World Grand Prix 2011

    Quote from Joana

    Ain't that the truth!
    I don't have anything against the Polish team, but their draw has been a joke. Some teams like Serbia and Germany were screwed over real hard so that Poland could play Argentina and Dominican Republic over and over again.


    Chill out guys! First of all SRB is playing their first GP. There is no draw in GP. In making groups they are taking in consideration position in last year GP. The teams which wasn't play always are in worst situtation. There is no fault of Poland that Russia, Korea, Serbia, Cuba, Argentina, Peru didn't play in 2010. Ofc Poland has very good relations with FIVB, but this is not for nothing. We organize tournaments and we have big support from TV Polsat. Probably only Japan and maybe China could secure this too.

    Quote from bobaas


    Chill out guys! First of all SRB is playing their first GP. There is no draw in GP. In making groups they are taking in consideration position in last year GP. The teams which wasn't play always are in worst situtation. There is no fault of Poland that Russia, Korea, Serbia, Cuba, Argentina, Peru didn't play in 2010. Ofc Poland has very good relations with FIVB, but this is not for nothing. We organize tournaments and we have big support from TV Polsat. Probably only Japan and maybe China could secure this too.


    How come does Poland always play Grand Prix?
    I really like Poland NT and appreciate Polish people's love for volleyball. On the other hand it is unjustice for me to give so many wild cards to a single country for big international competititons no matter what. Poland is one of FIVB's favourites, the others are as you mentioned China and Japan.
    One of FIVB's and CEV's missions is to promote volleyball but both of them just suck at this. :thumbdown:

    Quote from bobaas


    Chill out guys! First of all SRB is playing their first GP. There is no draw in GP. In making groups they are taking in consideration position in last year GP. The teams which wasn't play always are in worst situtation. There is no fault of Poland that Russia, Korea, Serbia, Cuba, Argentina, Peru didn't play in 2010. Ofc Poland has very good relations with FIVB, but this is not for nothing. We organize tournaments and we have big support from TV Polsat. Probably only Japan and maybe China could secure this too.


    C'mon, now.

    Three wild cards of this year's WGP go to Japan, Brazil and Poland.
    Japan and Poland receive the WC as they both host two pools in priliminary round. (FYI, Japan finished a fourth place in Asian Cup 2010, which means they can't qualify in an official way.). Just like China is also automatically qualified as the final host.
    Brazil receive the WC as the world No. 1? I don't know.


    So, if you want a wild card next time, host one pool or be the No. 1. That's perhaps the FIVB joke.

    Quote from Martee

    Three wild cards of this year's WGP go to Japan, Brazil and Poland.
    Japan and Poland receive the WC as they both host two pools in priliminary round. (FYI, Japan finished a fourth place in Asian Cup 2010, which means they can't qualify in an official way.). Just like China is also automatically qualified as the final host.
    Brazil receive the WC as the world No. 1? I don't know.


    So, if you want a wild card next time, host one pool or be the No. 1. That's perhaps the FIVB joke.


    Brazil recieved wild card cause brasilian Federation president Ary Graça is FIVB Executive Vice-President and would be ugly for him here in Brazil if our team didnt play World GRand Prix, cause is the only good tournament for us most of the years, and cause for Brasil is really easy to qualify to it, since we still dotn have many teams here in South America, but Brasil joked and sent a junior team to play the qualification tournament :down: .

    But, guys, come on. The teams that will play the GP are the teams that FIVB wants to. All of these qualifications are bullshit, kinda except for Europe, but we see with the Poland thing that even there it's the FIVB way that prevails over technical issues. There isn't such a thing as a rule, at the end of the day.

    Quote from pol

    Now Poland must to win 2 matches next week and it should give us F8...In fact POL in this squad doesn't deserve for final tournament but we have to use this oportunity of playing against DOM and KAZ :S


    :lol: :lol: :lol:


    Poland will certainly qualify for the final round with matches next week versus Kazakhstan, Dom Rep and China. :lol: :lol: It this a joke or what?


    In fact, Poland has the easiest of matches in this World Grand Prix that's why I am excited come final round, Poland vs Brazil or Poland vs Russia or Poland vs USA or Poland vs Japan.


    :rolll:

    "[size=8]It's years and years of work and sacrifice and dedication. Along with a lot of these girls, we've sweat and we've bled and we've cried together in past Olympics. It just brought tears to my eyes, & I'm more than thrilled. This will be forever." -LOGAN MAILE LEI TOM (Silver Medallist - 2008 Beijing & 2012 London Olympic Games, 2011 World Cup runner up, 2003 & 2007 World Cup 3rd place, 2002 World Champs runner up, 4-time World GrandPrix Champs)

    Serbia has always been USA's weakness... In 2007 World Cup, USA lost to Serbia in 4 sets. Fastforward 2011...USA, the reigning Grand Prix champions won a thrilling 5-set match versus Serbia...and a week after Serbia returned the favor by beating them in 4 sets.


    Part of the reason why USA has been so successful the past couple of years is that they have strengthened their serves, reception and defense. Sykora, Tom and Larson were very potent in the backrow for the team. While offense has been taken cared of by Hooker, Akinradewo and Bown. Problem is, once you put pressure on their serve-receive and defense (like the game vs Serbia), they become a mediocre team.


    Davis is doing a good job replacing Sykora but IMHO, Sykora is still the best libero for the US. Demn it accident!


    I have also observed that Tom's attacking has been in question...injury? Her serves hasn't also been as potent as it was before!


    Anyway, I am happy that Akinradewo, Hooker and Larson are still performing excellently despite the pressure of playing alongside Bown, Berg and Tom who are veterans of the team.

    "[size=8]It's years and years of work and sacrifice and dedication. Along with a lot of these girls, we've sweat and we've bled and we've cried together in past Olympics. It just brought tears to my eyes, & I'm more than thrilled. This will be forever." -LOGAN MAILE LEI TOM (Silver Medallist - 2008 Beijing & 2012 London Olympic Games, 2011 World Cup runner up, 2003 & 2007 World Cup 3rd place, 2002 World Champs runner up, 4-time World GrandPrix Champs)

    Prediction- How many will Poland win sets in the Final Eight?
    A- 0
    B- 0
    C- 0
    D- 0.5
    E- A, B, C are correct.

    Quote from Bartek

    Prediction- How many will Poland win sets in the Final Eight?
    A- 0
    B- 0
    C- 0
    D- 0.5
    E- A, B, C are correct.

    Ahahah :lol: But I don't think Poland will arrive to Final Eight.... :roll: Because now Poland is 8th but China is qualified as organizer of F8..So China could take the ranking of Poland..I suppose.. :)

    Successo viene prima di Sudore soltanto nel vocabolario.


    Gold Medal - Prediction Game - Men's European Championships 2011
    Bronze Medal - Prediction Game - Men's European League 2012

    How come does Poland always play Grand Prix?
    GP 2004 - 1st place in qualification in Pila.
    GP 2005 - 3rd in Turkey (Ankara or Istanbul)
    GP 2006 - 3rd place in Quba
    GP 2007 - 3rd place in Varna
    GP 2008 - Poland in 2006, 2007 organize tournaments (Wild Card)
    GP 2009 - Wild Card
    GP 2010 - 3rd place on ECH - directly qualified
    GP 2011 - Wild Card

    Quote from Vio92

    World Gran Prix 2011 it's very intresting!! who will be the winner this year ?? i follow mainly italian team it's no bad i think!! ;)

    I enjoy watching Italians this year but I have mixed feelings about Rondon.
    I bet on Russia as a winner. But, who knows what will happen ;)



    So we have a big chance to be smashed by Russians again :wacko: :P



    Quote from Bartek

    Prediction- How many will Poland win sets in the Final Eight?
    A- 0
    B- 0
    C- 0
    D- 0.5
    E- A, B, C are correct.

    Don't be such cruel. Maybe our girls don't deserve to be in F8. Shouldn't get so many wild cards. But there is one thing: they fight. Yes. Our team is weakened. Matlak started it. We have a new couch and new team and girls had not much time to get know each other well. IMO, this team do it best and I appreciate it. Young players got chance to play. Nice. I will support them so they can win not 0 sets, but 1, 2, 3 and more.

    How will the points for FIVB Rankings be awarded once WGP is over?


    I guess the point awarding system is changed compared to previous editions since this is the first edition with 16 teams participating.


    Anyway, Poland and Serbia, other than Russia and Italy of course, will improve their position in terms of Olympic qualifications , compared to other European teams like Germany and especially Netherlands and Turkey.

    @toraypower pol
    Skowronska played very well in the final serie in Turkey .. She will play better ..
    Thanks for the answers ..

    Quote from bella

    Don't be such cruel. Maybe our girls don't deserve to be in F8. Shouldn't get so many wild cards. But there is one thing: they fight. Yes. Our team is weakened. Matlak started it. We have a new couch and new team and girls had not much time to get know each other well. IMO, this team do it best and I appreciate it. Young players got chance to play. Nice. I will support them so they can win not 0 sets, but 1, 2, 3 and more.

    Maybe it was malicious, but true... If we will play in F8, the other teams will crush us. I don't think, that we have a chances with them. Just by bravery nobody's never won a match.
    But... go girls. That's all I wanna say.

    Quote from vbv

    How will the points for FIVB Rankings be awarded once WGP is over?


    I guess the point awarding system is changed compared to previous editions since this is the first edition with 16 teams participating.


    Anyway, Poland and Serbia, other than Russia and Italy of course, will improve their position in terms of Olympic qualifications , compared to other European teams like Germany and especially Netherlands and Turkey.

    Referring to the World League, still 50 pts for winner, 45 for runner-up, and so on.


    Yes, there has been one or another wild card... :whistling: There's also been one for the World Cup, which is the reason why, by the way, Poland got a chance to play the Olympics the next year, while, for instance, Netherlands had won the GP that year.


    Anyway, I'm not here to clash our fellow polish users and I think they got all the rights to root for their own team, regardless of the politics that's being dragged to this whole thing.


    I just think: there's been wild cards; there's been hosting slots; isn't it enough? Apparently no. There's been also need to give Poland the easiest possible pools. And other teams, unfortunately, get screwed in the process.

    Why don't you not blaming Dominican Rep.? They receive Wild Card in 2003 and 2007 World Cup. Because they have easy way and no extra qualification to GP they don't must give a Wild Card for this one. In 2004 they played in olympic qualification in not their zone (it was South America as I remember). And they don;t organize any events and probably don't have any TV which support them. We must remember that volleball is a marketing product too.