2008 Summer Olympic Games Preview - Volleyball
July 26, 2008
Olympic Volleyball features two tournaments, one for the women and one for the men. Both of those
tournaments features 12 teams (or nations), and each team consists of 12 players. Six players are on
the court at any given time, and it has become common in the sport for each club to feature a setter, two
middle blockers, two receiver- outside hitters and a universal spiker.
Prior to the 2000 Sydney Games, the FIVB created a new player role called the libero, an individual
designed as a defensive specialist by his or her team. This player can be substituted in and out of a
match without the referee's approval. The libero wears a different color shirt than the rest of the players
on the team.
In the women's tournament, China is joined in the field by the likes of Italy, Russia, Brazil and the USA,
just to name a few nations. There are nine nations that will be represented in both the men's and
women's tournaments. The Capital Indoor Stadium, with a seating capacity of 18,000, will be the main
venue for volleyball at the Beijing Games.
For both the men and the women, the 12-team fields are divided into two groups. The competition opens
with a preliminary round in which each team plays the other five teams in the group, and while two points
are awarded for a victory, a team also receives one point for a loss. The top four teams from each group
advance to the quarterfinal round, and the teams are then ranked according to the points they received
in the preliminary round. At this point, the groups face each other. For instance, the No. 1 team from
Pool B would face the No. 4 team from Pool A.
On the men's side, Brazil won the Gold Medal in 2004, and Italy has medaled in the last three Olympics.
For the women, Cuba captured three consecutive Gold Medals in 1994, 1998 and 2004 before finishing
with the Bronze in 2004. China won the Gold in 2004 and will obviously have plenty of support from the
crowd in Beijing.
(Sports Network)
July 26, 2008
Olympic Volleyball features two tournaments, one for the women and one for the men. Both of those
tournaments features 12 teams (or nations), and each team consists of 12 players. Six players are on
the court at any given time, and it has become common in the sport for each club to feature a setter, two
middle blockers, two receiver- outside hitters and a universal spiker.
Prior to the 2000 Sydney Games, the FIVB created a new player role called the libero, an individual
designed as a defensive specialist by his or her team. This player can be substituted in and out of a
match without the referee's approval. The libero wears a different color shirt than the rest of the players
on the team.
In the women's tournament, China is joined in the field by the likes of Italy, Russia, Brazil and the USA,
just to name a few nations. There are nine nations that will be represented in both the men's and
women's tournaments. The Capital Indoor Stadium, with a seating capacity of 18,000, will be the main
venue for volleyball at the Beijing Games.
For both the men and the women, the 12-team fields are divided into two groups. The competition opens
with a preliminary round in which each team plays the other five teams in the group, and while two points
are awarded for a victory, a team also receives one point for a loss. The top four teams from each group
advance to the quarterfinal round, and the teams are then ranked according to the points they received
in the preliminary round. At this point, the groups face each other. For instance, the No. 1 team from
Pool B would face the No. 4 team from Pool A.
On the men's side, Brazil won the Gold Medal in 2004, and Italy has medaled in the last three Olympics.
For the women, Cuba captured three consecutive Gold Medals in 1994, 1998 and 2004 before finishing
with the Bronze in 2004. China won the Gold in 2004 and will obviously have plenty of support from the
crowd in Beijing.
(Sports Network)
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