World Grand Prix Marks 20 Wonderful Years: The FIVB Volleyball World Grand Prix will celebrate its 20th edition when the world’s premier annual women’s tournament takes place from June 8 to July 1 in 2012. A total of 16 teams will again take centre stage across three weeks of top-class volleyball action. With each week featuring four pools in four cities, millions of volleyball fans will be able to watch the world’s best players compete for a place in the Finals.
USA successfully defended their title in 2011, becoming the second team to win back-to-back titles (Brazil 2008-2009). Can they join Brazil (2004-2006) and become the second team to complete a hat-trick of titles this time around?
And with the competition set to take place just a month before the London 2012 Olympic Games, teams will be more desperate than ever to prove their form.
Pool Composition, Match Schedule and Results:
Pool A – Macau, China
CHN, PUR, THA, ARG
June 8: Thailand 3-0 Argentina (25-18, 25-9, 25-22)
June 8: China 3-0 Puerto Rico (25-15, 25-19, 25-16)
June 9: Puerto Rico vs. Thailand
June 9: Argentina vs. China
June 10: Argentina vs. Puerto Rico
June 10: China vs. Thailand
Pool B – Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
DOM, USA, BRA, TPE
June 8: USA 3-1 Germany (25-17, 25-15, 23-25, 25-11)
June 8: Dominican Republic vs. Chinese Taipei
June 9: USA vs. Algeria or Chinese Taipei
June 9: Germany vs. Dominican Republic
June 10: Germany vs. Chinese Taipei
June 10: USA vs. Dominican Republic
Pool C – Busan, Korea
KOR, JPN, CUB, TUR
June 8: Japan 0-3 Turkey (19-25/ 21-25/ 21-25)
June 8: Cuba 3-2 Korea 3-2 (23-25, 27-25, 25-18, 23-25, 15-11)
June 9: Korea vs. Turkey
June 9: Japan vs. Cuba
June 10: Korea vs. Japan
June 10: Cuba vs. Turkey
Pool D – Lodz, Poland
POL, GER, SRB, ITA
June 8: Italy 2-3 Brazil (25:18, 22:25, 21:25, 25:20, 6:15)
June 8: Poland 3-2 Serbia (24-26, 25-22, 20-25, 25-16, 15-10)
June 9: Serbia vs. Brazil
June 9: Poland vs. Italy
June 10: Italy vs. Serbia
June 10: Poland vs. Brazil
Pool E – Sao Paulo, Brazil
BRA, DOM, ITA, USA
June 15: USA vs. Italy, 6:20 p.m.
June 15: Brazil vs. Germany, 8:20 p.m.
June 16: USA vs. Germany, 6:20 p.m.
June 16: Brazil vs. Italy, 8:20 p.m.
June 17: USA vs. Brazil, 1:20 p.m.
June 17: Germany vs. Italy, 3:20 p.m.
Pool F – Komaki, Japan
JPN, GER, THA, PUR
June 15: Thailand vs. Puerto Rico, 3:20 p.m.
June 15: Japan vs. Dominican Republic, 6:20 p.m.
June 16: Dominican Republic vs. Thailand, 3:20 p.m.
June 16: Japan vs. Puerto Rico, 6:20 p.m.
June 17: Dominican Republic vs. Puerto Rico, 3 p.m.
June 17: Japan vs. Thailand, 6 p.m.
Pool G – Foshan, China
CHN, POL, KOR, TPE
June 15: Korea vs. Poland, 4 p.m.
June 15: China vs. Chinese Taipei, 7:30 p.m.
June 16: Poland vs. Algeria or Chinese Taipei, 4 p.m.
June 16: China vs. Korea, 7:30 p.m.
June 17: Korea vs. Chinese Taipei, 4 p.m.
June 17: China vs. Poland, 7:30 p.m.
Pool H – Belgrade, Serbia
SRB, CUB, TUR, ARG
June 15: Serbia vs. Argentina, 5:20 p.m.
June 15: Cuba vs. Turkey, 8:05 p.m.
June 16: Cuba vs. Serbia, 5:20 p.m.
June 16: Turkey vs. Argentina, 8:05 p.m.
June 17: Serbia vs. Turkey, 5:20 p.m.
June 17: Argentina vs. Cuba, 8:05 p.m.
Pool I – Osaka, Japan
JPN, POL, KOR, TUR
June 22: Korea vs. Turkey, 3:20 p.m.
June 22: Japan vs. Germany, 6:20 p.m.
June 23: Germany vs. Korea, 3:20 p.m.
June 23: Japan vs. Turkey, 6:20 p.m.
June 24: Germany vs. Turkey, 3 p.m.
June 24: Japan vs. Korea, 6 p.m.
Pool J – Bangkok, Thailand
THA, USA, SRB, TPE
June 22: USA vs. Serbia, 1:50 p.m.
June 22: Thailand vs. Argentina, 4:20 p.m.
June 23: USA vs. Argentina, 1:50 p.m.
June 23: Serbia vs. Thailand, 4:20 p.m.
June 24: Argentina vs. Serbia, 1:50 p.m.
June 25: USA vs. Thailand, 4:20 p.m.
Pool K – Luohe, China
CHN, BRA, CUB, PUR
June 22: Cuba vs. Brazil, 4 p.m.
June 22: China vs. Puerto Rico, 7:30 p.m.
June 23: Puerto Rico vs. Brazil, 4 p.m.
June 23: China vs. Cuba, 7:30 p.m.
June 24: Cuba vs. Puerto Rico, 4 p.m.
June 24: China vs. Brazil, 7:30 p.m.
Pool L – Taipei, Chinese Taipei
GER, ARG, DOM, ITA
June 22: Italy vs. Dominican Republic, 4 p.m.
June 22: Poland vs. Chinese Taipei, 7:30 p.m.
June 23: Italy vs. Chinese Taipei, 5 p.m.
June 23: Poland vs. Dominican Republic, 7 p.m.
June 24: Dominican Republic vs. Chinese Taipei, 5 p.m.
June 24: Italy vs. Poland, 7 p.m.
FIVB World Grand Prix Final Round
Ningbo, China – June 27 to July 1
Top 5 teams from preliminary round plus China