VOLLEYROOS JUMP TO 11TH IN THE WORLD AFTER LONDON OLYMPICS SPIKE

VOLLEYBALL AUSTRALIA, August 31, 2012: The team now widely referred to in Australian sport as “The Volleyroos” – the Australian Men’s Indoor Volleyball Team may have missed the medal rounds at the London Olympics but they have landed a deserved consolation prize – a huge jump in the world rankings from 22 before the Games to 11th in the world at the Games end.

Volleyball’s world governing body the FIVB, has announced the new classifications and coach Jon Uriarte and his boys – the surprise packets of the Games – are very much on the rise in international volleyball – and have been rewarded accordingly.

Beaten by his native world ranked number eight Argentina in the opening round, Uriarte’s Australians went on to beat hosts Great Britain, before stretching sixth ranked Italy to five sets and finishing with one of the upsets of the Games – a 3-1 win over third ranked Poland.

It took Argentina to beat the Brits in four sets to deny the Thomas Edgar inspired Volleyroos a place in the Olympic quarter finals.

Edgar, the 22-year-old from Bundaberg, who has a professional contract in Italy, top scored in each of the pool games, finishing with a 26-point high against Poland.

The Australians had barnstormed into the top 24 with a stirring Olympic Qualification tournament in Tokyo where they were the top ranked Asian team – finishing ahead of Iran, China and Japan – to land a last minute place for London - a remarkable achievement and testament to their skills and belief in themselves as a team.

But with it comes higher expectations and commitment to play in the major FIVB tournaments over the next four years, something the Australians are certainly up for.

“There is no doubt that the boys were among the success stories of the Games – with some inspirational games against some of the best teams in the world,” said AVF High Performance Manager Matt Sebbens.

“They are a young squad, everyone of them attending their first Olympics and they showed so much on the court and fitted into the overall Olympic team like a glove – that’s what was very pleasing.

“This would have to be one of the highest rankings we have ever achieved and something that coach Jon Uriarte and the boys certainly deserve.

“It is more reflective of where we believe we should be on the world stage and also makes us the highest ranked team in Asia which is a huge leap for us.

“The focus now is now on Rio and taking this group on the journey for the next four years and the key for us is to activate the next generation and to ensure we have the best possible team available to us in four years time.

“What is exciting for us is the next generation of stars that are a part of this team and the improvement in them in the future.”

Australia will now field a team in the Asian Volleyball Confederation Cup tournament in Vinh Phuc, Vietnam from September 1-7, which will feature some members of the Olympic squad who were not in the starting seven.

Issued on behalf of Volleyball Australia by: Ian Hanson This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.