In the Women's competition, the top seeds Tian Jia and Wang Jie of China will take on Norwegian pair Kathrine Maaseide and Susanne Glesnes, who have not been defeated in the last two matches. The focus is on which team will continue the winning streak.
Ana Paula Conelly and Larissa Franca of Brazil will take on Tamsin Barnett and Natalie Cook of Australia. The hastily arranged Brazilian team performed impressively in the last two matches, but it is doubtful whether they can win a match with opponents like Cook, bronze medallist at the Atlanta 1996 and gold medallist at the Sydney 2000, and Barnett, the 2007 FIVB Most Improved Player.
Interestingly, Men's top seeds Ricardo Santos and Emanuel Rego of Brazil face a situation similar to their women counterparts, where their opponents, , also remain unbeaten in the last two matches. The encounter between two in-form teams is worth expecting.
Also in Men's competition, the No.2 seeds Philip Dalhausser and Todd Rogers of the United States will take on Mariano Joaquin Baracetti and Martin Alejo Conde of Argentina. As all four teams in the pool have the same competition record, it will be a win-or-die match that decides which team goes to the knockout stage.
"Your volleyball season is about to start and I know you want to learn the secrets of how the pros play like they do.
Strengthen and improve your volleyball skills while playing for your high school and club team, now!
Learn early, what indoor and beach volleyball Olympians and professionals know about:
1. The importance of gaining muscle strength for injury prevention, gaining speed and increasing your vertical jump while training for volleyball,
2. Volleyball nutrition and
3. Mental conditioning and gaining confidence in yourself and your game, on and off the court."
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April Chapple is a columnist for USA Volleyball, the American Volleyball Coaches Association Coaching Volleyball magazine, a contributor to Active,.com/volleyball, and has authored numerous playing and coaching volleyball articles. Look for her upcoming ebook "How to Stop Serving Like a Wimp". She can be reached at april@volleyballvoices.com.
