Profiles and Previews –The Top Dogs in Women’s Volleyball
After an eight-week hiatus, the SWATCH FIVB World Tour will resume in the Chinese resort city of Sanya, site of the 30 country, 82 team event in International Women’s Beach Volleyball.
Running from October 26-31 and with $190,000 USD up for grabs, the competition will undoubtedly be stiff. While underdog athletes have an uncanny (and often legendary) knack of coming up from behind to make sports writers eat their proverbial crystal balls,
we will present the top three teams that have dazzled the SWATCH FIVB tour thus far.
1. Juliana Felisberta Silva/Larissa Franca, Brazil (7,200 points)
Juliana Felisberta’s Stats:
Birth Date: July 22, 1983
Resides: Fortaleza
Height: 5ft 10in
Weight: 139lbs (65kg)
Seasons: 9
Tournaments: 78
Career Wins: 31
Career Winnings: US $900,825.00
Larissa Franca’s Stats:
Birth Date: April 14, 1982
Resides: Fortaleza
Height: 5ft 9in
Weight: 154lbs (70kg)
Seasons: 9
Tournaments: 81
Career Wins: 31
Career Winnings: US $912,835.00
Teaming together in 2004, Juliana Felisberta Silva and Larissa França are four-time veteran SWATCH FIVB World Tour winners of the 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009 championships. Since 2004, they have won 30 gold medals, including an impressive record-breaking eight
in a single season in 2009. In addition, the Silva-Franca team has also won two silver medals 2005 & 2009) and one bronze (2007) in the SWATCH FIVB championships. During the current 2010 SWATCH matches, they have an impressive 11 wins and one loss and lead
the World Tour series.
2. Maria Antonelli/Talita Antunes, Brazil (6,180 points)
Maria Antonelli’s Stats:
Birth Date: February 25, 1984
Resides: Rio de Janeiro
Height: 5ft 9in
Weight: 150lbs (68kg)
Seasons: 5
Tournaments: 32
Career Wins: 5
Career Winnings: US $153,675.00
Talita Antunes’s Stats:
Birth Date: August 29, 1982
Resides: Rio de Janeiro
Height: 5ft 11in
Weight: 136lbs (62kg)
Seasons: 7
Tournaments: 69
Career Wins: 7
Career Winnings: US $424,200.00
Winning gold medals in Shanghai and Seoul, a silver in Osaka and bronze in the World Championships in Stavanger, Talita and Antonelli are competing in their sixth SWATCH FIVB World Tour event. Placing fourth in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, they have won five
SWATCH FIVB World Tour gold medals including two in 2005 and 2007 and one in 2008. In four SWATCH FIVB seasons together, Talita and Renata competed in 59 events together with 13 podium placements and 20 “final four” appearances.
3. Chen Xue/Xi Zhang, China (5,780 points)
Chen Xue’s Stats:
Birth Date: February 18, 1989
Resides: Fuzhou
Height: 6ft 3in
Weight: 165lbs (75kg)
Seasons: 8
Tournaments: 57
Career Wins: 4
Career Winnings: US $316, 950.00
Xi Zhang’s Stats:
Birth Date: April 19, 1985
Resides: Nantong
Height: 6ft 0in
Weight: 154lbs (70kg)
Seasons: 10
Tournaments: 72
Career Wins: 4
Career Winnings: US $348, 750.00
Chen Xue and Xi Zhang began their fruitful partnership in 2006, winning the gold medal in the women’s team competition at the 2006 Asian Games. In 2008, they won a bronze medal at the Summer Olympics. Xue and Zhang achieved an impressive gold-medal win on
the current FIVB World Tour in Finland by putting an end to the Franca-Silva winning-streak.
As the SWATCH FIVB World Tour gets ready to resume next week, many wonder if the Chinese will be able to serve up a repeat performance.
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