The composition of the pools for the preliminary round of the Baku 2015 Volleyball competition has been announced.
Twelve teams per gender have qualified for the inaugural European Games. Nine spots were allocated through the latest national teams’ European Ranking. A further two were allocated based on a special ranking combining the final standings in the last four editions of the CEV Volleyball European League. These eleven teams join hosts Azerbaijan.
The Baku 2015 European Games volleyball pool composition, based on the serpentine system, is detailed below – with European rankings at the start of 2015 in brackets. Hosts Azerbaijan were allocated the top spot in Pool A as host country in both the men’s and women’s competitions.
Men:
Pool A: Azerbaijan (34 – Host), Serbia (3), Poland (4), France (7), Finland (8), Turkey (13)
Pool B: Russia (1), Italy (2), Bulgaria (5), Germany (6), Belgium (9), Slovakia (10)
Women:
Pool A: Azerbaijan (12 – Host), Italy (2), Turkey (4), Poland (6), Belgium (8), Romania (15)
Pool B: Russia (1), Serbia (2), Germany (5), Netherlands (6), Croatia (8), Bulgaria (10)
Ties between countries sharing the same ranking were split as per their respective standing at the last edition of the CEV Volleyball European Championships.
Teams will play in a single round robin format in the preliminary pool round. The top four teams from each pool will qualify for the quarterfinals. The top team in each pool will play against the fourth-placed team from the opposite pool. A draw will be conducted to decide if the second-placed team in Pool A plays against the second or the third placed team in Pool B. The team that is not drawn will play against the third placed team from Pool A.
Mr Simon Clegg, Chief Operating Officer of Baku 2015, said: “Volleyball is one of the most popular sports on the Baku 2015 European Games programme, and we are very much looking forward to staging a top-level competition here in June.”
Pool B of the men’s competition will feature the current Olympic champions, Russia, taking on Italy, who claimed bronze at London 2012, in a re-match of the 2013 European Championship final. World champions Poland will have to contend with a strong Serbian team and France who had a fabulous campaign at last year’s FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship Poland 2014 ending the competition in fourth place. Reruns of the 2011 and 2013 European Championship finals will provide two of the highlights for the women’s preliminary round as Serbia, Russia and Germany were all assigned to the same pool.
Mr André Meyer, President of the European Volleyball Confederation (CEV), said: “All of Europe’s top teams are set to compete in Baku at the inaugural European Games, and the pool composition will provide us with a series of high-profile matches right from the outset of the tournament. We look forward to a great sporting display this summer in Azerbaijan, and are confident that the volleyball competition will be one of the real highlights of the Baku 2015 European Games.”
Mr Pierce O’Callaghan, Director of Sport at Baku 2015, said: “Many of the world’s leading volleyball athletes will be joining us in Baku this summer, and this announcement is certain to increase fans’ anticipation for the inaugural European Games.”
The Baku 2015 volleyball competition will take place over 16 days from June 13 at the Crystal Hall, and will feature 336 athletes.
(images: FIVB)