USA Volleyball is hosting its first-ever Women’s Pan American Cup, which serves as a qualifying event into the 2010 FIVB World Grand Prix. The event, which will tentatively have three of the four semifinalists from the 2008 Olympic Games, is the largest international volleyball event hosted by USA Volleyball in terms of country participation. Brazil won the 2008 Olympic Games gold medal by defeating silver medalist USA in the title match, while three-time Olympic Games gold medalist Cuba finished fourth in the 2008 Olympic Games. All three teams are currently ranked in the top four in the current FIVB World Rankings.
Team USA has not hosted a women’s senior-level international tournament since the 1998 FIVB World Championship Qualifier tournament in 1998. Due to international scheduling and professional league commitments, matches on domestic soil have become a rarity with only seven contests against foreign teams in the most recent Olympic quadrennial (2005-2008).
Purchase Pan American Cup TicketsEighth Annual Pan American Cup Online Tickets Available - BY CLICKING ON THE TITLE OF THIS POST
USA Volleyball and the Miami-Dade Sports Commission has established ticket prices for the Eighth Annual Women’s Pan American Cup to be hosted in the city of Miami from June 26 to July 4.
The nine-day Pan American Cup, which has three of the four 2008 Olympic Games semifinalists (Brazil, USA and Cuba), will be played on the campuses of the University of Miami (8,000-seat BankUnited Center) and Florida International University (5,000-seat U.S. Century Bank Arena). A total of 12 teams are scheduled to compete in the event, which serves as a qualifying event into the 2010 FIVB World Grand Prix. The top three teams from NORCECA in the Women’s Pan American Cup and the highest placing South American country will earn berths to next year’s premier annual event.
A Pan American Cup tournament pass, good for all matches at both venues, is $75 for adults and $60 for children. Tickets for each date of competition at the specific venue (either University of Miami or Florida International University) are $20 for reserved general admission, $12 for adult general admission and $10 for child general admission. Tickets can be purchased online by clicking here.
Schedule of Events
June 26-30, 2009
TEAM POOL A — University of Miami, BankUnited Center
USA • Dominican Republic • Peru • Argentina • Canada • Uruguay
6/26/09n 6/27/09 6/28/09 6/29/09 6/30/09
MATCH 1 3:00 P.M. 3:00 P.M. 3:00 P.M. 3:00 P.M. 3:00 P.M.
MATCH 2 5:30 P.M. 5:30 P.M. 5:30 P.M. 5:30 P.M. 5:30 P.M.
MATCH 3 8:00 P.M 8:00 P.M 8:00 P.M 8:00 P.M 8:00 P.M
TEAM POOL B — FIU, US Century Bank Arena
Brazil • Cuba • Puerto Rico • Venezuela • Mexico • Costa Rica
6/26/09n 6/27/09 6/28/09 6/29/09 6/30/09
MATCH 1 3:00 P.M. 3:00 P.M. 3:00 P.M. 3:00 P.M. 3:00 P.M.
MATCH 2 5:30 P.M. 5:30 P.M. 5:30 P.M. 5:30 P.M. 5:30 P.M.
MATCH 3 8:00 P.M 8:00 P.M 8:00 P.M 8:00 P.M 8:00 P.M
July 1, 2009
OFF DAY
July 2-4, 2009
ELIMINATION ROUNDS — University of Miami, BankUnited Center
All teams to be seeded in Elimination Rounds based on Pool Results
July 2, 2009n July 3, 2009 July 4, 2009
MATCH 1 11:00 A.M. 11:00 A.M. 12:00 P.M.
MATCH 2 1:00 P.M. 1:00 P.M. 2:00 P.M.
MATCH 3 3:00 P.M. 3:00 P.M. 4:00 P.M.
MATCH 4 5:30 P.M. 5:30 P.M. 6:00 P.M.
MATCH 5 8:00 P.M. 8:00 P.M.
Team Sketches of 2009 Women's Pan American Cup Eligible Countries
(sorted by FIVB World Ranking)
Brazil, ranked No. 1 in the current FIVB World Ranking, finished second at the 2008 Women’s Pan American Cup with a roster mainly of junior-level players. It won all five of its pool matches and only lost to Dominican Republic in five sets in the gold-medal match. At the 2008 Olympic Games, Brazil muscled its way through pool play and the semifinals without dropping a single set. The Brazilians faced Team USA in the Olympic Games gold-medal match and came away with a four-set victory. In 2008, Team USA and Brazil faced each other in three exhibition matches in Colorado Springs (Brazil won two of three matches), a scrimmage in Beijing prior to the Olympics and the highlight match of the Olympic Games. Brazil holds a 32-47 all-time record against the USA.
USA, ranked No. 2 in the current FIVB World Ranking, finished fifth at the 2008 Women’s Pan American Cup with a very young roster that included just one Olympian from the 2008 Beijing Games. Team USA completed Pool A with a 4-1 record and in a three-way tie for first place. However, it was upset by Puerto Rico in the quarterfinal round and needed to defeat Peru and Venezuela in the classification matches to qualify for the 2009 FIVB World Grand Prix as the third-best NORCECA team in the Pan American Cup. Team USA went on to finish fourth at the 2008 FIVB World Grand Prix by mixing up its roster with veterans and newcomers. The Americans placed second in the 2008 Olympic Games Pool A with a 4-1 record. Team USA collected a quarterfinal victory over then-second-ranked Italy and a sweep of then-third-ranked Cuba in the semifinals. The U.S. lost a four-set match to top-ranked Brazil in the gold-medal match, but was the only team to take at least one set off the Olympic champions. In 2009, Team USA will have a new coach but one not unfamiliar with USA Volleyball. Hugh McCutcheon assumed the head coach position of the U.S. Women’s National Team in December of 2008 after leading the U.S. Men’s Olympic Team to the gold medal in Beijing.
Cuba, ranked No. 3 in the current FIVB World Ranking, finished a disappointing 11th at the 2008 Women’s Pan American Cup with a young roster not resembling its 2008 Olympic Games roster. Cuba’s only victory was against Trinidad & Tobago in the last classification match. However, Cuba proved dominant at the 2008 Olympic Games with an undefeated record in pool play that included wins over USA and host China. Team USA defeated Cuba in straight sets in the Olympic Games semifinals. Cuba lost its chance at a bronze medal with a loss to host China in the third-place match. Team USA trails Cuba in the all-time series 49-88.
Dominican Republic, ranked No. 13 in the current FIVB World Ranking, won the 2008 Women’s Pan American Cup after upsetting Brazil in the final. Dominican Republic won four of its five Pool A matches, but earned the tiebreaker over USA and Argentina who also had 4-1 records. Dominican Republic defeated the U.S. to open the tournament. However, USA still holds a 30-7 all-time record over Dominican Republic, which missed out on its opportunity to compete in the 2008 Olympic Games as Cuba won the NORCECA Olympic Qualification Tournament and placed fourth at the World Olympic Qualification Tournament (needed to place third).
Peru, ranked No. 17 in the current FIVB World Ranking, placed seventh at the 2008 Women’s Pan American Cup. The Peruvians were 2-3 in Pool B and lost a straight set match to Team USA in the first classification match. Peru ended the tournament with a five-set victory over Canada. Earlier in 2008, Peru finished second in the South American (CSV) Olympic Qualification Tournament and missing out on its chance to participate in the 2008 Olympic Games. The U.S. is 21-5 all-time versus Peru.
Puerto Rico, ranked No. 19 in the current FIVB World Ranking, placed fourth at the 2008 Women’s Pan American Cup. After a 3-2 record in last year’s pool play, Puerto Rico upset the United States in the quarterfinals before it lost to Dominican Republic and Argentina in the semifinals and third-place match, respectively. As the second-highest ranked NORCECA team at the 2008 Women’s Pan American Cup, Puerto Rico qualified for the 2009 FIVB World Grand Prix event later this summer. Team USA holds a 21-1 overall record against Puerto Rico when using a full senior level national team.
Canada, ranked No. 23 in the current FIVB World Ranking, placed eighth at the 2008 Women’s Pan American Cup. It finished Pool B with a 4-1 record, but lost all three of its classification matches in five sets. Canada and USA did not meet in 2008, with the last meeting a three-set American victory at the 2007 NORCECA Continental Championship held at Winnipeg. Team USA holds a 68-10 all-time record versus its neighbor to the north.
Venezuela, ranked No. 24 in the current FIVB World Ranking, placed sixth at the 2008 Women’s Pan American Cup. Despite a 1-4 record and fifth place result in Pool B in last year’s event, Venezuela came to life in the classification matches until losing a five-set match to the United States in the fifth-place match. Venezuela also competed in its first-ever Olympic Games in Beijing after upsetting Peru in the Olympic Qualification Tournament. Unfortunately, it failed to win a match during its five Olympic pool matches but did take a set off Olympic silver medalist USA. Team USA is 3-0 all-time versus Venezuela with two of the three contests coming 2008.
Mexico, ranked No. 26 in the current FIVB World Ranking, finished 10th at the 2008 Women’s Pan American Cup in which it hosted. Mexico won two of five Pool A matches for fourth place, but stumbled in its two classification matches. Team USA, when using a senior national team, is 19-0 versus Mexico all-time, including a victory at the 2008 Pan American Cup.
Uruguay, ranked No. 29 in the current FIVB World Ranking, did not compete in the 2008 Women’s Pan American Cup. At the 2007 Women’s Pan American Cup, it finished in 11th place with a victory over Trinidad & Tobago. Team USA has never faced Uruguay.
Costa Rica, ranked No. 30 in the current FIVB World Ranking, placed ninth at the 2008 Women’s Pan American Cup. The Costa Ricans finished Pool A with a 1-4 record and win over Trinidad & Tobago. In classification matches, Costa Rica defeated Mexico in the ninth-place match. Team USA swept Costa Rica at last year’s Pan American Cup and are 8-0 all-time in the series history.
Argentina, ranked No. 31 in the current FIVB World Ranking, placed third at the 2008 Women’s Pan American Cup. It tallied a 4-1 record in Pool A and finished in a three-way tie for first place with Dominican Republic and USA. Team USA defeated Argentina in the Pan American Cup pool play and holds an 11-0 record in the all-time series.
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