USA Women will meet Brazil in a three-match series

 

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado, April 14, 2008 – USA Volleyball, in conjunction with NBC and the U.S. Olympic Committee, will host three matches as part of a 2008 Olympic Exhibition series between the U.S. Women’s National Team and Brazil during June 11-14 prior to the FIVB World Grand Prix and the Olympic Games in Beijing.

 

Both the United States and Brazilian women’s teams qualified for the 2008 Olympic Games with medal-stand performances at the 2007 FIVB World Cup. Brazil finished with the silver medal at the World Cup, while the U.S. finished with the bronze despite defeating their exhibition match opponent in head-to-head competition during the World Cup.

 

“The Olympic Exhibition series with Brazil will be a great opportunity for our team to make final preparations for the World Grand Prix, and ultimately, the 2008 Olympic Games,” U.S. Women’s National Team Head Coach ‘Jenny’ Lang Ping said. “For the first time in two years, our team will have the chance to play here in the United States in front of a home crowd with a television broadcast for the last exhibition match allowing more fans to watch us, thanks to NBC.”

 

The U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team is currently ranked fourth in the FIVB World Ranking. Brazil leads the international ranking, followed by Italy and Cuba.

 

At the conclusion of the 2008 Olympic Exhibition series, the U.S. and Brazil will compete in the 12-team FIVB World Grand Prix in various European and Asian countries from June 20-July 13. The two teams will not face each other in any of the three preliminary round weekends, but could meet in the six-team, round-robin World Grand Prix Final round in Yokohama, Japan.

 

The 2008 Olympic Exhibition series with Brazil, along with the World Grand Prix and the Pan American Cup (scheduled for May 30-June 8), will assist the U.S. Women’s National Team coaching staff in making its choices for the 12-player Olympic Games roster.