Sitting Teams Begin Road to London in Denver

B.J. Hoeptner Evans
Manager, Media Relations and Publications
Phone: (719) 228-6800
E-Mail: bj.evans@usav.org

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (March 5, 2010) – The 2010 Winter Paralympics begin March 12 in Vancouver, but in Denver this weekend, there are Summer Paralympic hopefuls beginning their march toward the London Games in 2012.

The U.S. Men’s and Women’s Sitting Teams will play teams from Brazil and Canada on March 6-8 at the Parapan American Championships. The tournament will be part of the Colorado Crossroads tournament at the Colorado Convention Center.

The tournament is the teams’ first step toward the 2010 Sitting Volleyball World Championships on July 11-18 at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond, Okla. The top three teams at the World Championships will qualify for the 2012 Paralympics in London.

“I can’t wait until Worlds,” said Allison Aldrich (Schuyler, Neb.) of the U.S. Women’s Sitting Team and a two-time Paralympic medalist. “I want to know that we’ve qualified.”

Because they are hosting the World Championships, the U.S. teams have automatically qualified. However, Brazil and Canada will be fighting to qualify for the tournament as the winners will get to go to Edmond. If a U.S. team wins, then the second-place team will qualify.

The U.S. Women’s Sitting Team has gone from being a fledgling program in 2003 to winning the silver medal at the Beijing Paralympics in 2008.

Aldrich, who won a bronze with the team at the 2004 Paralympics in Athens and the silver in Beijing, said the team has improved greatly over the years.

“It is so much different now, night and day different,” she said. “Now we have team chemistry. We know we have what it takes to win gold.”

In 2009, the U.S. women won the Eurocup, which served to increase their confidence.

The U.S. Men’s Sitting Team, meanwhile, has not seen as much international competition over the past two years as the Women’s Team has. The U.S. Men were on the brink of qualifying for the 2008 Paralympic Games, but lost a five-set heartbreaker to Brazil in the final of the 2007 Parapan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and lost their chance.

This year’s Parapan American Championship will be the first opportunity for the team to try to avenge that loss.

“It will feel pretty good to get to play Brazil,” said Eric Duda (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.). “We are at least three times better since 2007.”

But the U.S. Men’s Sitting Team may not be at full strength in Denver. Starter Edgar Laforest did not make the trip and Duda has been struggling with illness.
But first-year Men’s Sitting Team Head Coach Edgar Miraku (Elbasan, Albania) just wants to see the team get some international experience.

“We need to do what we need to do,” he said. “The rest doesn’t really matter.”

The competition will begin on Saturday (March 6) with round robin pool play and will end on Monday (March 8) with the championship matches.

A clinic and autograph session will also be part of the weekend.

The competition will begin on Saturday (March 6) with round robin pool play and will end on Monday (March 8) with the championship matches.

A clinic and autograph session will also be part of the weekend.

For more information on the Colorado Crossroads tournament, go to www.coloradocrossroads.org.

For more information on the 2010 Sitting Volleyball World Championships, click here.

Schedule:
Saturday, March 6 (All times MST)
9 a.m. Canada vs. Brazil (women)
11:30 a.m. Brazil vs. Canada (men)
4 p.m. USA vs. Brazil (women)
6:30 p.m. USA vs. Canada (men)

Sunday
9 a.m. Canada vs. USA (women)
Noon: Brazil vs. USA (men)
3 p.m. 2nd place vs. 3rd place (women)
6 p.m. 2nd place vs. 3rd place (men)

Monday
10 a.m. 1st place vs. 3 p.m. winner (women)
1 p.m. 1st place vs. 6 p.m. winner (men)

U.S. Women’s Sitting Volleyball Team

Allison Aldrich (Schuyler, Neb.)
Heather Erickson (Fayetteville, N.C.)
Michelle Gerlosky (Griffin, Ga.)
Alex Gouldie (St. Paul, Neb.)
Katie Holloway (Lake Stevens, Wash.)
Kaleo Kanahele (Edmond, Okla.)
Kendra Lancaster (Westfield, Ind.)
Gina McWilliams (The Colony, Texas)
Nichole Millage (Champaign, Ill.)
Kari Miller (Washington, D.C.)
Lora Webster (Cave Creek, Ariz.)

Head Coach: Bill Hamiter (Bethany, Okla.)
Assistant Coach: Edgar Miraku (Elbasan, Albania)
Team Leader: Dixie Collins (Marshall, Va.)

U.S. Men’s Sitting Volleyball Team

Eric Duda (Gainesville, Fla.)
Josh Franklin (Houston, Texas)
Roderick Green (West Monroe, La.)
Brad Johnson (Pompano Beach, Fla.)
Edward O'Neil (Amherst, Mass.)
Brent Rasmussen (Omaha, Neb.)
Dan Regan (St. Louis, Mo.)
Hugo Storer (Houston, Texas)
James Stuck (New Kensington, Pa.)
Charles Swearingon (Gulfport, Miss.)

Head Coach: Edgar Miraku (Elbasan, Albania)
Assistant Coach: Bill Hamiter (Bethany, Okla.)
Team Leader: Dixie Collins (Marshall, Va.)

 

Tags: Alexandra Gouldie, Allison Aldrich, Sitting Volleyball, U.S. Women's Sitting Volleyball Team