Puerto Rican Soto once again was the best scorer

TOKYO, Japan, December 3, 2007.- Puerto Rican Hector Soto was the best scorer of the Men’s World Cup won by Brazil with Russia and Bulgaria also securing berths in next year’s Olympic Games in Beijing.

Soto, who also was the top scorer in last year’s World Championship, totalled 243 points and was followed by Australian Paul Carroll with 200.

Brazilian Gilberto (Giba) Godoy was the Most Valuable Player as it was the case in the 2006 World Championship in Japan. Giba led Brazil with 127 points good only for the fourteenth position in the scoring department.

Brazilians Dante Amaral and Sergio Dutra were elected as best spiker and libero. Amaral was positive in 59.56 of his killing attempts and Godoy was third with 55.59 per cent.

Russian Semen Poltavsky was the best server with 19 aces for an average of 0.50 by set, while Spaniard Jose Luis Molto was the top blocker with 0.89 by set and his teammate Angel Miguel Falasca was the best setter with an average of 10.11 by set.

Brazil on Sunday remained on its throne as the world’s top volleyball powerhouse. The Brazilians, which have more-or-less dominated the sport since 2001, won their second straight World Cup.

Tokyo has apparently turned into a “home venue” for the Brazilians as they also won the previous World Cup (2003) again in the Japanese metropolis, the same city where they were crowned World Champions in 2006 and where they won the Grand Champions Cup (2005).

The reigning Olympic and World Champions Brazil are the second team to win back-to-back World Cups after the former Soviet Union, which won the trophy in 1977 and 1981, along with 1965 and 1991.

Final Standings
Brazil (10-1), Russia (9-2), Bulgaria (9-2), USA (8-3), Spain (7-4), Puerto Rico (5-6), Argentina (5-6), Australia (4-7), Japan (3-8), Egypt (3-8), Korea (2-9), Tunisia (1-10).

Individual Awards
MVP: Gilberto (Giba) Godoy (Brazil)
Best Scorer: Hector Soto (Puerto Rico)
Best Server: Semen Poltavskiy (Russia)
Best Spiker: Dante Amaral (Brazil)
Best Blocker: Luis Jose Molto (Spain)
Best Setter: Angel Miguel Falasca (Spain)
Best Libero: Sergio Dutra (Brazil)