ACOG - Volleyball - IBM

Who to Watch in Volleyball - Men

ARGENTINA (ARG)

The 1995 Pan American Games champion, Argentina earned its third trip to the Games after winning the South American qualifying tournament. The team missed qualifying for the Olympic tournament in 1992, but won the bronze medal in Seoul in 1988. Led by hitter Guillermo QUAINI and defensive standouts Pablo PEREIRA and Jorge ELGUETA, Argentina finished seventh at the 1995 World Cup with Marcos MILINKOVIC earning honors as the tournament's best scorer.

BRAZIL (BRA)

Six starters return from the 1992 gold medal team, making Brazil a legitimate threat to earn back-to-back Olympic championships. One of the world's top players, Marcelo Negaro leads the group of returning gold medalists along with setter Mauricio LIMA and veteran Antonio GOUVEIA. Giovani GAVIO was one of four Brazilians named to the World Cup all-star team while Max PEREIRA and 1992 Olympian Alexandre SAMUEL ranked among the tournament's top attackers. Brazil cruised to the 1992 Olympic championship, losing only three games on its way to a perfect 8-0 record. The only team to appear in all previous eight Olympic tournaments, Brazil qualified for the Games with a third-place finish at the 1995 World Cup.

BULGARIA (BUL)

Continuing a long tradition of Olympic volleyball success, Bulgaria makes its sixth appearance at the Games as one of the tournament's winningest teams. An original entry in the first Olympic tournament, Bulgaria won the silver medal in 1980 and its 20 match wins in Olympic competition ranks sixth among the tournament's all-time top teams. In what FIVB called the longest tiebreaker in the history of top level volleyball, Bulgaria defeated Cuba 25-23 on its way to a fifth-place finish in the World League.

CUBA (CUB)

The North America/Central America/Caribbean champion, Cuba earned a bronze medal at the 1995 Pan American Games and finished an impressive third place in the 1995 World League. Eight players return from the 1992 fourth-place Olympic teams including hitters Ihosvany HERNANDEZ and Rodolfo SANCHEZ and setter Raul DIAGO. The three Olympians also earned selections to the World Cup all-star team while Barcelona teammates Freddy Brooks and Osvaldo HERNANDEZ ranked among the respective World Cup leaders in attacks and serves. Making their fifth trip to the Olympic tournament, the Cubans captured the bronze medal at the 1976 Games.

ITALY (ITA)

Only the Olympic gold medal has eluded the Italians in their climb to the top of the volleyball world. The world's top ranked team, Italy won world championships in 1990 and 1992, won the Super Four tournament in 1994 and qualified for the Olympic Games as the 1995 World Cup champion. At the Centennial Games howereve, Italy enters the tournament with only a 1984 bronze medal and the bitter taste of a disappointing fifth place finish in 1992. This year's team could change all of that with a veteran squad featuring seven 1992 Olympians. Hitter Andrea GIANI was named the Most Valuable Player of the World Cup and joined Lorenzo BERNARDI among the tournament's attack leaders. Versatile playmaker Paulo TOFOLI provides the sets.

KOREA (KOR)

Making its third trip to the Olympic tournament and first visit since 1984, Korea earned its spot in the Games as the Asian continental champion. KIM Sang-Woo leads the team in both attacks and blocks while veteran setter SHIN Young-Chul provides experience for an otherwise young Korean team. In addition to its continental championship, Korea placed sixth in the World League final, eighth at the World Cup and third at the 1994 Asian Games. Korea earned its best-ever Olympic showing with a fifth-place finish in 1984 after previously finishing seventh in 1972 and sixth in 1976.

THE NETHERLANDS (NED)

Ranked number two in the world, the Netherlands enters the Games in search of an elusive major tournament gold medal. Out to end a frustrating series of second-place finishes, the Dutch earned silver medals at the 1992 Olympic Games, 1994 world championships and 1995 World Cup and could be on a mission to remove the label of perennial runners-up. Bas van de GOOR was the top attacker at the 1995 World Cup while middle blocker Olof VAN DER MEULEN also ranked among the tournament's top hitters. Playmaker Peter BLANGE and hitter Ron ZWERVER joined VAN DE GOOR on the World Cup all-star team. The Olympic tournament's tallest team, the towering Dutch team featured 9 players over 2 meters (6 feet 6 1/2) tall on its World Cup roster.

POLAND (POL)

Returning to the tournament for the first time since 1980, Poland earned its place in the Games after defeating Japan in four games to win the World Qualifying Tournament in Athens, Greece. Appearing in its fifth Olympic tournament, Poland won the gold medal in 1976.

RUSSIA (RUS)

Looking to continue the Olympic tradition of the former Soviet Union, an independent Russia team enters its first Olympic tournament after winning the European Continental Championship. Stanislav DINEIKIN and Dmitri FOMINE ranked as the top two attackers in World League play, with two-time Olympian Evgueny KRASILNIKOV providing the sets. A member of the Unified Team Olympic squad in 1992, FOMINE also ranked as one of the World League's leading blockers with 1.1 blocks per game. As a former Soviet republic, Russia provided the Soviet Union teams with some of its top athletes including three-time medalists Vladimir KONDRA and Vyacheslav ZAYTSEV . The Soviet Union won six medals in Olympic play including three gold and two silver medals.

TUNISIA (TUN)

The first African team to ever qualify for the Olympic tournament, Tunisia earned the trip to the Games as the African continental champion. As new as the team is to the Olympic Games, Tunisia's players are equally new to the international volleyball circuit. The young Tunisian players average just over 22 years of age and enter the tournament without a player over 2 meters tall (6 feet 6 1/2). Atef LOUKIL leads the team in kills and ranked among the World Cup tournament's top servers. Khaled BELAID leads the team in digs while Noureddine HFAIEDH ranks among the team leaders in attacks and Faycal BEN AMARA leads the team in blocks. The continually improving Tunisian squad finished 12th at last year's 12-team World Cup.

UNITED STATES (USA)

Following a third-place finish at the 1992 Games, the United States enters a medal-rich squad looking to return to the top step of the victory podium. The gold medal winners in 1984 and 1988, the U.S. team features veteran hitter Scott FORTUNE , setter Jeff STORK and fiery team captain Bob CTVRTLIK in their third trips to the Games while middle blocker Bryan IVIE makes his second Olympic appearance. Setter Lloy Ball was named the Best Server of the World Cup and joins middle blocker Jeff Nygaard in adding some much-needed height to an otherwise small U.S. team. Hard-hitting Tom Sorensen led the team in kills during the 1995 season.

YUGOSLAVIA (YUG)

Making only its second appearance in the Olympic Tournament, Yugoslavia enters the Games looking to improve on 1980's sixth-place finish. The Yugoslavians qualified for the Games by going undefeated in the World Qualifying Tournament in Munich, Germany.

This is an official publication of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games Sports Publication Department. Written by Howard Thomas.


Olympic Factoid
The Mother Nature was kind to Olympic athletes and spectators. The average high temperature during the Games was 89 degrees with an average low of 72 degrees. Highest temperature registered (20 July) - 99 degrees. Lowest high temperature registered is 79 degrees (28 July).