage, statistically, in men’s action after four events, Italy’s Marco Caminati/Alex Ranghieri is at a perfect 100.0% winning percentage, with a 9-0 record in their one tournament. After their Porec gold medal, second is Netherlands’ Brouwer/Meeuwsen with a 23-5 record (82.1%) and tied for their in winning percentage this season at 75.0% are Spain’s Gavira/Herrera with a 12-4 record, Turkey’s Murat Giginoglu/Volkan Gogtepe also with a 12-4 record and USA’s Jake Gibb/Casey Patterson with a 6-2 record. Netherlands’ Brouwer/Meeuwsen duo has the most match wins with 23 and the four teams tied second with 12 are Spain’s Gavira/Herrera, Turkey’s Giginoglu/Gogtepe, Brazil’s Vitor Felipe/Alvaro Filho (12-8) and Venezuela’s Jackson Henriquez/Jesus Villafane (12-9).

WOMEN’S WINNING PERCENTAGE
For the women to date, following five events on the 2015 FIVB World Tour, leading is a Brazilian tri-fecta. Brazil’s Talita/Larissa lead with a 13-1 record (92.9%) followed by Brazil’s Brazil’s Eduarda Lisboa/Elize Maia with a 14-3 record (82.4%) and third is Brazil’s Agatha Bednarczuk/Barbara Seixas with a 13-3 record (81.3%). Fourth is Italy’s Marta Menegatti/Viktoria Orsi Toth with a 10-3 record (76.9% and tied for fifth with a 75.0 winning percentage and 12-4 records each are Australia’s Louise Bawden/Taliqua Clancy and Germany’s Karla Borger/Britta Buthe.

Canada’s Broder/Valjas tandem has the most match wins so far with 24 (24-10), tied for second with 22 wins each are Germany’s Chantal Laboureur/Julia Sude (22-9) and Brazil’s Carolina Horta/Liliane Maestrini (22-12).

ON THE HORIZON
Following this week’s second of three Swatch FIVB Major Series events on the 2015 FIVB calendar at the $800,000 Swatch FIVB Stavanger Major in Norway, the 2015 FIVB calendar enjoys a trip to Florida in the United States for the $800,000 FIVB St. Petersburg Grand Slam (June 15-21).

The dynamic month of beach volleyball will conclude with the $1,000,000 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships The Netherlands (June 26-July 5) being anchored in The Hague with pool play and the first two rounds of single-elimination also being played in Amsterdam, Apeldoorn and Rotterdam.

GROWING HISTORY
The Swatch FIVB Stavenger Major will be the 319th men’s tournament since the FIVB began play in 1987 and the 283rd FIVB women’s tournament since they started competition in 1992.

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 TOUR PURSES
The 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.