Will Matt Anderson be back playing with Team USA?
Well he better be!
If you’re in the United States, feel very lucky because the defending World League Champions will host Asian Champions Iran, Olympic Champions Russia and World Champions Poland during the Intercontinental Round of the 2015 FIVB World League.
Defending FIVB Volleyball World League champions USA will begin their 2015 campaign at home as will silver medallists Brazil and Poland after the Group 1 schedule was unveiled.
The Americans, who won their second World League crown in 2014, will take on Iran in San Diego in Pool B on May 29 and again a day later in the same city in a repeat of this year’s semifinals. The Iranians missed out on their first ever medal by losing to Italy in the bronze medal match.
Brazil will be looking to get their campaign off to a winning start in front of their home fans when they clash with Serbia on May 29 and 31 in Pool A. The hosts failed to add a 10th World League title to their name at the 2014 Finals in Florence so will be hoping to make amends for that and return to the top of the podium for the first time since 2010.
Poland were unlucky not to earn a ticket to Florence in 2014, narrowly missing out and finishing a disappointing seventh. But they followed this up with a tremendous run at the Men’s World Championship and will hope that the same home support will help carry them to a pair of early victories over Russia when they welcome their neighbours in their first two matches in Pool B.
Newly-promoted Australia will also play at home in their first ever Group 1 match in Pool A. They clash with 2014 bronze medallists Italy in Adelaide. The two also met in Pool H in the Finals earlier this year with the Italians coming out on top despite a match-high of 20 points for Thomas Edgar.
The Group 1 Intercontinental Round will run across six weeks from May 29 to July 5 with teams facing each other four times – two at home and two away.
The top two teams from Pool A and B will qualify for the Finals in Rio de Janeiro alongside hosts Brazil and the winner of the Group 2 Finals.
The FIVB Volleyball World League 2015 will run from May 15 to July 19 and is expected to be the biggest and best yet with the 26th edition of the tournament expanding to include a record 32 teams.
Click Here To Read About The World League Confirmed Calendar for Groups 2 and 3.
Click Here To Read About The 2015 World League expanding to 32 teams.
In case you didn’t know…
In Group 2, Germany have withdrawn from competing and has been replaced by Japan, who has moved up from Group 3. Venezuela now takes Japan’s spot in Group 3.
Germany will instead compete in the inaugural European Games next year in Baku, Azerbaijan.
(image: FIVB)
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