OFFICIAL BULLETIN No. 4 June 2006 Edition in English FÉDÉRATION INTERNATIONALE DE VOLLEYBALL A busy month of May at the FIVB The month of May marked a The FIVB Executive Committee turning point in the FIVB’s annual calendar and a shift from several months of busy preparation to a phase of action. On the competition side, the first tournament on the SWATCH FIVB World Tour took place, whilst on the administration side the FIVB’s Executive Committee and Board of Administration held their annual session in Lausanne. In addition to examining the proposals of the FIVB’s Commissions, the Board of Administration also reviewed the 184 candidatures for the Commissions and Board of Administration for submission to the 30th World Congress in Japan later this year. Prior to these meetings, important sessions were held by the Legal Commis- sion, the Press Commission with tourna- ment press directors and the Technical Supervisors and Referee Delegates for Beach Volleyball. In addition to the first SWATCH FIVB World Tour event in Modena, Beach Vol- leyball also saw the first NESTEA Euro- pean Championship tournament – the Turkish Masters in Alanya and the first FIVB Challenger event, which brought An artist’s impression of the Chaoyang Park Beach Volleyball complex for Beijing 2008 Beach Volleyball to the Czech Republic for the first time ever. This month we will see the first Grand Slam event on the SWATCH international training and friendly match FIVB World Tour, as all eyes turn to Gstaad schedules from this month, we take a more In this Issue to see the numerous changes to the tour- in-depth look at how two of the teams, Volleyball nament as the mountain resort builds up Canada for the men and the Dominican to next year’s World Championships. Republic for the women, are shaping up • World Championships News: and what their calendar looks like until Dominican Republic, Canada, We are happy to see a steady stream of November. Besides these in-depth articles Mexico and Poland news flowing in from the countries with on the teams, you can always find the teams participating in this year’s world latest World Championships news on the • Japan’s “golden girls” championships. As many teams start their FIVB website. Beach Volleyball The FIVB Board of Administration • Modena women’s season opener for the SWATCH FIVB World Tour 2006 Technical & Development • Technical and VCP calendars Confederations • Quick tour of Africa for the CAVB President • CEV Executive Committee meeting in Istanbul www.fivb.org Volleyball VOLLEYBALL WOMEN Coach An overview of the Dominican Republic Beato Miguel Cruz is the first Dominican to coach the team for the last twelve years national team’s preparations for Japan but he is not new to the environment. Cruz has been the technical director of the This will be the fifth time for the cur- Dominican Republic National Federation rent Pan American Games queens at and his experience includes coaching the the women’s World Championships. men’s national team for several years. Their best result came in Japan in 1998 when they finished in eleventh Coach Statement place. Other participations include “We have a good mix of veterans and young Mexico 1974 (21st), Moscow 1978 players and my expectations are very (19th) and Germany 2002 (13th). high,” says Cruz. “I am a strong believer in hard work and I expect good results How they qualified from it. There are no small teams or big One of six teams from their Continental teams, so let the performance on the court Confederation entering the event, the decide the outcome during this important Dominicans, currently ranked 11th in the quadrennial event.” world), finished second to Cuba in the NORCECA-E Qualifying Round in Santia- Beato Miguel go, Dominican Republic. Cruz, new coach Goals The team’s chances of advancing to the second round look very realistic this time. Among their rivals in Pool B, the Domini- cans have consistently dominated Mexico and have also collected victories over Ger- Milagros many and Azerbaijan. They last defeated Cabral Germany at last year’s World Grand Prix and beat the Germans away during the 2001 edition of the Bremen International Milagros Cabral is the captain of the Tournament. Dominican squad and power is the name of her game. She has been on the interna- New Face tional scene for the past few years exhibit- Cindy Rondon is a product of the National ing her powerful spikes in the leagues of Development Program and currently plays Italy, Russia and Puerto Rico. Completely in the A-1 Series of the Italian League. The recovered from achilles tendon surgery, 17 year-old Rondon is a member of the she is back in full action. Cabral won the Junior Dominican Team and took part in Most Valuable Player award during the the U-20 women’s World Championships II Pan American Women’s Cup in Saltillo, The Road to Japan in Turkey. She has a powerful serve and Mexico in 2002 and was selected to take The Dominican Republic has taken very is an all-around skilled athlete with great the Athlete’s Oath during the Opening Cer- seriously its participation at the 2006 blocking ability. emony of the 2003 Pan American Games. World Championships and therefore they will have a busy schedule in preparation Evelyn Carrera is a model of consistency for the event, including training and com- and has gained international recogni- petitions in America, Europe and Asia. tion as one of the best libero players in Prior to the Japan event, they will have the world. The veteran Carrera was the joint training bases in Brazil, France and second best libero of the last Olympics China, and several international tourna- in Athens and was elected as the top of ments. her class during the 2003 Pan American Games, the 2002 Central American and Team’s schedule Caribbean Games and the 2006 Puerto June 2-18 Training base in Rio de Janeiro, Rican League. Brazil, with the Brazilian team June 27-July 8 Fifth Women’s Pan American Cup in Puerto Rico July 14-30 Twentieth Central American Cindy Rondon and Caribbean Games in Cartagena, Colombia Star Players August 1-7 Training Base Annerys Vargas has developed into the at Bagnoles-de-l’Orne, Normandy, new big weapon of the Dominican side. France, with the French Team The 1.94m Vargas was the most dominat- Aug. 16-Sep. 10 World Grand Prix ing player in the Puerto Rican League this Sep. 22-30 Copa TV Azteca season starring for the Bayamon Cowgirls. in Tijuana and Mexicali, Mexico Annerys combines spiking and blocking America’s Cup (Manaus, Brazil) skills and the World Championships will October 14-22 World Women’s League be a great stage to catapult her to the Big in People’s Republic of China Annerys Vargas Time. Oct. 31-Nov 16 World Championships (Japan) 2 FIVB World Volley News No.4 June 2006 2006 World Championships VOLLEYBALL MEN the 1984 Summer Olympics. Since that Canada’s new coach picks time he has had a successful professional men’s senior roster career as a player and now as a coach. Glenn has coached for professional teams Volleyball Canada has come to an in Europe, most notably Paris Volley in agreement with Glenn Hoag as the France where he led the team to a historic new Men’s National Team Coach. Hoag, Triple-Crown victory winning the French known for his play on the court dur- Cup, European Champions Cup, and ing his time with the National Team, French Championship, had success as an and more recently his success as a assistant with the French National Team Professional Coach in France and at program and has been coaching since the Université de Sherbrooke, agreed 2003 at the Université de Sherbrooke. to a 2-year contract with an option to Glenn Hoag, the new head coach extend for an additional 4 years. Hoag’s Senior Men’s roster for the 2006 International Volleyball season is made up Athletes selected to Team Canada’s Hoag, a former member of Canada’s of 19 veteran and up-and-coming athletes Senior Men’s team are: National Team (1981-86), was an integral and was selected after an intense four-day Setters: Scott Koskie (Winnipeg, MB), Mike part of the program when they produced Selection Camp held in Winnipeg, Mani- Munday (Winnipeg, MB), Josh Howatson Canada’s best ever result finishing 4th at toba, during the first week of May. (Victoria, BC) Right Side: Paul Duerden (London, ON), Dallas Soonias (Red Deer, AB), Kris Brand VOLLEYBALL WOMEN The preparation of the Mexican squad also (Quesnel, BC) th Mexico is planning includes the participation in the V Wom- Left Side: Fred Winters (Vancouver, BC), en’s Pan American Cup in Puerto Rico, the Pascal Cardinal (Pincourt, QC), Chris- a training camp in China Twentieth Central American and Carib- tian Bernier (Montreal, QC), Dan Lewis bean Games in Colombia and the Copa TV (Oakville, ON), Nicholas Cundy (Edmonton, The Mexican National Women’s Team Azteca in Mexico with the top teams from AB), Alexandre Gaumont-Casias (Marie- is planning to have a training camp in the Norceca region and also teams from ville, QC), Louis-Pierre Mainville (Notre- China before taking part in the World Brazil and Peru. Dame-de-L’Isle-Perrot, QC), Jean-Francois Championship in Japan, announced Grondin (Sherbrooke, QC) Professor Alejandro Salinas, President Some of the best Mexican players are par- Middle Blockers: Murray Grapentine of the Mexican National Federation. ticipating in foreign leagues, such as Bibi (Westaskiwin, AB), Steve Brinkman (Bow- Candelas and Ana Mercado (USA), Yendi manville, ON), Brett Youngberg (White The Mexican side obtained the right to Cortinas (Italy) and Claudia Rodriguez Rock, BC), Chris Meehan (Clearwater, BC) participate of the world event with USA (Spain).