MEDIA GUIDE. Women: November (Tokyo & Fukuoka, Japan) Men: November (Osaka & Nagoya, Japan)

Transcription

1 MEDIA GUIDE Women: November (Tokyo & Fukuoka, Japan) Men: November (Osaka & Nagoya, Japan)

2 Table of Contents JVA President s Message...2 FIVB President s Message...3 World Grand Champions Cup Records/History...4 Competition Format...8 Media Info Venue Information Women s Participating Teams Women s Road to Tokyo Women s Competition Schedule Brazil Dominican Republic Italy Japan Korea...38 Thailand Star Players Men s Participating Teams Men s Road to Tokyo Men s Competition Schedule Brazil Cuba Egypt Iran Japan Poland Star Players Volleyball History, Facts & Dates FIVB History FIVB Properties Rules of the Game Referee s Signals FIVB Officials Kaori Inoue (JPN) Credits Editorial : Richard Baker FIVB Deputy Communications Director Project Manager : Gabrielle van Zwieten FIVB Vice-Director Volleyball Events Text : Andrew Mitchell FIVB Editorial Assistant Data : Alberto Rigamonti FIVB IT Department Design and Layout : Samuel Chesaux Printed by Wakao Printing Co. Ltd., Japan Photos : FIVB 1

3 JVA President s Message FIVB President s Message It is our great pleasure to have another opportunity to host the FIVB World Grand Champions Cup for men and women. The FIVB World Grand Champions Cup was founded in 1993 and this year s competition will be the fifth edition. We are very proud to have hosted the event since its beginning. This year s competition will take place in Tokyo and Fukuoka for the women and in Osaka and Nagoya for the men. Competing in the round-robin tournament will be six men s teams and six women s teams four continental champions (per gender), a wildcard selection and the host country, Japan. The competition will help determine the World Grand Champion for More than one year has passed since the Beijing Olympics. The FIVB World Grand Champions Cup 2009 is certainly the biggest competition since the Olympics and the participating teams will challenge with new-look squads. Japan s men s and women s teams will compete with their brand-new nicknames RYUJIN NIPPON and HINOTORI NIPPON respectively. RYUJIN means God of Dragon and HINOTORI means Phoenix in Japanese. These nicknames were chosen by fans to support the teams. We hope that all the players will play to their full abilities throughout the competition and give hope, dreams and excitement to Volleyball fans all over the world. Furthermore, we hope that the participants will gain lots of experience and cultivate deep friendships through competing with each other. It is said that November is the most brilliant time in Japan, in part due to the leaves turning colour. This autumn, the marvellous FIVB World Grand Champions Cup 2009 will make Japan much more colourful and gorgeous. Finally, I would like to offer my sincere gratitude to the FIVB members and special thanks to Mr. Jizhong Wei, the FIVB President, for their great effort and cooperation, and I would also like to extend my gratitude to NTV, the Yomiuri Group, sponsors, local organizers and everyone else concerned for their massive contribution. Mr. Masao Tachiki President of the Japan Volleyball Association The FIVB World Grand Champions Cup is considered one of the most prestigious Volleyball tournaments in the world, and it is hard not to see why. The world s best men s and women s national teams are here in Japan fighting for the title and for $ 2m in prize money at outstanding facilities in front of the most passionate and supportive Volleyball fans in the world. Held between the Olympic Games and World Championships, the FIVB World Grand Champions Cup has been a highly successful and highly anticipated addition to the international calendar since its inception in That no team has ever defended the cup is a testament to how challenging a competition it is. And this year s tournament promises to be no less dramatic or entertaining, with a few surprise packages (newcomers such as the Thai women and Polish men, for example) prepared to do battle against the more regular faces at the showcase competition. While the Grand Champions Cup is truly an international event of the highest calibre, there is one country who might rightfully consider the competition partly its own: Japan. Hosts of the event from day one, the Japanese have unfailingly produced world-class tournaments every quadrennial and really taken the FIVB World Grand Champions Cup into their hearts. And so it is from the bottom of my heart that I thank the local organizers of this important event for their continued support and success, Nippon Television Network Corporation for their terrific coverage of the matches, and, most importantly, the fans, without whom none of this would be possible. Mr. Jizhong Wei FIVB President 2 3

4 World Grand Champions Cup Records/History The FIVB World Grand Champions Cup is played every quadrennial in the year immediately following the summer Olympic Games. The competition began in 1993 and has been held in Japan each time with great success. This year marks the event s fifth anniversary, with the Brazilian men s and women s teams both returning to defend the titles they won in The tournament is one of the FIVB s most prestigious international competitions, and features six teams in both the men s and women s brackets. The six teams are comprised of four continental champions, an FIVB wild card, and hosts Japan. The four continental champions are from Continental Federations whose team(s) ranked the highest at the preceding Olympics. The FIVB, NTV and JVA jointly selected the wild-card teams. World Grand Champions Cup Records/History Cuba s Michael Sanchez Bozlueva in full flow Women s World Grand Champions Cup History Men s World Grand Champions Cup History Countries Nb. of part. Rank. Rank. Rank. Rank. Brazil China Cuba Japan Korea Peru 1 6 Poland 1 4 Russia USA Countries Nb. of part. Rank. Rank. Rank. Rank. Argentina 1 6 Australia 1 6 Brazil China Cuba Egypt 1 5 Italy Japan Korea The Netherlands 1 2 USA Yugoslavia 1 3 Malika Kanthong is a prolific scorer for Thailand 4 5

5 World Grand Champions Cup Records/History World Grand Champions Cup Records/History Defending women s World Grand Champions Brazil Former FIVB President Dr. Ruben Acosta (left) and Mr. Shintaro Kubo, former NTV President, present the World Grand Champions Trophy to Giba as Brazil claimed the 2005 men s title as well Women s World Grand Champions Cup Honours Men s World Grand Champions Cup Honours Year Host Champions Runners-up 3 rd place 4 th place 5 th place 6 th place 2005 Japan Brazil USA China Poland Japan Korea Year Host Champions Runners-up 3 rd place 4 th place 5 th place 6 th place 2005 Japan Brazil USA Italy Japan Egypt China 2001 Japan China Russia Japan Brazil USA Korea 2001 Japan Cuba Brazil Yugoslavia Korea Japan Argentina 1997 Japan Russia Cuba Brazil China Japan Korea 1997 Japan Brazil Netherlands Cuba China Japan Australia 1993 Japan Cuba China Russia Japan USA Peru 1993 Japan Italy Brazil Cuba Japan USA Korea 6 7

6 Competition Format The competition system for the World Grand Champions Cup for Men & Women is the single round robin system. In the event that two teams finish level with the same number of points, the tie will be broken by points ratio. Women s Competition Each team will play five matches, one against each fellow competitor at the competition. The team rankings during the competition shall be determined in accordance with Section I, Article 8 of the FIVB Sports Regulations for International Volleyball Competitions, which states that wins are worth 2 points and losses are worth 1 point. The women s event will begin in Tokyo (November 10-12, 2009) before making its way to Fukuoka (November 14-15, 2009). The men s event will start out in Osaka (November 18-19, 2009) and finish in Nagoya (November 21-23, 2009). Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium 10 November THA-ITA 13:00 2 DOM-BRA 15:00 3 JPN-KOR 19:00 11 November THA-DOM 13:30 5 ITA-KOR 15:30 6 BRA-JPN 19:00 12 November KOR-BRA 13:30 8 DOM-ITA 15:30 9 JPN-THA 19:00 Marine Messe Fukuoka 14 November THA-KOR 12:30 11 ITA-BRA 14:30 12 DOM-JPN 18:00 15 November BRA-THA 12:30 14 KOR-DOM 14:30 15 JPN-ITA 18:00 Men s Competition Osaka Municipal Central Gymnasium 18 November EGY-IRI 13:30 2 CUB-BRA 15:30 3 JPN-POL 19:00 19 November IRI-BRA 13:30 5 POL-CUB 15:30 6 EGY-JPN 19:00 21 November BRA-POL 12:30 8 CUB-EGY 14:30 9 JPN-IRI 18:00 Nagoya Nippongaishi Hall 22 November EGY-BRA 12:30 11 IRI-POL 14:30 12 JPN-CUB 18:00 23 November CUB-IRI 13:30 14 POL-EGY 15:30 15 BRA-JPN 19:00 8 9

7 Media Info Media Info FIVB New Rule - Freedom Libero In order to develop the sport of Volleyball in the best way possible the FIVB Congress in 2008 decided to introduce a new rule, allowing teams to have two liberos within their match line-up of 12 players. This set of rules and reporting protocols have been created specifically for the World Grand Champions Cup 2009 with the results of this showcase event to be reviewed at meetings of the Coaches, Refereeing and Rules of the Game Commission in February 2010 before a report is submitted to the FIVB Board of Administration in March of the same year. Key Points The coach may use on match day whatever permutation of Liberos he/ she deems best suits the team and match to be played (provided they have been registered as Liberos in the final list of 12 players). Liberos may be exchanged by the coach, one for another, for any reason and at any time, including directly from and to the court, but there must be a completed rally between two Libero exchanges (as between two Libero replacements). The Liberos will wear different colours from each other and from the rest of their team but keep their numbers. Terminology An exchange is the act by which the Reserve Libero becomes the Acting Libero (and vice versa). This can occur at the team bench or directly to and from the court, at the discretion of the coach, provided that a there is a completed rally between exchanges. The number of exchanges is unlimited, and can be for illness, injury, sanction, or team performance reasons. A re-designation is the act by which an injured or ill Libero, who cannot continue to play, has his/ her role taken by any other player not on the court at the moment of the re-designation request (except the Libero s regular replacement player). This can only occur at the team bench. Re-designations are only for illness or injury to the Libero. A substitution is the act by which one regular player leaves the court and another regular player takes his/ her place. There must be a completed rally between substitution requests. The request may only be made when the ball is out of play and before the 1 st referee s whistle for service. A team may make six substitutions per set. A replacement is the act by which a regular player leaves the court and the Libero takes his/ her place. There must be a completed rally between Libero replacements. The number of replacements is unlimited, but the Libero may only be replaced by the player who replaced him/ her. The media play a key role in the world of Volleyball and it is the FIVB s objective that all media have the best tools and facilities to do their job to their optimal capacity. Key Media Opportunities FIVB Women s World Grand Champions Cup November 9: Press Conference with the coaches of the teams in the Keio Plaza Hotel, Tokyo (6 pm). November 10-15: Mixed Zone and Press Conference after each match at the venue. FIVB Men s World Grand Champions Cup November 17: Press Conference with the coaches of the teams in the Hotel Monterey Grasmere, Osaka (6 pm). November 18-23: Mixed Zone and Press Conference after each match at the venue. For further information contact: Richard Baker FIVB Deputy Communications Director Phone: press@fivb.org Hisao Mori National Operational Committee Press Director Phone: international.events@jva.or.jp 10 11

8 Venue Information Women s Competition Venue Information Men s Competition Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium Sendagaya Capacity: 10,000 The Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium is the competition venue for the women s opening matches. The venue was one of the sites of the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games but it has been completely rebuilt since by architect Fumihiko Maki, who gave the gymnasium its futuristic design. The venue, which in addition to Volleyball regularly holds figure skating, tennis and other sports events, features state-of-the-art equipment and has a seating capacity of 10,000 seats. Osaka Municipal Central Gymnasium Tanaka Capacity: 8,200 Built with harmony with nature as its concept, the Osaka Municipal Central Gymnasium resembles two green hills from the trees that are planted on its rooftops. It is one of the very few multipurpose facilities worldwide that is built completely underground. The Gymnasium serves as Osaka City s main entertainment venue, holding a variety of different events not limited to sports. Marine Messe Fukuoka Okihama-machi Capacity: 15,000 The final two days of matches at the 2009 FIVB Women s World Grand Champions Cup will take place in Fukuoka, whose geographical advantage as the closest Japanese city to the Korean Peninsula and China has enabled it to flourish as a center for international exchange. As such, the city is replete with convention centers, including one of its biggest, the Marine Messe Fukuoka. Marine Messe is located on the central pier in the port of Hakata just 2km from the business center, Tenjin. Fukuoka Airport and Hakata Station are also short distances away. The venue is extremely versatile and is host to a range of events from sports to large-scale exhibitions. Nagoya Nippon Gaishi Hall Higashimatabe-cho Capacity: 10,000 Nagoya, with a population of over two million, is the core city of Japan s midlands and has flourished since the Edo era as one of the country s leading cities. Nagoya is the sister city of Los Angeles and Sydney, and has been active in hosting international events, including numerous FIVB competitions. The Nippon Gaishi Hall is best known as the site of the Nagoya leg of yearly Grand Sumo tournaments and is easily accessible from Nagoya Station

9 Women s Participating Teams Dates of Competition 10 Nov 13:00 THA-ITA 10 Nov 15:00 DOM-BRA 10 Nov 19:00 JPN-KOR 11 Nov 13:30 THA-DOM 11 Nov 15:30 ITA-KOR 11 Nov 19:00 BRA-JPN 12 Nov 13:30 KOR-BRA 12 Nov 15:30 DOM-ITA 12 Nov 19:00 JPN-THA 14 Nov 12:30 THA-KOR 14 Nov 14:30 ITA-BRA 14 Nov 18:00 DOM-JPN 15 Nov 12:30 BRA-THA 15 Nov 14:30 KOR-DOM 15 Nov 18:00 JPN-ITA Brazil Dom. Republic Italy Japan Korea Thailand Italy s Simona Gioli will be one to watch 14 15

10 Women s Road to Tokyo Continental Qualification Tournaments Women s Road to Tokyo Confederation Date Country Qualified Team Asia 5 th -13 th September Vietnam Thailand Norceca 22 th -27 th September Puerto Rico Dominican Republic Europe 25 th September-4 th October Poland Italy South America 30 th September-4 th October Brazil Brazil Wild Card Korea Host Japan Asia (Vietnam) Finals for classification Classification Match 13/ SRI-INA Classification Match 11/ UZB-IND Classification Match 9/ AUS-HKG Classification Match 7/ VIE-IRI Classification Match 5/ TPE-KAZ Classification Match 3/ KOR-JPN Classification Match 1/ CHN-THA Final Ranking 1 Thailand 2 China 3 Japan 4 Korea 5 Kazakhstan 6 Chinese Taipei 7 Vietnam 8 Iran 9 Australia 10 Hong Kong 11 India 12 Uzbekistan 13 Indonesia 14 Sri Lanka NORCECA (Puerto Rico) Semifinals DOM-USA CUB-PUR Finals USA-CUB DOM-PUR Final Ranking 1 Dominican Republic 2 Puerto Rico 3 Cuba 4 USA 5 Canada 6 Mexico 7 Costa Rica 8 Trinidad and Tobago 16 17

11 Women s Road to Tokyo Continental Qualification Tournaments Europe (Poland) Semifinals NED-POL ITA-GER Classification Match 3/ POL-GER Final NED-ITA Final Ranking 1 Italy 2 The Netherlands 3 Poland 4 Germany 5 Turkey 6 Russia 7 Serbia 8 Bulgaria 9 Spain 10 Czech Republic 11 Belgium 12 Azerbaijan 13 Slovakia 14 France Belarus 16 Croatia Women s Road to Tokyo South America (Brazil) Semifinals PER-ARG BRA-COL Finals BRA-ARG PER-COL Final Ranking 1 Brazil 2 Argentina 3 Perú 4 Colombia 5 Uruguay 6 Venezuela 7 Chile 8 Paraguay 18 19

12 Women s Competition Schedule Team Profiles Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium 10 November THA-ITA 13:00 2 DOM-BRA 15:00 3 JPN-KOR 19:00 11 November THA-DOM 13:30 5 ITA-KOR 15:30 6 BRA-JPN 19:00 Result Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5 Result Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5 Legend for Team Rosters Nr = Shirt Number H = Height W = Weight S = Spike B = Block OG = Olympic Games WC = World Championships OTH = Other Tournaments 12 November KOR-BRA 13:30 8 DOM-ITA 15:30 9 JPN-THA 19:00 Result Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5 Marine Messe Fukuoka 14 November THA-KOR 12:30 11 ITA-BRA 14:30 12 DOM-JPN 18:00 15 November BRA-THA 12:30 14 KOR-DOM 14:30 15 JPN-ITA 18:00 Ranking Result Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5 Result Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5 Individual Awards Most Valuable Player Best Scorer Best Spiker Best Blocker Best Server Best Digger Best Libero Karla Echenique is a key player for the Dominican Republic 20 21

13 Brazil Brazil has achieved a lot since José Roberto Guimarães took over as coach in In his first year, the team won gold at the South American Championship and silver at the World Cup. The following season, Brazil won the World Grand Prix and placed fourth at the Olympic Games. In 2005, they won the Montreux Volley Masters, the Grand Prix, the South American Championship, the World Championship Cup and the Courmayeur Tournament. In 2007, Brazil finished second at the Pan American Games before winning the South American Championship in Santiago, Chile to earn the right to play at the World Cup in Nagoya, Japan. In that competition, the Brazilians finished in second place, their best result ever at the tournament. The year 2008 was an exceptional one in the history of Brazilian women s volleyball. The team won its first Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Games, and also finished first in the World Grand Prix and Final Four tournament. This year, the Brazilians have won six straight gold medals, starting with the Montreux Volley Masters in June, the Pan-American Cup, the World Championship 2010 Qualification Round, the Final Four, the World Grand Prix and the South American Championship, the tournament that gave the team its berth at the World Grand Champions Cup. Coach José Roberto Guimarães (BRA) A former Brazilian national team player, José Roberto Guimarães (better known as Zé Roberto) started his coaching career in He was assistant coach to Brazilian men s coach Bebeto de Freitas before taking over the position himself, guiding the team to gold at the Olympic Games in Barcelona in 1992, gold in the 1993 FIVB World League, bronze in the 1994 World League, silver in the 1995 World League, gold in the 1995 South American Championship, bronze in the 1995 World Cup and bronze in the 1996 World League. Zé Roberto began coaching the Brazilian women s national team in In 2008, he became the first person in the world to win Olympic gold medals with both male and female Volleyball teams. This year, the team opened its season by winning the Montreux Volley Masters in June for the fifth time, and have kept on rolling, claiming gold at all five tournaments since. Team Officials Manager: Jose Elias Proença Coach: José Roberto Guimaraes Assistant Coach: Paulo Barros Junior Doctor: Andre Baptista Trainer/Therapist: Claudio Pinheiro Match Schedule :00 Tokyo DOM-BRA :00 Tokyo BRA-JPN :30 Tokyo KOR-BRA :30 Fukuoka ITA-BRA :30 Fukuoka BRA-THA Grand Champions Cup World Grand Prix List of Honours World Championships Olympic Games Team Roster Nr Name/First Name Nickname Birthdate H W S B OG WC OTH Total Club 1 Claudino Fabiana Fabiana 24/01/ UNILEVE 2 Takagui Ana Tiemi Ana Tiemi 26/10/ SOLLYS OSASCO 3 Lins Danielle Dani Lins C 05/01/ UNILEVE 4 Pequeno Paula Paula 22/01/ SOLLYS OSASCO 5 Gattaz Caroline Carol Gattaz 27/07/ UNILEVE 6 Menezes Thaisa Thaisa 15/05/ SOLLYS OSASCO 7 Steinbrecher Marianne Mári 23/08/ SAO CAETANO 8 Silva Adenizia Adenizia 18/12/ SOLLYS OSASCO 9 Pereira Natalia Natália 24/04/ SOLLYS OSASCO 10 Gonzaga Welissa Sassá 09/09/ SOLLYS OSASCO 11 Silva Joyce Joyce 13/06/ UNILEVE 12 Martins Natalia N. Martins 12/11/ SAO CAETANO 13 Castro Sheilla Sheilla 01/07/ SAO CAETANO 14 de Oliveira Fabiana Fabi L 07/03/ UNILEVE 15 Bidias Regiane Regiane 02/10/ UNILEVE 16 Rodrigues Fernanda Fê Garay 10/05/ PINHEIROS 17 de Souza Josefa Fabiola Fabiola 03/02/ PINHEIROS 18 Brait Camila C. Brait L 28/10/ SOLLYS OSASCO 19 Barbosa Thais Thais 02/03/ SOLLYS OSASCO 20 Castro Juliana Juliana 30/06/ PINHEIROS World Cup Cont. Championships

14 Brazil 1 Fabiana Name: Fabiana Claudino Age: 24 Born in: Belo Horizonte Club debut: Minas Tenis Clube (Belo Horizonte) in Intl. debut: Youth World Championship (Croacia) in Hobby: Traveling - Lang.: Portuguese - Favourites: Food: Lasagna, Movie: Action, Music: Samba 2 Ana Tiemi Name: Ana Tiemi Takagui Age: 22 Born in: Nobres Club debut: Minas Tenis Clube (Belo Horizonte ) in Intl. debut: South American Championship (Barquisimeto, Venezuela) in Lang.: Portuguese - Favourites: Food: Salad, Music: Hip Hop 11 Joyce Name: Joyce Silva Age: 25 Born in: São Paulo Position: Universal Club debut: School (Guarulhos) in Intl. debut: Youth World Championship (Pula, Croatia) in Hobby: Volleyball - Lang.: Portuguese - Favourites: Book: Jorge Amado, Food: Pasta, Movie: Drama, Music: Pop 12 N. Martins Name: Natalia Martins Age: 24 Born in: São Paulo Club debut: Lorena Commercial Team (Lorena, São Paulo) in Intl. debut: Pan American Cup (Mexicali and Tijuana) in Hobby: Being with my boyfriend, my friends, my dog - Lang.: Portuguese - Favourites: Book: Self-help, Food: Pasta, Movie: A little bit of all movies, Other sports: Adventure Running 3 Dani Lins Name: Danielle Lins Age: 24 Born in: Recife Club debut: Scholl (Recife) in Intl. debut: Youth World Championship (Pula-Croácia) in Hobby: Volleyball - Lang.: Portuguese - Favourites: Book: Drama, Food: Stroganoff, Movie: Drama, Music: Pop 4 Paula Name: Paula Pequeno Age: 27 Born in: Brasilia Club debut: ASBAC (Brasilia) in Intl. debut: Junior World Championship (Edmonton) in Hobby: Singing, dancing - Lang.: Portuguese - Favourites: Book: O Alquimista, Food: Pizza, Movie: My Best Friend s Wedding, Music: Brazilian pop music 13 Sheilla Name: Sheilla Castro Born in: Belo Horizonte Position: Universal Club debut: Mackenzie (Belo Horizonte) in Intl. debut: Junior South American Championship (Colômbia) in Hobby: Volleyball - Lang.: Portuguese, English - Favourites: Food: Lasagna, Music: Green mile 14 Fabi Name: Fabiana De Oliveira Age: 29 Born in: Rio de Janeiro Position: Libero Club debut: Flamengo (Rio de Janeiro) in Intl. debut: South American Championship (Argentina) in Hobby: Beach Volleyball - Lang.: Portuguese - Favourites: Food: Pasta, Movie: Gladiator, Music: Brazilian pop music, Other sports: Soccer 5 Carol Gattaz Name: Caroline Gattaz Age: 28 Born in: Sao Jose do Rio Preto Club debut: Rio Preto Automóvel Clube (Sao José Rio Preto) in Intl. debut: Junior South American Championship (Brazil) in Lang.: Portuguese, English - Favourites: Food: Barbecue, Movie: Macunaima, Music: Samba 6 Thaisa Name: Thaisa Menezes Age: 22 Born in: Rio de Janeiro Club debut: Tijuca Tênis Clube (Rio de Janeiro) in Intl. debut: Youth and Jr South American Championship (Barquisimeto, Venezuela) in Hobby: Swimming - Lang.: Portuguese - Favourites: Book: Adventure, Food: Pasta, Movie: Adventure, Music: Pop, rock 15 Regiane Name: Regiane Bidias Born in: Piracicaba Club debut: Clube de Campo (Piracicaba) in Intl. debut: South American Championship (La Paz, Bolívia) in Hobby: Samba - Lang.: Portuguese - Favourites: Food: Pasta, Movie: Adventure, Music: Samba, Other sports: Zico 16 Fê Garay Name: Fernanda Rodrigues Born in: - Lang.: Portuguese 7 Mári Name: Marianne Steinbrecher Born in: Sao Paulo Club debut: Maringa (Maringa) in Intl. debut: World Grand Prix (Taiwan) in Hobby: Dancing - Lang.: Portuguese - Favourites: Food: Pasta, Movie: Cold Mountain, Music: Pop rock, Other sports: Volleyball 8 Adenizia Name: Adenizia Silva Age: 22 Born in: Ibiaí Club debut: Clube Filadelfia (Minas Gerais) in Intl. debut: South American Championship (Caracas) in Hobby: Music - Lang.: Portuguese - Favourites: Food: Brazilian Food, Movie: Doce novembro, Music: Pop 17 Fabiola Name: Josefa Fabiola De Souza Born in: Brasília Position: - Lang.: Portuguese 18 C. Brait Name: Camila Brait Age: 21 Born in: - Position: - Lang.: Portuguese 9 Natália Name: Natalia Pereira Age: 20 Born in: Ponta Grossa Club debut: Clube 10 de Maio (Joacaba) in Intl. debut: Youth South American Championship (Guayaquil) in Hobby: Reading, movies - Lang.: Portuguese - Favourites: Book: A casa das 7 Mulheres, Food: Pasta, Movie: Harry Potter, Music: Ivete Sangalo, Other sports: Tennis 10 Sassá Name: Welissa Gonzaga Age: 27 Born in: Barbacena Club debut: Olympic Club (Barbacena) in Intl. debut: Junior World Championship (Santo Domingo) in Hobby: Playing guitar - Lang.: Portuguese - Favourites: Book: Diario de um Mago - Paulo Coelho, Food: Lasagna, Music: Samba 19 Thais Name: Thais Barbosa Age: 29 Born in: - Position: - Lang.: Portuguese 20 Juliana Name: Juliana Castro Age: 24 Born in: - Lang.: Portuguese 24 25

15 Dominican Republic The year 2009 has been a challenging yet extraordinary year for the Dominican Republic women s national team, with several of the team s key players injured and junior players coming in to fill the gaps. During the VIII Pan American Cup, the Dominicans won Pool A with a 3-0 record and then won comefrombehind, five-set battles against United States and Puerto Rico in the semifinal and final. In the gold-medal contest, they survived five-match points in the fourth set before prevailing The team was the subject of many accolades and recognition after arriving home following the Pan American victory. The players were called Queens of Volleyball by the local media who noted that the win capped the completion of a Golden Regional Cycle of titles won at the Central American and Caribbean Games, Pan American Games, Pan American Cup and the NORCECA Continental. Now everything is focused on the World Grand Champions Cup and preparing for the 2010 Women s World Championship in Japan, after the Dominicans became the first team to qualify for the Final Round. Coach Marcos Kwiek (BRA) Dominican women s national team coach Marcos Kwiek enters the 2009 FIVB Grand Champions Cup with optimism after his team s goldmedal victory at the 2009 NORCECA Continental Championship to qualify for this important event for the first time. Our goal at the 2009 FIVB Grand Champions Cup will be to finish among the top four teams, the Brazilian said. Achievements at recent international competitions include: 2009 China International Tournament: 2 nd place 2009 VIII Women s Pan American Cup: Silver medal 2010 World Championship Qualification Tournament: Gold medal 2009 II Final Four Cup: Silver medal 2009 FIVB World Grand Prix: 11 th place 2009 NORCECA Women s Continental Championship: Gold medal and qualification for the 2009 Grand Champions Cup Team Officials Manager: Ruben Andisin Coach: Marcos Kwiek Assistant Coach: Wagner Pacheco Doctor: Milciades Albert Trainer/Therapist: Wilson Sanchez Match Schedule :00 Tokyo DOM-BRA :30 Tokyo THA-DOM :30 Tokyo DOM-ITA :00 Fukuoka DOM-JPN :30 Fukuoka KOR-DOM Grand Champions Cup World Grand Prix World Cup List of Honours World Championships Olympic Games Cont. Championships Team Roster Nr Name/First Name Nickname Birthdate H W S B OG WC OTH Total Club 1 Vargas Valdez Annerys Vargas 07/08/ Seleccion Nacional 2 Burgos Herrera Dahiana Burgos 07/04/ Seleccion Nacional 3 Eve Mejia Lisvel Elisa Eve 10/09/ Deportivo Nacional 4 Fersola Norberto Marianne Fersola 16/01/ Mirador 5 Castillo Brenda Castillo L 05/06/ San Cristobal 6 Caso Sierra Carmen Rosa Caso 29/11/ Arlenis Cordero 7 Marte Frica Niverka Dharlenis Marte 19/10/ Deportivo Nacional 8 Arias Perez Candida Estefany Arias 11/03/ San Cristobal 9 Moreno Martinez Erasma Moreno 25/11/ Monte Plata 10 Cabral de la Cruz Milagros Cabral C 17/10/ Los Cachorros 11 Rodriguez Santos Jeoselyna Rodriguez 09/12/ Mirador 12 Echenique Karla Echenique 16/05/ Deportivo Nacional 13 Concepcion Contreras Marisol Concepcion 10/11/ Monte Plata 14 Rivera Brens Prisilla Rivera 29/12/ San Pedro 15 Dominguez Martinez Camil Dominguez 07/12/ Mirador Inmaculada 16 Rodriguez Marifranchi Rodriguez 29/08/ Mirador 17 Mambru Altagracia Mambru 21/01/ Los Cachorros 18 Ramirez Espinal Yeniffer Cristina Ramirez 17/03/ Mirador 19 Binet Stephens Ana Yorkira Binet 09/02/ Samana 26 27

16 Dominican Republic 1 Vargas Name: Annerys Vargas Valdez Age: 28 Born in: Santo Domingo Club debut: Simon Bolivar (Santo Domingo) in Intl. debut: World Championship (Japan) in Hobby: Dancing - Lang.: Spanish - Favourites: Book: Literature, Food: Dominican, Movie: Action, Music: Tito Rojas, Other sports: Basketball 2 Burgos Name: Dahiana Burgos Herrera Age: 24 Born in: Santo Domingo Position: - Club debut: Seleccion Nacional (Santo Domingo) in Intl. debut: Continental Girls Youth Championship (Salt Lake City, Utah) in Hobby: Dancing - Lang.: Spanish - Favourites: Book: The Bible, Food: Dominican, Movie: Action, Music: El Jeffrey, Other sports: Baseball 11 Rodriguez Name: Jeoselyna Rodriguez Santos Age: 17 Born in: Santo Domingo Position: - Club debut: Mirador (Dominican Republic) in Intl. debut: Junior National Volleyball Championship (Cuba) in Hobby: Talking on the telephone - Lang.: Spanish, English - Favourites: Book: Romeo and Juliet, Food: Fast food, Movie: Massacre in Texas, Music: The 5th Station, Other sports: Gymnastics 12 Echenique Name: Karla Echenique Born in: Santo Domingo Club debut: Deportivo Nacional (Santo Domingo) in Intl. debut: 2002 Norceca Girls Youth Continental Championship (Salt Lakes City, Utah) in Hobby: Basketball - Lang.: Spanish, English - Favourites: Book: Novels, Food: Italian, Movie: Romance, Music: The Beattles, Other sports: Basketball 3 Eve Name: Lisvel Elisa Eve Mejia Age: 18 Born in: Puerto Plata Position: - Intl. debut: Junior National Volleyball Championchip (Cuba) in Hobby: Dancing, music - Lang.: Spanish - Favourites: Book: El Principito - Richard Barch, Food: Chicken and fried potatoes, Movie: Spiderman 2 & 3, Music: Reggaeton - Wissin and Yandel, Other sports: Basketball 4 Fersola Name: Marianne Fersola Norberto Age: 17 Born in: Santo Domingo Club debut: Mirador - Intl. debut: NORCECA Girls Youth (Gainesville, Florida) in Hobby: Dancing - Lang.: Spanish - Favourites: Book: Juventud & Extasis II, Food: McDonalds, Movie: Mysteries, Music: Salsa, Other sports: Basketball 13 Concepcion Name: Marisol Concepcion Contreras Age: 18 Born in: Monte Plata Club debut: Monte Plata - Intl. debut: FIVB Women s Junior World Championship (Mexico) in Hobby: Music - Lang.: Spanish - Favourites: Book: La Obra Maria, Food: Chinese, Movie: Romance, Music: Soft music, Other sports: Volleyball, baseball 14 Rivera Name: Prisilla Rivera Brens Age: 24 Born in: Santo Domingo Club debut: San Pedro (Dominican Republic) in Intl. debut: NORCECA Continental Youth Championship (Salt Lake City, Utah) in Hobby: Movies - Lang.: Spanish - Favourites: Book: History, Food: Dominican, Movie: Comedies, Music: Salsa, Other sports: Basketball 5 Castillo Name: Brenda Castillo Age: 17 Born in: Santo Domingo Position: - Club debut: San Cristobal (San Cristobal) in Intl. debut: China Int. Women s VB Tournament (China) in Hobby: Singing - Lang.: Spanish - Favourites: Book: Harry Porter, Food: Dominican, Movie: Comic, Music: Reggae, Other sports: Basketball 6 Caso Name: Carmen Rosa Caso Sierra Age: 27 Born in: Santo Domingo Position: Libero Club debut: Arlenis Cordero (Santo Domingo) in Intl. debut: Junior World Championship (Santo Domingo) in Hobby: Music - Lang.: Spanish - Favourites: Book: History, Food: Dominican, Movie: Mysteries, Music: Mana, Other sports: Baseball 15 Dominguez Name: Camil Inmaculada Dominguez Martinez Age: 17 Born in: Santo Domingo Club debut: Mirador - Hobby: Going out with friends, dancing - Lang.: Spanish - Favourites: Book: Da Vinci Code, Food: Italian, Movie: Romantic comedies & drama, Music: Salsa, Soft music & R&B, Other sports: Basketball 16 Rodriguez Name: Marifranchi Rodriguez Age: 19 Born in: Santo Domingo Club debut: Mirador (Santo Domingo) in Hobby: Dancing - Lang.: Spanish - Favourites: Book: Ciudad de Summer, Food: American, Movie: La Vida es bella, Music: Pop, Other sports: Volleyball 7 Marte Name: Niverka Dharlenis Marte Frica Age: 19 Born in: Santo Domingo Club debut: Deportivo Nacional - Intl. debut: NORCECA Girls Youth (Gainesville, Florida) in Hobby: Internet surfing, music - Lang.: Spanish - Favourites: Book: A la orilla del rio piedras me sente y llore, Food: Platains with cheese, Movie: Gladiator, Music: Foreign, Other sports: Volleyball, swimming 8 Arias Name: Candida Estefany Arias Perez Age: 17 Born in: San Cristobal Club debut: San Cristobal - Intl. debut: FIVB Women s Junior World Championship (Thailand) in Hobby: Going to the beach - Lang.: Spanish - Favourites: Book: La Fantasma Higuey, Food: Seafood, Movie: Action, Music: Soft music, Bachata, Other sports: Basketball, baseball 17 Mambru Name: Altagracia Mambru Born in: Santo Domingo Position: - Club debut: Cachorros (Santo Domingo) in Intl. debut: NORCECA Youth Continental Champ. (Utah) in Hobby: Dancing, singing and being with friends - Lang.: Spanish - Favourites: Book: Novels, Food: Dominican, Movie: Romantic, Music: Reggae, Other sports: Basketball 18 Ramirez Name: Yeniffer Cristina Ramirez Espinal Age: 16 Born in: Santiago Club debut: Mirador - Intl. debut: FIVB Women s Junior World Championship (Thailand) in Hobby: Music, dancing - Lang.: Spanish - Favourites: Book: The Alquimist, Food: Paella, Movie: Terror & Action, Music: Reagae, Other sports: Basketball, swimming 9 Moreno Name: Erasma Moreno Martinez Age: 17 Born in: Yamasa Club debut: Monte Plata - Intl. debut: FIVB Women s Junior World Championship (Mexico) in Hobby: Studying - Lang.: Spanish - Favourites: Book: La Mañosa - Juan Bosch, Food: Pizza, Movie: Mysteries, Music: Reaggae, Other sports: Baseball 10 Cabral Name: Milagros Cabral De La Cruz Age: 31 Born in: Santo Domingo Club debut: Los Cachorros (Santo Domingo) in Intl. debut: NORCECA Youth Continental Champ. (Arecibo, Puerto Rico) in Hobby: Music - Lang.: Spanish - Favourites: Book: History, Food: Italian, Movie: Action, Music: Juan Luis Guerra & 440, Other sports: Baseball 19 Binet Name: Ana Yorkira Binet Stephens Age: 17 Born in: Sanchez Position: Libero Club debut: Samana - Intl. debut: NORCECA Girls Youth (Gainesville, Florida) in Hobby: Music - Lang.: Spanish - Favourites: Book: Juan Bosch, Food: Seafood, Movie: Mysteries, Music: Salsa, Other sports: Cycling 28 29

17 Italy Volleyball is the most practiced women s sport in Italy and FIPAV (the Italian Volleyball Federation) can count on more than 100,000 registered athletes. This popularity is paying off at international level. In 2009, the Italians won the Mediterranean Games and the European Championships, a year after taking bronze at the World Grand Prix and 5 th place at the Beijing Olympics. In 2007 the Italian women s team won two gold medal at the FIVB World Cup and European Championships and bronze at the FIVB World Grand Prix. The previous year they claimed bronze at the World Grand Prix and in 2005 gathered two silver medals at the World Grand Prix and European Championships. It has been a rapid improvement from the Italians, which was triggered by the project behind qualifying for their first Olympics in In order to reach this goal, the Italian Volleyball Federation worked out a project called «Club Italia» with the aim of creating the right conditions for six girls in blue to develop their technique to the highest level. In relation to this, FIPAV requested the organization of the 1999 women s European Championships in Rome, where the Italians finished third. Before that, the best performances at international level were third position at the 1989 European Championships in Germany and fifth place at the 1998 FIVB World Championships in Japan. Coach Massimo Barbolini (ITA) Massimo Barbolini was born in Modena on August 29, He began his coaching career with men s teams, eventually working his way up to assistant to head coach Julio Velasco at Panini Modena. He later became head coach of Agrigento and Modena. Barbolini first coached a women s team in , when he took the reins at Matera, where he remained for three seasons. In he went to Rome before joining Perugia. In June 2007 Barbolini became head coach of the Women s National Team, which he helped win the 2007 World Cup and the 2007 and 2009 European Championships. Team Officials Manager: Stefano Sciascia Coach: Massimo Barbolini Assistant Coach: Marco Bracci Doctor: Fabrizio Ferrazza Trainer/Therapist: Luca Nocentini Match Schedule :00 Tokyo THA-ITA :30 Tokyo ITA-KOR :30 Tokyo DOM-ITA :30 Fukuoka ITA-BRA :00 Fukuoka JPN-ITA Grand Champions Cup World Grand Prix List of Honours World Championships Olympic Games Team Roster Nr Name/First Name Nickname Birthdate H W S B OG WC OTH Total Club 1 Pincerato Giulia Pincerato 16/03/ Rebecchi Lupa Piacenza 2 Barcellini Cristina Barcellini 20/11/ Asystel Novara 3 Sirressi Immacolata Sirressi 19/05/ Asystel 4 Crisanti Lucia Crisanti 16/03/ Yamamay 5 Rondon Giulia Rondon 16/10/ Rebecchi Lupa 6 Merlo Enrica Merlo 28/12/ Foppapedretti 7 Guiggi Martina Guiggi 01/05/ Scavolini Pesaro 8 Barazza Jenny Barazza 24/07/ Asystel 9 Secolo Manuela Secolo 22/02/ MG Carnaghi Villa Cortese 10 Cardullo Paola Cardullo L 18/03/ MG Carnaghi Villa Cortese 11 Ortolani Serena Ortolani 07/01/ Foppapedretti 12 Piccinini Francesca Piccinini 10/01/ Foppapedretti Bergamo 13 Arrighetti Valentina Arrighetti 26/01/ Foppapedretti Bergamo 14 Lo Bianco Eleonora Lo Bianco C 22/12/ Foppapedretti Bergamo 15 Del Core Antonella Del Core 05/11/ Foppapedretti 16 Bosetti Lucia Bosetti 09/07/ Foppapedretti 17 Gioli Simona Gioli 17/09/ Dinamo 18 Aguero Taismary Aguero 05/03/ MG Carnaghi Villa Cortese 19 Marcon Francesca Marcon 09/07/ Zoppas Indistries 20 Ravetta Monica Ravetta 29/08/ Linkem Club Italia World Cup Cont. Championships

18 Italy 1 Pincerato Name: Giulia Pincerato Age: 22 Born in: Dolo Club debut: Sartori Padova (Padova) in Intl. debut: 8 Nations tournament in Lang.: Italian, English 2 Barcellini Name: Cristina Barcellini Age: 22 Born in: Novara Club debut: Sanmartinese (Novara) in Intl. debut: Volley Masters (Montreux) in Lang.: Italian, English 11 Ortolani Name: Serena Ortolani Age: 22 Born in: Ravenna Club debut: Teodora (Ravenna) in Intl. debut: 8 Nations tournament (Germany) in Lang.: Italian 12 Piccinini Name: Francesca Piccinini Age: 30 Born in: Pietrasanta Club debut: San Carlo Borromeo in Intl. debut: in Hobby: Shopping - Lang.: Italian, English - Favourites: Book: Paolo coelho, Food: Sushi, Movie: Sean Connery, Music: Tracy Chapman 3 Sirressi Name: Immacolata Sirressi Age: 19 Born in: Santeramo in Colle Position: Libero Club debut: Volley Santeramo (Santeramo) in Intl. debut: 8 Nations tournament in Lang.: Italian 4 Crisanti Name: Lucia Crisanti Born in: Foligno Club debut: Trevi (Trevi) in Intl. debut: 8 Nations tournament (Germany) in Lang.: Italian 13 Arrighetti Name: Valentina Arrighetti Age: 24 Born in: Genova Club debut: Genova in Intl. debut: 8 Nations tournament (Netherlands) in Lang.: Italian 14 Lo Bianco Name: Eleonora Lo Bianco Age: 29 Born in: Borgomanero Club debut: Brums Busto Arsizio (Busto Arsizio) in Intl. debut: in Hobby: Reading - Lang.: Italian, English - Favourites: Book: Ken Follet, Food: Pizza, Movie: Brad Pitt, Music: Celine Dion, Other sports: Tennis 5 Rondon Name: Giulia Rondon Age: 22 Born in: Pisa Club debut: Volley Pisa (Pisa) in Intl. debut: Volley Masters (Montreux) in Lang.: Italian 6 Merlo Name: Enrica Merlo Age: 20 Born in: Monselice Position: Libero Club debut: Megius (Padova) in Intl. debut: Volley Masters (Montreux) in Lang.: Italian, English 15 Del Core Name: Antonella Del Core Age: 29 Born in: Napoli Club debut: Centro Ester (Napoli) in Intl. debut: Youth World Championship (Chang Mai, Thailand) in Lang.: Italian, English 16 Bosetti Name: Lucia Bosetti Age: 20 Born in: Genova Club debut: Amatori Orago (Orago) in Intl. debut: Youth World Championship (Macau) in Lang.: Italian 7 Guiggi Name: Martina Guiggi Age: 25 Born in: Pisa Club debut: Volley Pecciolese (Peccioli) in Intl. debut: in Lang.: Italian, English - Favourites: Food: Pizza, Movie: Scary Movie, Music: All 8 Barazza Name: Jenny Barazza Age: 28 Born in: Conegliano Club debut: Volley Codognè (Codognè) in Intl. debut: in Hobby: Music - Lang.: Italian, English - Favourites: Book: L Archimista, Food: Pizza, Movie: Last Beautiful Mind, Music: R&B, pop, Other sports: Basketball 17 Gioli Name: Simona Gioli Age: 32 Born in: Rapallo Intl. debut: Italy-Cuba (Arezzo, Italy) in Lang.: Italian, English 18 Aguero Name: Taismary Aguero Age: 32 Born in: Santi Spiritus, Cuba Position: Opposite spiker Club debut: Cuba - Intl. debut: World Grand Prix (Verona) in Lang.: Italian, Spanish 9 Secolo Name: Manuela Secolo Age: 32 Born in: Treviso Club debut: Treviso in Lang.: Italian, English 10 Cardullo Name: Paola Cardullo Age: 27 Born in: Omegna Position: Libero Club debut: Volley Omegna (Omegna) in Intl. debut: in Lang.: Italian, English - Favourites: Food: PIzza, Movie: The Others, Music: All, Other sports: Soccer 19 Marcon Name: Francesca Marcon Born in: Conegliano Club debut: Zoppas Industries (Conegliano) - Intl. debut: Volley Masters (Montreux) in Lang.: Italian, English 20 Ravetta Name: Monica Ravetta Age: 24 Born in: Pavia Intl. debut: Piemonte Woman Cup (Turin) in Lang.: Italian, English 32 33

19 Japan After the team s participation in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the Japan Volleyball Association took quick measures to build a new squad aimed at reaching and being successful at the 2012 London Olympics. Masayoshi Manabe, who heads the Japan champion Hisamitsu Springs, was appointed new coach of the Japanese women s national team, taking over from Shoichi Yanagimoto. Yanagimoto led the team since February 2003 and guided Japan to two Olympics: Athens 2004 and Beijing Manabe started with the team in April 2009 and will remain until He invited fewer than 30 players to the inaugural training camp. The roster comprised youngsters and veterans alike, including seven Olympians such as Yoshie Takeshita, top setter and former captain, Yuko Sano, top libero, Megumi Kurihara, Saori Kimura and new captain Erika Araki. Japan reached the Final Six of the 2009 World Grand Prix and most recently won bronze at the 2009 Asian Championship. Japan used to be a powerhouse in women s Volleyball, and it will be the challenge of Manabe s squad to put in some unforgettable performances at the FIVB World Grand Champions Cup, one of the most prestigious events on the FIVB Volleyball calendar. Coach Masayoshi Manabe (JPN) As a setter on Japan s men s team, Masayoshi Manabe participated in many international events, including the 1988 Seoul Olympics. He got his first taste of coaching in 1993 at Nippon Steel Blazers (the predecessor of Sakai Blazers), when he led the team as a player-coach until Under his leadership, the team became back-to-back V-League champions in 1996 and From 1999 to 2005, Manabe focused on his career as a player and moved from team to team. Since his retirement as a player in 2005, Manabe has been head coach of Hisamitsu Springs, who won the V-Premier League in The Japanese women s team is aiming to medal at the 2012 London Olympics under the powerful leadership of Manabe. In order to secure a place on the podium at the World Grand Champions Cup, Manabe started the team s training camp well in advance of the tournament. Team Officials Manager: Mrs. Yuko Arakida Coach: Masayoshi Manabe Assistant Coach: Kiyoshi Abo Doctor: Hiroshi Yamaguchi Trainer/Therapist: Gen Kawakita Match Schedule :00 Tokyo JPN-KOR :00 Tokyo BRA-JPN :00 Tokyo JPN-THA :00 Fukuoka DOM-JPN :00 Fukuoka JPN-ITA Grand Champions Cup World Grand Prix List of Honours World Championships Olympic Games Team Roster Nr Name/First Name Nickname Birthdate H W S B OG WC OTH Total Club 1 Kurihara Megumi Kurihara 31/07/ Pioneer Red Wings 2 Kawai Yuki Kawai 22/01/ JT Marvelous 3 Takeshita Yoshie Takeshita 18/03/ JT Marvelous 4 Inoue Kaori Inoue 21/10/ Denso Airybees 5 Mori Kazuyo Mori 21/06/ OKAYAMA Seagulls 6 Sano Yuko Sano 26/07/ Hisamitsu Springs 7 Okano Hiroko Okano 25/05/ OKAYAMA Seagulls 8 Ishikawa Yuki Ishikawa 26/04/ JT Marvelous 9 Ishida Mizuho Ishida 22/01/ Hisamitsu Springs 10 Shoji Yuki Shoji 19/11/ Ageo Medics 11 Araki Erika Araki C 03/08/ Toray Arrows 12 Kimura Saori Saori 19/08/ Toray Arrows 13 Kano Maiko Kano 15/07/ Hisamitsu Springs 14 Taniguchi Masami Taniguchi 17/09/ JT Marvelous 15 Tominaga Koyomi Tominaga 01/05/ Pioneer Red Wings 16 Inoue Kotoe Kotoe 15/02/ JT Marvelous 17 Yamaguchi Mai Yamaguchi 03/07/ OKAYAMA Seagulls 18 Sakashita Maiko Sakashita 25/02/ JT Marvelous 19 Hamaguchi Kanari Hamaguchi 29/08/ Toray Arrows 20 Oyama Shuka Shuka 25/09/ Hisamitsu Springs World Cup Cont. Championships

20 Japan 1 Kurihara Name: Megumi Kurihara Age: 25 Born in: Hiroshima Club debut: Shikagawa Volleyball Club (Hiroshima) in Intl. debut: Asian Youth Championship in Hobby: Music, karaoke - Lang.: Japanese - Favourites: Book: Non-fiction, novels, Food: Japanese, pasta, meat, Movie: Love stories, Music: R&B, Other sports: Hide Nakata 2 Kawai Name: Yuki Kawai Age: 19 Born in: Oita Prefecture Club debut: Fujiwara Fairies (Oita) in Intl. debut: Asian Youth Championship in Hobby: Music - Lang.: Japanese - Favourites: Book: Magazines, Food: Western, pasta, meat, fruit, Movie: Comedies, Music: EXILE, Other sports: Ichiro 11 Araki Name: Erika Araki Age: 25 Born in: Okayama Club debut: Kurashiki-II-fukuda VBC (Kurashiki) in Intl. debut: in Hobby: Reading - Lang.: Japanese - Favourites: Book: Novels, Food: Japanese, Movie: Love stories, Music: Japanese pops / Miriya Kato, m-flo, Other sports: Soccer, Tennis (Rafael Nadal) 12 Saori Name: Saori Kimura Born in: Saitama Club debut: Akikawa JVC (Tokyo) in Intl. debut: in Hobby: Shopping - Lang.: Japanese - Favourites: Book: Magazines, Food: Pasta, Movie: Japanese movie «NANA», love stories, Music: Japanese pops / Miriya Kato, Other sports: Soccer 3 Takeshita Name: Yoshie Takeshita Age: 31 Born in: Fukuoka Club debut: Hagigaoka VBC (Fukuoka) in Intl. debut: World Grand Champions Cup (Japan) in Lang.: Japanese - Favourites: Book: Magazines, Food: Japanese, Western, pasta, seafood, Movie: Comedies, Music: Pop 4 Inoue Name: Kaori Inoue Age: 27 Born in: Hyogo Club debut: Fukuzumi Girls Volleyball Club (Hyogo) in Lang.: Japanese - Favourites: Book: Magazines, Food: Japanese, Movie: Ghibli, Music: Namie Amuro, Other sports: Mao Asada 13 Kano Name: Maiko Kano Age: 21 Born in: Tokyo Club debut: Osawa Sports Club (Tokyo) in Intl. debut: Friendship Match in Hobby: Music - Lang.: Japanese - Favourites: Book: History, magazines, Food: Japanese, meat, Movie: Love stories, comedies, Music: Mr. Children, Other sports: Baseball, bowling 14 Taniguchi Name: Masami Taniguchi Age: 33 Born in: Miyazaki Club debut: Otuka Sports Club (Miyazaki) - Intl. debut: in Lang.: Japanese - Favourites: Book: Magazines, Food: Japanese, Music: aiko 5 Mori Name: Kazuyo Mori Age: 33 Born in: Gifu Prefecture Club debut: Ishitu Sports Club (Gifu) - Hobby: Music - Lang.: Japanese - Favourites: Book: Novels, Food: Pasta, Movie: Comedies, Music: Namie Amuro, JUJU, AI, Other sports: Kei Igarashi 6 Sano Name: Yuko Sano Age: 30 Born in: Osaka Position: Libero Club debut: Unichika (Osaka) in Intl. debut: World Championships in Lang.: Japanese - Favourites: Book: Magazines, Food: Pasta, Movie: Love stories, comedies, Music: Japanese pops, Other sports: Ichiro, Shunsuke Nakamura 15 Tominaga Name: Koyomi Tominaga Age: 20 Born in: Tokyo Club debut: Komae Seven (Tokyo) in Intl. debut: Asian Junior Championship in Hobby: Movies - Lang.: Japanese - Favourites: Book: Magazines, Food: Japanese, Movie: Comedies, Music: Pop songs / Juju, Other sports: Volleyball, baseball (Ichiro), soccer 16 Kotoe Name: Kotoe Inoue Age: 19 Born in: Kyoto Position: - Club debut: Ryogaoka Sports Club (Kyoto) in Lang.: Japanese - Favourites: Food: Pasta, meat, Music: Exile, GReeeeN, Other sports: Basketball 7 Okano Name: Hiroko Okano Age: 33 Born in: Ehime Club debut: Minamikodatuno Sports Club (Ishikawa) in Hobby: Playing piano - Lang.: Japanese - Favourites: Book: Novels, magazines, Food: Pasta, Movie: Comedies, Music: Angela Aki, Other sports: Track and field, figure skating 8 Ishikawa Name: Yuki Ishikawa Age: 22 Born in: Saitama Club debut: Ageo Stars (Saitama) in Intl. debut: in Hobby: Movies, shopping - Lang.: Japanese - Favourites: Book: Mystery novels, Food: Western food, pasta, sweets, Movie: Comedies, Music: Western, Other sports: Tomoaki Kanemoto 17 Yamaguchi Name: Mai Yamaguchi Born in: Mie Club debut: Wagu Sports Club (Mie) in Hobby: Knitting, cooking - Lang.: Japanese - Favourites: Book: Novels, Food: Pasta, Movie: Comedies, Music: Tohoshinki, Exile, Other sports: Figure skating, Ichiro 18 Sakashita Name: Maiko Sakashita Age: 24 Born in: Hyogo Prefecture Club debut: Naruokita Clubl (Hyogo) in Intl. debut: 24th Universiade Bangkok Hobby: Comedy programs - Lang.: Japanese, English - Favourites: Book: Novels, Food: Japanese, Movie: Love stories, comedies, Music: Japanese pops / Kaera Kimura, Other sports: Volleyball, basketball, Kuji Fujikawa 9 Ishida Name: Mizuho Ishida Age: 21 Born in: Gunma Prefecture Club debut: Yoshida Girls Volleyball Team (Gunma) in Intl. debut: Asian Junior Championship in Hobby: Movies - Lang.: Japanese - Favourites: Book: Magazines, Food: Western food, pasta, Movie: Love stories, comedies, Music: AI, MINMI, Other sports: Baseball 10 Shoji Name: Yuki Shoji Age: 27 Born in: Hokkaido Club debut: in Intl. debut: in Hobby: Music, reading - Lang.: Japanese - Favourites: Book: Fiction, history, Food: Japanese, pasta, seafood, meat, Movie: Love stories, comedies, Animation, Music: Japanese pops, Exile, Other sports: Baseball, sumo wrestling 19 Hamaguchi Name: Kanari Hamaguchi Age: 24 Born in: Nagasaki Position: Libero Club debut: Yuki Tachibana Club (Nagasaki) in Intl. debut: World Grand Prix 2009 in Hobby: Music - Lang.: Japanese - Favourites: Book: Poetry, Food: Pasta, seafood, Movie: Love stories, Music: Reggae / lecca Metis, Other sports: Ichiro 20 Shuka Name: Shuka Oyama Age: 29 Born in: China Club debut: Sumanoura (Hyogo) in Intl. debut: in Hobby: Shopping - Lang.: Japanese, Chinese - Favourites: Food: Fruit, Movie: Jackie Chan movies, Music: Japanese pops, Other sports: Track & Field 36 37