COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (May 23, 2016) – The U.S. Olympic Women’s Volleyball Team, ranked No. 1 in the world, has been placed into Pool B for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games along with No. 2 China and four other teams.
The U.S. Women will also play No. 6 Serbia, No. 7 Italy, No. 14 Netherlands and No. 16 Puerto Rico in Pool B. Host Brazil, ranked No. 3 in the world, will play No. 4 Russia, No. 5 Japan, No. 8 Korea, No. 9 Argentina and No. 21 Cameroon in Pool A.
The 12 qualified teams were placed into their Olympic pool based on the FIVB world ranking as of Jan. 1, 2016 and via the serpentine system. The top four teams from each pool at the end of the group stage will qualify for the quarterfinals.
The U.S. Women are seeking to make history with its first Olympic Games gold medal following consecutive silver medals in 2008 and 2012. Team USA also won silver at the 1984 Olympics and bronze at the 1992 Olympics.
The Americans have won six of their last seven tournaments starting with the 2014 FIVB World Championship held in Italy. The U.S. and China faced each other in the World Championship gold-medal match. The U.S. qualified for the 2016 Olympics by winning the 2016 NORCECA Olympic Qualifier held this past January at Lincoln, Nebraska.
The U.S. will face China twice during the upcoming FIVB World Grand Prix with matches on June 12 at Ningbo, China, and on June 26 at Hong Kong. Both teams could meet each other at the FIVB World Grand Prix Finals held July 6-10 in Bangkok, Thailand. Other teams on Team USA’s World Grand Prix preliminary schedule include Japan and Netherlands.
The Olympic Games begin Aug. 6 and concludes with the medal matches on Aug. 20.
Notes:
- Host Brazil has won the two most recent Olympic Games, beating Team USA each time in 2008 and 2012
- Puerto Rico, Argentina and Cameroon are making their first-ever Olympic Games appearance in women’s volleyball
- Russia is hoping to end a 12-year Olympic medal drought after finishing with the silver at the 2004 Olympics
- China won the most recent FIVB major event, the 2015 FIVB World Cup – finishing ahead of silver medalist Serbia and bronze medalist Team USA