Men’s Sitting Team to Compete in Sarajevo Open

Becky Murdy
Assistant, Media Relations and Publications
Phone: 719-228-6800
E-Mail: becky.murdy@usav.org

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 26, 2011) –The U.S. Men’s Sitting Volleyball Team will compete against seven international teams in the 2011 Sarajevo Open slated for May 27-29 in Sarajevo, Bosnia.

The 10th edition of the Sarajevo Open is hosted by the home team, OKI “Fantomi” Sarajevo, at the Sport Hall “Ramiz Salcin” in Sarajevo, the capitol of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Eight teams will compete for the title, including four national teams; Brazil, Netherlands, Russia and the U.S. Several international club teams will also compete: SDI Hrabri Hrvatska, of Croatia, Start of Poland, TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen of Germany and Fantomi of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

“Most of our team has been training together for years, becoming the closest and best team I have seen since I started playing in 2003,” said captain and eight-year veteran Brent Rasmussen (Omaha, Neb.).

The U.S. is slated for three matches on May 28, the first day of competition, against Fantomi, Bayer 04 and the Netherlands. The Sarajevo semifinals will also take place May 28, concluding seeding for the final day of play. Final matches and medal matches will be contested May 29.

“Our goal for this tournament has shifted from gaining experience, to now, putting the best quality volleyball on the floor,” Rasmussen said. “We have been training nonstop for this challenge and are so ready to show what our time on the court has presented.”

Eight players will represent the U.S. in Bosnia; Eric Duda (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), Edgardo Laforest Betancourt (San Juan, Puerto Rico), J. Dee Marinko (Newcastle, Okla.), Edward O’Neil (Amherst, Mass.), Rasmussen, Daniel Regan (St. Louis, Mo.), James Stuck (New Kensington, Pa.) and Charles Swearingen (Gulfport, Miss.).

“We are only taking eight players, but we see this as an advantage to build chemistry and get a lot of playing time,” Rasmussen said. “This will be our biggest tournament since 2007 and we are all focused on succeeding by doing whatever it takes.”

The Sarajevo Open will provide important competition and preparation for the U.S. team before its last attempt to qualify for 2012 London Paralympic Games at the Parapan American Games on Nov 10-23 in Guadalajara, Mexico.

“It is so important for our team to compete in the tournament as we don’t get the chance to play international teams as much as we would like,” Rasmussen said. “The 2011 Sarajevo Open allows us to see the best teams out there and to get experience we will need to win the Parapan American Games, landing us in London in 2012.”

The 2010 Sitting Volleyball World Championships was the last major tournament that the team participated in. The U.S. Men finished the tournament in 10th place with a 3-4 record.

The U.S. Men’s Sitting Team previously qualified for the 2011 Parapan American Games back in 2009, after going undefeated and claiming the gold at the Parapan American Zonal Championships in Montreal, Canada.

Preceding the Parapan American Games, the U.S. men’s sitting team will compete in the Continental Cup, July 9-17 in England and in exhibition matches against Canada, Oct. 21-23 in Kansas City.

U.S. Men’s Sitting Volleyball Team
Name (Hometown/Resident athletes at the University of Central Oklahoma are noted) 
Dan Regan (St. Louis, Mo./Edmond, Okla.) 
Charlie Swearingen (Gulfport, Miss./Edmond, Okla.) 
Ed O'Neil (Amherst, Mass./Edmond, Okla.) 
Eric Duda (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Edmond, Okla.) 
James Stuck (New Kensington, Pa./Edmond, Okla.) 
Edgardo Laforest (San Juan, Puerto Rico) 
Brent Rasmussen (Omaha, Neb.) 
J. Dee Marinko  (Newcastle, Okla.)

Head Coach: Edgar Miraku (Elbasan, Albania)
Assistant Coach: Dixie Collins (Marshall, Va.)
Athletic Trainer: Chad Miller
Statistician: Patricia Stein

About the Host City
Sarajevo is the capitol of Bosnia-Herzegovina. It is the largest urban area and houses the capitol of Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Sarajevo Canton headquarters. The city is made up of sacral buildings, equally architectural and artistic mosques from the Ottoman Empire, catholic and orthodox churches and synagogues. Approximately 297,416 residents call the capital city home.

Tags: Brent Rasmussen, Charlie Swearingen, Dan Regan, Ed O'Neil, Edgardo Laforest, Eric Duda, J. Dee Marinko, James Stuck, Sitting Volleyball, Sitting Volleyball World Championships