COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The tournament of the Olympic season has arrived as American teams will play on home soil in the only U.S. FIVB event prior to the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The FIVB Cincinnati Open begins play this week from Mason, Ohio, at the Lindner Family Tennis Center. With only three tournaments remaining before the next chance to qualify for the Olympics, June 13 via World Tour rankings, this is the last chance for American fans to see Olympic caliber competition from multiple countries in the U.S. before the Olympics.
A large turn-out of American teams are expected to play in Cincinnati, with country quota playoff beginning on Monday, May 16. The qualification tournament will be played on Tuesday. Pool play will begin Wednesday for both genders, with the elimination rounds starting up Friday.
The finals will be played on Saturday for both genders, airing on NBC Sports Network.
| Women | Events | Points | Men | Events | Points | |||||
| 6 | Kerri Walsh Jennings/April Ross | 11 | 5,290 | 6 | Jake Gibb/Casey Patterson | 15 | 5,180 | |||
| 14 | Lauren Fendrick/Brooke Sweat | 16 | 4,410 | 8 | Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena | 10 | 5,080 | |||
| 18 | Jennifer Kessy/Emily Day | 19 | 3,980 | t13 | John Hyden/Tri Bourne | 17 | 4,730 | |||
THREE FIVB TOURNAMENTS LEFT BEFORE NEXT OLYMPIC QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITY
Three events remain before the provisional Olympic rankings close on June 13. The deadline represents the next chance for countries to earn quota spots to the Olympics. The Cincinnati Open marks the only event in the United States on the FIVB World Tour prior to the Olympics. Following that, teams will play in two final grand slams, in Moscow, Russia, and Hamburg, Germany.
Following the Olympic Games, American fans will be able to watch not only the U.S. Olympians in action, but a large contingent from other countries as they head to the Long Beach Grand Slam (World Series of Beach Volleyball) starting Aug. 23.
NVL OPENS SEASON IN FLORIDA
The National Volleyball League’s Pro Beach Tour opens play this week in Port St. Lucie, Florida. The NVL East Coast Championships are the first of seven events slated on the Tour in 2016, which will conclude in September back at Port St. Lucie.
WEEK IN REVIEW
FIVB Antalya Open
– John Hyden/Tri Bourne tied for ninth, their 12th Top 10 finish in Olympic qualification
– Tied for 17th: Jeremy Casebeer/Derek Olson; Jennifer Kessy/Emily
FIVB U21 World Championships
– Sarah Sponcil and Torrey Van Winden finished fourth
– Abril Bustamante and Zana Muno tied for 17th
– Nathanael Vander Meer and Ben Vaught were eliminated after pool play, tying them for 25th
– Cam Rodrigues and Kyle Skinner were eliminated in the second round of qualification
UPCOMING EVENTS
May 17-22 Cincinnati Open
May 20-22 NVL Port St. Lucie
May 24-29 Moscow Grand Slam
June 2-5 AVP Seattle
June 7-12 Hamburg Grand Slam
June 14-19 Olsztyn Grand Slam
June 16-19 AVP New York City
June 23-25 NVL San Antonio
June 28-July 3 Porec Major
July 1-3 NORCECA North Bay