VTAM DRAW FOR OLYMPIC QUALIFICATION TOURNAMENT

VOLLEYBALL, May 16, 2012: An emerging Volleyball Team Australia Men’s team will go into battle against world ranked number seven Serbia in a tough pool of eight teams from Europe, South America and Asia when the Aussies go hunting a place in this year’s London Olympics in Japan next month.

The young Australians, who are currently preparing for a Four Match International Series against Holland this week, will take their place in the Asian World Olympic Qualification Tournament in Tokyo (June 1-10).
 
The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) has confirmed the participating teams for the tournament with Australia (ranked 22 in the world) facing off against tournament favourites Serbia, Venezuela (16), Puerto Rico (17) and fellow Asian nations, hosts Japan (15), China (10), Iran (12) and Korea (20).
 
The winner of the tournament will qualify for the 12-team Olympic competition in London 2012 and will be joined by the best placed Asian team (but if the winner is an Asian team then the next best Asian team will also qualify).
 
Two other World Olympic Qualification Tournaments are set down for Bulgaria (featuring Bulgaria, Egypt, France, Pakistan) and Germany (featuring Germany, Cuba, Czech Republic and India) from June 8-10 with the winners both progressing.
 
The Qualifying teams will join Great Britain, Russia, Poland, Brazil, Tunisia, USA, Italy and Argentina in London
 
Australia’s High Performance Manager Matt Sebbens said VTAM had already started gathering as much information as possible on its rivals.
 
He said wily Australian head coach, Argentinian Olympic bronze medallist, Jon Uriarte and his staff were excited at the prospects of this young team causing some major upsets as they prepared for the biggest campaign of their careers.
 
“We have a very exciting group who are regarded as international rookies compared to other teams,” said Sebbens.
 
“Our boys have an average of 70 international games each in a sport where some of their more feared rivals are considered rookies until they’ve played over 150 games.
 
“We have a young squad who are really starting to gel and who have all just returned from their respective international club contracts into our training base at the AIS European Training Centre in Varese, Italy.
 
“Many of them have played in their club finals with some actually winning their respective titles so they are well respected overseas but they have to come together collectively and do the job in Japan.
 
“Jon (Uriarte) has often spoken about our boys bringing their A game to the court every time they play. They have to bring their strengths, their best touches, their best passes and maximize every opportunity.
 
“It is going to be a very interesting tournament indeed with Iran the Asian Champions and China ranked 10 in the World and along with hosts Japan they will all be very tough to beat indeed.
 
“To win through to London will be a huge feat but certainly not beyond them. They all know they have to start to close games out and that starts in this week’s tournament against Holland.”
 
Uriarte will take his young charges into Tokyo five days before the tournament begins on June 1 to give them every opportunity of upsetting some of their more fancied and higher ranked opponents.
 
The Australian Squad:
 
Aidan Zingel
DOB: Nov 19, 1990
Home: NSW
Club: Bluvolley Verona, Italy
Position: Middle
Height: 207
Weight: 102
 
Nathan Roberts
DOB: Feb 17 1986
Home: SA
Club: CMC Ravenna, Italy
Position: Outside
Height: 199
Weight: 90
 
Travis Passier
DOB: April 26, 1989
Home: QLD
Club: M. Roma Volley, Italy
Position: Middle
Height: 205
Weight: 99
 
Igor Yudin
DOB: June 17, 1987
Home: Vic
Club: Yaroslavich, Russia
Position: Outside
Height: 199
Weight: 81
 
Harrison Peacock
DOB: January 31, 1981
Home: SA
Club: Linkoping, Volleyball Club, Sweden
Position: Setter
Height: 192
Weight: 90
 
Andrew Grant
DOB: April 22, 1985
Home: QLD
Club: AIS, Australia
Position: Middle
Height: 206
Weight: 93
 
Adam White
DOB: November 8, 1989
Home: Qld
Club: Lang Henkel Volley, Netherlands
Position: Outside
Height: 203
Weight: 89
 
Jacques Borgeaud
DOB: June 19, 1991
Home: ACT
Club: Regina University, Canada
Position: Libero
Height: 179
Weight: 78
 
Aiden Tutton
DOB: December 6, 1984
Home: SA
Club: Lang Henkel Volley, Netherlands
Position: Libero
Height:182
Weight: 81
 
Grigory Sukochev
DOB: February 18, 1988
Home: SA
Club: Humene, Slovakia
Position: Setter
Height: 196
Weight: 86
 
John Dekker
DOB: May 9, 1988
Home: QLD
Club: Humene, Slovakia
Position: Outside
Height: 205
Weight: 83
 
Luke Smith
DOB: August 30, 1990
Home: WA
Club: Linkoping, Volleyball Club, Sweden
Position:  Outside
Height: 200
Weight: 90
 
Lincoln Williams
DOB: October 6, 1993
Home: QLD
Club: AIS, Australia
Position: Opposite
Height: 196
Weight:
 
Thomas Edgar
DOB: June 21, 1989
Home: QLD
Club: Caffe Aiello Corigliano, Italy
Position: Opposite
Height: 212
Weight: 106
 
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