Thank you so much to all the members of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) who voted for these amazing and talented volleyball players!
A number of leading beach volleyball and volleyball players and teams have led the way in the recently-released national sport journalists’ awards for 2013.
Beach volleyball siblings Doris and Stefanie Schwaiger won the Austrian team of the year after 12 months in which they claimed silver at the FIVB Shanghai Grand Slam and gold at the CEV European Championships.
Russia’ Dmitry Muserskiy was voted his country’s player of the year after he helped the Olympic champions win the FIVB World League and CEV European Championships in 2013.
Jovana Brakocevic finished third in Serbia’s awards after helping her country to the bronze medal at the FIVB World Grand Prix and Belgian libero Valerie Courtois was rewarded for her efforts in leading Belgium to bronze in the European Championships when she was voted second-best female athlete by the Belgian Sports Journalists.
There were also awards for Italy’s Antonella del Core, who came third place in their voting, Ivory Coast’s Zainab Kamara and Ibrahim Abu Bakarr Kamara and Puerto Rico’s Aury Cruz.
The Kenyan Sports Journalists Association voted the Kenya Prisons women’s team as their best team of the year following a season in which they once again proved themselves the leading side in the country by defending their Premier League title and qualifying for the African Club Championship.
Meanwhile the press facilities at the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships, Mazury 2013, were recognised when they were included among the top eight as voted for by the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) awards.
image & source: FIVB