COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Jan. 31, 2020) – The FIVB confirmed today the 2020 Olympic Games pools for both men’s and women’s indoor volleyball.
The U.S. Women’s National Team is grouped in a solid pool with defending Olympic champion China and 2018 FIVB World Championship runner-up Italy. Pool B includes Russia, Turkey and Argentina. Team USA qualified for the 2020 Olympic Games on home soil by winning three matches in Shreveport-Bossier City, Louisiana.
On the opposite side of the women’s bracket are defending world champion Serbia, host Japan, Brazil, Korea, Dominican Republic and Kenya.
The U.S. Men’s National Team is part of Group B that includes defending Olympic champion Brazil and 2019 FIVB Volleyball Nations League winner Russia. Others in the group B are Argentina, France and Tunisia. Team USA qualified for the Olympics by winning its Tokyo Qualification Tournament pool in Netherlands last August.
The men’s Pool A has host Japan with Poland, Italy, Canada, Iran and Venezuela.
The men’s and women’s Olympic pools are determined by the serpentine world rankings with Japan as the top seed.
The Olympic indoor volleyball schedule begins July 25 with the men’s competition and alternates days with the women’s competition. The men’s final is on Aug. 8 and the women’s final is on Aug. 9.
After the five-match pool play, the top four teams advance to the knockout quarterfinals. The top seed from each pool crosses over to play the fourth seed, while a drawing is held to determine crossover opponents for seeds two and three.
2020 Olympic Games Women’s Volleyball Pools (with world ranking)
Pool A: Japan (No. 7), Serbia (No. 3), Brazil (No. 4), Korea (No. 9), Dominican Republic (No. 10), Kenya (No. 19)
Pool B: China (No. 1), USA (No. 2), Russia (No. 5), Italy (No. 8), Argentina (No. 11), Turkey (No. 12)
2020 Olympic Games Men’s Volleyball Pools (with world ranking)
Pool A: Japan (No. 10), Poland (No. 3), Italy (No. 4), Canada (No. 7), Iran (No. 8), Venezuela (No. 36)
Pool B: Brazil (No. 1), USA (No. 2), Russia (No. 5), Argentina (No. 6), France (No. 9), Tunisia (No. 22)