B.J. Hoeptner Evans January 10, 2012 

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Jan. 11, 2011) – A sixth-place finish at the FIVB World Cup means the U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team still needs to qualify for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

The team’s first opportunity to do this will come in May at the NORCECA Continental Olympic Qualifier. The event site and exact dates have yet to be determined. Only the NORCECA winner would qualify.

Should the U.S. Men not qualify at NORCECA, then they would most likely be invited to one of three FIVB four-team qualifying tournaments to be held in Japan, Italy and Germany on June 8-10.

The 2012 Olympic Games will be July 27-Aug. 12. Indoor volleyball will be contested at Earls Court is in west London.

The U.S. Men will have a winter training block that will begin Feb. 27. The spring/summer block will begin in April as soon as the players return from their overseas teams.

NEW WORLD ORDER

An adjustment to the FIVB World Rankings has resulted in the U.S. Men dropping from fifth to sixth in the world.

The revised ranking come after the alteration of percentage points in continental championships (50 percent to 100 percent), the FIVB Volleyball World Championships (100 percent to 75 percent) and the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games (50 per cent to 25 percent). It also takes into account the results at the FIVB Volleyball World Cup 2011 in Japan.
The new men’s volleyball top 10 is now

1. Brazil
2. Russia
3. Italy
4. Poland
5. Cuba
6. USA
7. Serbia
8. Argentina
9. Bulgaria
10. China

COBRA SPORTS