OFFICIAL MAGAZINE / #08 / 2014

CONTENTS

03 04 06 08

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE BIG PICTURE TOURNAMENT BY NUMBERS OPENING IN STYLE

HONDA PRESENTS 10 32 34 35

THE THE TOURNAMENT

MEDAL SHOWCASE
BEST PERFORMANCES

OTHER
ROUND BY ROUND FINAL RANKING DREAM TEAM MATCH RESULTS

49 50 52 54
35

SIDE WHAT THEY SAID

TECHNOLOGY
AND INNOVATION SOCIAL MEDIA MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

A DOUBLE-SIDED 56 60 62 66
STORY ANALYSIS

68
THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MEN’S WORLD
HOW IT BEGAN TROPHY CHAMPIONSHIPS HISTORY FINAL WORD

Publication Management Communications Director Reproduction The views expressed in VolleyWorld are
and Editorial Committee Richard Baker Reproduction of any article not necessarily those of the FIVB or its
EXPERIENCE THE FILM Fédération Internationale
Editorial
or part of the magazine Officials.
de Volleyball is authorised, providing that
HONDATHEOTHERSIDE.COM Château Les Tourelles
Edouard-Sandoz 2-4,
Jeremy Inson, Nick Winn the source is explicitly cited The content of this publication is based
on the best information available at the
Design and Layout
1006 Lausanne, Switzerland amethys.ch Contributions time the articles were written.
CIVIC 1.8 i-VTEC SPORT IN WHITE ORCHID PEARL WITH 18” ARGON ACCESSORY ALLOY WHEELS. COMBINED 5.8, URBAN 7.3, EXTRA
URBAN 4.9 in l/100km. CO2 136G/KM. FIGURES SOURCED FROM EU-REGULATED TEST RESULTS. PROVIDED FOR COMPARISON. ACTUAL Tel. 0041-21-3453535 Typed articles are accepted
FIGURES MAY VARY. CIVIC TYPE R CONCEPT IN RACING RED PEARL. NOT AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE. FINAL PRODUCTION MODEL Fax 0041-21-3453545 Photographs in English
SPECIFICATION MAY VARY FROM CONCEPT MODEL SHOWN. FUEL CONSUMPTION AND CO2 FIGURES NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE. www.fivb.org FIVB Archives Email: press@fivb.org

While we all knew beforehand that the FIVB
Volleyball Men’s World Championship Poland
2014 would be a truly remarkable tournament,
I don’t think anyone realised quite how
spectacular it would be.
All of us who were lucky enough to be in Poland
for the World Championship will be able to
look back with great pride on the fact that we
were present at such a wonderful tournament.
My first thanks must go to the Polish public,
government, city and sponsor support, Polsat
and the Polish Federation, who did such a
thorough and comprehensive job of ensuring
everything was in place for players, officials,
spectators and the media.
Poland has always been a hotbed for volleyball
and the fans did not disappoint, filling the
arenas to cheer on every team that competed.
From the 62,000 that attended the opening
match between Poland and Serbia at Warsaw’s
National Stadium to the 11,000 full house at
the Spodek Arena in Katowice for the Final,
the supporters of every national team provided
a colourful and passionate backdrop to the
action on court.
In total a record-breaking 563,263 fans
watched the action live in six different arenas,
plus the National Stadium in Warsaw, and has
shown the impact volleyball can have when
organisers have the confidence that fans will
attend.
EDITORIAL
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Using the open air National Stadium to open the
tournament was a resounding success with the
backdrop and atmosphere created by the crowd
doing this event justice.
Taking advantage of such unique venues resulted
in some of the most iconic images for television
and the press. These stunning locations helped
promote volleyball to the wider sporting world.
While tickets in Poland were in hot demand,
the fan areas in the cities across Poland were
another magnificent innovation. It meant even
more people could watch the matches and soak
up the atmosphere, notably the 15,000 fans in
downtown Katowice who gathered to watch
the Final on a giant screen.
TV rights for the Championship were distributed
to 118 markets and a further 92 markets took
3
advantage of web-based pay-per-view broadcast
and such scenes from the arenas will have been
transmitted into people’s living rooms as they
watched and marvelled as the tournament
unfolded.
I must say congratulations to all of the players
that competed. They played with the skill,
technique and the passion that we have come
to expect. They were truly the stars of the
show and without them there is no show. The
additional support of the organisers, sponsors,
broadcasters and fans ensured the FIVB Volleyball
Men’s World Championship Poland 2014 was
one of the sporting highlights of the year.
This edition of VolleyWorld is a souvenir of the
tournament, bringing together all the highlights.
I hope you enjoy reading it and using it to inspire
generations to come.
4 5

The FIVB Volleyball Men’s

World Championship Poland
2014 started in spectacular
fashion when 62,000 fans
packed under the open roof
of the National Stadium in
Warsaw for the opening
match between hosts Poland
and long-time European rivals
Serbia. The local fans weren’t
disappointed and they were
able to roar on the home heroes
to a 3-0 (25-19, 25-18, 25-18)
victory that set the standard for
the tournament.
6

24
TEAMS BATTLED FOR THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
CROWN IN POLAND
62’000 SPECTATORS AT THE
OPENING CEREMONY

th
18 Brazil
IN WARSAW

4 3 5 9 3
FROM FROM FROM FROM FROM EDITION
ASIA AFRICA NORCECA EUROPE SOUTH AMERICA
WON THE LAST

6
New Formula THREE EDITIONS

Russia HOST CITIES:

BYDGOSZCZ
THREE PRELIMINARY ROUNDS
SEMIFINALS

18
IS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL KRAKÓW FINALS
NATION IN THE GDAŃSK

103
TOURNAMENT’S HISTORY ŁÓDZ´
KATOWICE
WITH 6 TITLES (ALL AS USSR)
WROCŁAW

Thousands
148
DAYS OF TOP-NOTCH
VOLLEYBALL ACTION
of fans MATCHES IN TOTAL
around TEAMS PLAYED IN THE
QUALIFICATION PROCESS
the world (UP FROM 113 IN 2010) poland2014.fivb.org
8 9
OPENING IN STYLE
POLAND 2014 SETS NEW OPENING CEREMONY RECORD
Even before a ball had been served, Poland
2014 had already entered the record books
as the biggest opening of any volleyball
competition in history.
After 62,000 spectators flocked to Warsaw’s
National Stadium for Poland 2014’s Opening
Ceremony a new record was set, beating the
previous best of 50,000 attendees at the 1952
World Championship in Moscow.
The fantastic environment in
the stadium for the ceremony
encapsulated more than
four hours of spectacular
entertainment that was enjoyed
by fans around the world.
Between the sparkling lights and the impressive
dancers, the spectators were constantly on
their feet with excitement. For the first time,
the celebrations included an entry parade of
the flags of the participating countries, similar
to the Olympic Games.
Innovation led the way as the FIVB hospitality
area provided guests with an opportunity to
see the technological advancements the FIVB is
spearheading.
The first of these was the LED net, which
has been in production since 2013. The FIVB
is aiming to be the first sport to use such
technology in a competition format, leading
the sport to new technological frontiers. In the
future, it is hoped that the technology will be
used to display live scores, refereeing decisions,
instant displays, fan messages and much more.
Those present in the hospitality area also
had the opportunity to experience a special
broadcast display screen which, with its full-
touch interactive and connected TV monitor,
allowed users to browse online content, the
FIVB’s social media wall and other social media
channels.
In doing so the National Stadium, which opened
in 2012, showed why it has won recognition
as one of the most functional and appealing
sports facilities in the world and why it was the
first time in history that the inaugural match of
a FIVB World Championship has been played in
a football stadium.
It was a fitting way to mark the start of the
18th edition of the Men’s World Championship
and one that was enjoyed by Polish President
Bronislaw Kmorowski.
In fact it was the first time since 1952 that an
FIVB World Championship match was played
outdoors, though such was its success that it
surely won’t be the last.
It was a night to remember as young
performers from across the country took to
the stage including Poland’s Eurovision song
contest entrant Donatan Cleo during an hour
long ceremony before Poland beat Serbia 3-0
(25-19, 25-18, 25-18) in front of a frenzied
home crowd that had been part of an historic
occasion.
10 11

It was always going to be a tough task for Serbia to see off Poland in Argentina’s best finish in a World Championship was a bronze
the opening match of the tournament, but the side bounced back from medal at the 1982 edition and in 2010 they finished ninth. The South
their 3-0 loss to record four wins to finish second in Pool A. Americans, led by captain Javier Filardi (right), picked up three wins in the

THE TOURNAMENT opening round, seeing off Cameroon, Venezuela and Australia but were
beaten by Serbia and hosts Poland.
FIRST ROUND
The 18th edition of the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship officially got underway on August
30. A total of 24 teams battled it out across seven cities and 103 matches for the title of world
champion. With no debutants, each team was out to deliver their best result. As expected, Poland put
on a show to remember, dazzling spectators with their action and entertainment both on and off the
court.

O L A
PO
As usual, Cameroon provided colour and dance to the show in Poland,
enlightening crowds with contagious energy. The team may have lost all of
their matches, but there was no lack of heart from the African side.

Harrison Peacock sets for one of Australia’s bright young stars

Nehemiah Mote. With two wins in, the world No.13 had already
Hosts Poland began the tournament as bettered their best ever World Championship performance. They ended
they meant to go on with a 3-0 win over the opening round with an edgy 3-2 win over Venezuela, guaranteeing
Serbia in front of a record crowd of 62,000 their passage to Bydgoszcz and Pool E.
at the National Stadium in Warsaw. With the
tone set, they went on the rampage, picking
up five wins from five to power into the Venezuela’s second match of the 1 POLAND

second round. They were also the only team tournament was a 3-1 win over Cameroon 2 SERBIA
to lose just one set in the first round. Veteran with José Carrasco (pictured) scoring four aces
3 ARGENTINA
star Marisuz Wlazły was on fine form with in the process. This included a thrilling third set
nine aces in the round. which eventually went the way of the African 4 AUSTRALIA

side 33-31. It was the joint-highest set score of 5 VENEZUELA

the round (China and Egypt also fought to the
6 CAMEROON
same margin in Pool C).
12 13

Cuba picked up the silver medal at the 2010 World Championship, missing out to 2014 pool
rivals Brazil in the Final. However, it was a much changed team in Poland and they had mixed
results in the opening round, losing their first two matches, then winning the next two before being
downed by the Brazilians to finish fourth in Pool B. Leandro Macias (pictured) was ever present for
the side, playing in every set of the first round.

World No. 1 Brazil travelled to Poland

in search of a record fourth-straight World
Championship crown. Having dominated
the volleyball world over the last eight years,
Bernardinho’s outfit began the tournament in
the right manner, picking up five successive
victories for the first time since 1998 to enter
the second round unbeaten.

POOL B

Despite going into the tournament with

the highest winning percentage of any African
Despite opening with a loss to Brazil, country (21 per cent) Tunisia failed to make
Germany recorded their best ever start to a a mark on the 2014 tournament. They began
World Championship as a unified country. with a 3-1 loss to Korea before being downed
Four wins in a row saw them finish second in by Brazil, Germany, Cuba and Finland. It
Pool B to qualify for the next stage. was the first time since 1982 that they had
lost eight consecutive World Championship
matches.
Korea coach Park Kiwon was a member of the Korean team that finished fourth at the 1978
Mikko Esko (pictured) was one of only World Championship. But his team failed to make it out of the group stages in 2014. The side
four Finland players who were alive the picked up one win over Tunisia in their opening encounter, but went on to lose four matches in a
last time the country competed at a World row for the first time since 1998. 1 BRAZIL

Championship in 1982. The side maintained 2 GERMANY

their record of winning at least three matches
3 FINLAND
at every World Championship they have
attended since 1962 as they disposed of Cuba, 4 CUBA

Korea and Tunisia to finish third in Pool B. 5 KOREA

6 TUNISIA
14 15

Russia libero Artem Ermakov helped out on defence as the only team to feature at every edition of the World Championships since 1949 came China were keen to rebuild with a new
through the first round relatively unscathed despite a tight five-setter against Bulgaria. It was the first time in 28 years Russia had won seven World generation of players ahead of the World
Championship matches in a row. Championship, and began the first round well
with wins over Egypt and Mexico. This was
enough to ensure their place in the second
round but not before suffering three straight
set defeats to Bulgaria, Russia and Canada for
the first time since 1994.

P O O L C Egypt’s Ahmed Abdelhay is frustrated after

his side lose a point. It and it was a World
Championship to forget for the team. They
lost each of their Pool C matches, taking their
losing run to nine matches in the tournament.
Bulgaria finished third in Pool C with They ended with an agonising 3-2 loss to
Teodor Todorov (pictured) scoring 27 points Mexico, the 10th time out of 13 that they
across the round. But the first round did not have lost in five sets.
end well for them as they lost 3-0 to their
Russian counterparts marking the first time in
17 years they lost in straight sets to any team
in the tournament.

Mexico had a torrid opening to their 1 RUSSIA

World Championship losing in straight sets to 2 CANADA

Bulgaria. Life didn’t get any easier for them as
3 BULGARIA
they failed to pick up a win in their first four
Canada were one of the shocks of the first round as they claimed five consecutive wins for the matches. They did manage to salvage a victory 4 CHINA

first time in history to slot into second in Pool C. It broke a 40-year-old record after they won four over Egypt to finish their tournament on a 5 MEXICO
matches at the 1974 edition. Gavin Schmitt (pictured) was top scorer in three of their first round high and end a six-match losing streak.
6 EGYPT
matches.
16 17

France’s Kevin Tillie competed in his first World Championship Three-time winners Italy finished fourth when they hosted the tournament in 2010 so were
and the side came into the competition off the back of a sensational looking to better that result and reach the podium. But they started badly, losing to Iran in their
FIVB Volleyball World League 2014 campaign, which saw them win opener. They could only pick up two more victories to finish fourth in their pool and were dealt a
14 matches and lose just three to finish second in Group 2. They blow when star player Ivan Zaytsev suffered an ankle injury.
maintained their record of winning every one of their opening World
Championship matches since 1990 with a straight-set win over Puerto
Rico before going on to top Pool D.

Belgium last qualified for the World

Championships in 1978. The only member
of their team who was alive at that point
was captain Frank Depestele (pictured) who
would have been one year old. Their sole win
over Puerto Rico in 2014 saw them better

POOL D
their finish from 36 years ago by one place.
However, four losses meant they crashed out
in the first round.

In four of the six editions of the World

Championships since 1990, the winner of
the World League went on to win the World
Championship in the same year: Italy in 1990,
1994, Brazil in 2006 and 2010. USA were
hoping to continue that statistic in 2014 but had
a mixed start, winning one five-setter against
Belgium before being stunned by Iran in their
next match. They eventually finished second in
Pool D. Matt Anderson (pictured left) was key in
attack, connecting well with youngster Erik Shoji.
Despite finishing last in Pool D, Puerto Rico could hold their heads 1 FRANCE

Iran were another surprise package in high after dealing Italy a hammer blow, stunning them in four sets 2 IRAN
the first round. The team saw off volleyball in their penultimate match. It was the first time they had beaten a
3 USA
powerhouses USA with Amir Ghafour European team at the World Championship in 12 attempts, including
(pictured) top scoring with 21 points. They two losses to the Italians. 4 ITALY

then beat Italy, Puerto Rico and Belgium to win 5 BELGIUM

four matches at a single World Championship
6 PUERTO RICO
for the first time since 1970.
18 19

Iran set a new team record of four consecutive wins at the World Championship after they defeated Argentina on day two of the second round.

THE TOURNAMENT It was only the second time the team had beaten a South American country in the tournament. Their last win came against Venezuela in 1970. They
also made history by earning a berth to the third round for the first time thanks to two more victories over Australia and Serbia.
SECOND ROUND
The top four teams from each pool from the first round were split into two groups (Pools E and F) for
the second round played in Łódź, Bydgoszcz, Katowice and Wrocław. Only Poland, Russia and Brazil
remained unbeaten going into the next stage. However, Pools E and F proved much tighter than
anyone expected, with the teams for the third round decided on the final day of the second round.

Even 14 points from Michał Winiarski, one of the sole survivors from
the 2006 and 2010 World Championships, couldn’t stop USA dealing
hosts Poland their first defeat of the tournament in Pool E on the
opening day of the second round in Łódź. However lady luck continued
to smile down on the home side as they survived an epic five-setter
against France to advance to the next stage of the competition. It was
the first time France had lost in six matches and was only their second
defeat of the tournament.

O L E
PO
Mauro Berruto lamented Italy’s
inconsistency as, for the first time since 1986,
the 2014 World League bronze medallists
finished outside the top five with their only
victory in the round coming against Australia.

1 FRANCE

2 POLAND
Earvin Ngapeth (facing) was again on good form for France as he
3 IRAN
and France number 10 Kevin Le Roux (also pictured) combined for 22 If USA’s stunning victory over Poland was
points to help beat Serbia and ensure their passage to the third round. the high point of the round, a first loss in 14 4 USA
Les Bleus advanced for the third time in four World Championship years to Argentina in the tournament, which
5 SERBIA
tournaments, continuing the good form that they had displayed during resulted in their elimination, was surely the
the 2014 World League. However, Serbia would play no further part in lowest. Captain David Lee was unsurprisingly 6 ARGENTINA

the tournament with the defeat meaning they would not progress. disappointed saying his side “stopped being 6 ITALY
focused.”
6 AUSTRALIA
20
Brazil sealed their 100th ever win in the World
Championship by defeating China in straight
sets. They went on to remain unbeaten and
gained revenge over Russia for their loss in the
London 2012 Olympic finals, coming out 3-1
victors to take their streak to 13 matches going
into the third round.
P O O L F
Olympic champions Russia defeated Finland
in straight sets in their opening encounter before
extending their winning streak at the 2014
tournament to eight with triumphs over Cuba
and Germany guaranteeing them a ticket to
Łódź and the Finals.
21
With Germany equalling their winning streak
from 2006, beating Bulgaria for their sixth
victory in a row and Canada also adding to their
own winning tally by defeating Finland, all eyes
were on the Germany v Canada match with the
winner booking their place in the third round.
Despite their best efforts, Canada couldn’t stop
their German counterparts from progressing
and guaranteeing their best finish since being
unified. Despite the loss Canada could take
heart from their best ever performance at the
tournament as they ranked seventh.
While it may not have been the best round for
China, Cuba or Finland, all three could take
away plenty of positives. The Chinese ended
their run of five defeats by seeing off Finland
in five tense sets. Cuba also claimed their first
straight sets win in 11 World Championship
matches at the expense of Bulgaria.
1 BRAZIL
2 RUSSIA
3 GERMANY
4 CANADA
5 FINLAND
6 CUBA
6 BULGARIA
6 CHINA
22 23

Germany recovered quickly from their loss

THE TOURNAMENT to France as they met Iran the following day.

They made light work of their Asian rivals with
THIRD ROUND a 3-0 win to keep their hopes of a place in the
semifinal alive. They also maintained their record
As the third round took off, with the traditional volleyball superpowers making way for teams such
of never having played a five-setter at the 2014
as Iran, who reached this stage for the first time in their history, only two matches separated the six edition of the tournament as Marcus Böhme
countries from a semifinal berth. (pictured) contributed two blocks).

France and Germany opened proceedings in Pool G in Katowice with France taking the bragging rights by defeating their European rivals 3-0 and
claiming a win for the first time since 1966. France’s Ngapeth was again in fine form, registering 20 points including three aces.

PO O L G

Germany watched with interest as Iran met

France in the final match of Pool G. However,
the Germans breathed a sigh of relief as France
forced Iran to a tie-break before narrowly
winning and consigning Iran to a fifth-place
playoff with Russia.

1 FRANCE

2 GERMANY

3 IRAN
24 25

Hosts Poland had the difficult task of facing Brazil bounced back from their marathon
unbeaten Brazil in their first match of the third five-set match against hosts Poland to record a
round in a repeat of the 2006 Final. They etched straight sets win over arch rivals Russia and book
out a thrilling five set win with the partisan their place in the semifinals. Ricardo Lucarelli
home crowd edging them on, ending Brazil’s topped the scoring charts with 15 points
13-match winning streak in the tournament. including one ace.

POOL H

Poland recovered from their five-setter against

Brazil and immediately went on the prowl in
their crucial clash with Russia to become the
first team to win four successive five-set matches
and set a date with Germany in an all-European
semifinal. Russia failed to make the semifinals
however, despite 13 points from Russia number
9 Alexey Spiridonov .

1 POLAND

2 BRAZIL

3 RUSSIA
26 27

THE TOURNAMENT
FINAL ROUND
Following 16 days of competition the tournament culminated with the Finals in Katowice. With four
teams in contention, the atmosphere in the Spodek Arena reached fever pitch across two days of
fascinating competition and top volleyball action.

5TH PLACE
PLAYOFF
Poland sent the home crowd into a frenzy
as they took four sets to down European
neighbours Germany and setup a dream
match-up with Brazil in the Final. A repeat
Russia dug deep to finish the tournament of the 2006 Final, Poland were desperate to
well, claiming their 100th ever straight sets make amends for their loss in Japan in 2006.
win in the fifth-place playoff against Iran.
Despite their defeat, Iran celebrated a strong
showing with their best ever placing of sixth.

I N A L S
SE M I F 3RD PLACE
PLAYOFF
Following the previous day’s
Brazil broke French hearts in the first disappointment, both France and Germany
semifinal of the day, denying Laurent Tille’s hoped to take some solace with a bronze
troops a place in the Finals for the first time in medal finish. France may have had the
their history. psychological edge going into the match
having beaten their European rivals earlier in
the tournament but it mattered for nothing as
Germany routed them in straight sets.
28 29

e n t
rnam
L
To u
The
F IN A

Katowice provided nail-biting volleyball drama from start to
finish in a Final that could have gone either way. Brazil’s dreams
of winning four successive crowns slowly slipped away as they
were unable to deal with a second set rally from the hosts.
The tension was palpable and as Mariusz Wlazły spiked home the
match point the crowd erupted. It was a World Championship
40 years in the making, made even more electric in front of
some of the most emphatic and passionate of home fans the
tournament had ever seen.
The passion inside the arena was amplified by the 15,000 fans
watching in the fan zone on big screens outside the hall. A fitting
finish and a one-of-a-kind tribute to the sport of volleyball.
30 31

FIRST ROUND SECOND ROUND THIRD ROUND FINAL ROUND

POOL A
Points Won Lost

1 POLAND15 5 0

2 SERBIA12 4 1

3 ARGENTINA9 3 2

4 AUSTRALIA5 2 3

5 VENEZUELA4 1 4
POOL E
6 CAMEROON0 0 5 Points Won Lost

1 FRANCE17 5 2
POOL B
2 POLAND16 6 1
Points Won Lost
3 IRAN15 5 2
1 BRAZIL14 5 0

2 GERMANY12 4 1
4 USA14 4 3 SEMIFINALS
POOL G
3 FINLAND8 3 2 5 SERBIA9 3 4 BRAZIL POLAND
Points Won Lost

4 CUBA6 2 3 6 ARGENTINA8 3 4 1 FRANCE5 2 0 FRANCE GERMANY

5 KOREA4 1 4 7 ITALY5 2 5 2 GERMANY3 1 1

FINAL
6 TUNISIA1 0 5 8 AUSTRALIA0 0 7 3 IRAN1 0 2
1 POLAND

POOL C POOL F POOL H 2 BRAZIL

Points Won Lost Points Won Lost Points Won Lost

1 RUSSIA14 5 0 1 BRAZIL21 7 0 1 POLAND4 2 0

3RD PLACE PLAYOFF 5TH PLACE PLAYOFF
2 CANADA11 4 1 2 RUSSIA17 6 1 2 BRAZIL4 1 1
3 GERMANY 5 RUSSIA
3 BULGARIA10 3 2 3 GERMANY15 5 2 3 RUSSIA1 0 2
4 FRANCE 6 IRAN
4 CHINA6 2 3 4 CANADA10 4 3

5 MEXICO2 1 4 5 FINLAND6 2 5

6 EGYPT2 0 5 6 CUBA6 1 6

7 BULGARIA5 1 6
POOL D
Points Won Lost 8 CHINA4 2 5

1 FRANCE12 4 1

2 IRAN11 4 1

3 USA9 3 2

4 ITALY5 2 3

5 BELGIUM5 1 4

6 PUERTO RICO 3 1 4
32 33

FINAL RANKING

1 POLAND 7 CANADA 13 BULGARIA 17 MEXICO

2 BRAZIL 7 USA 13 ITALY 17 VENEZUELA

3 GERMANY 9 FINLAND 15 AUSTRALIA 21 CAMEROON

4 FRANCE 9 SERBIA 15 CHINA 21 EGYPT

5 RUSSIA 11 ARGENTINA 17 BELGIUM 21 PUERTO RICO

6 IRAN 11 CUBA 17 KOREA 21 TUNISIA

34 35

MEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP DREAM TEAM MEDAL SHOWCASE

Year Host 1st 2nd 3rd

2014 Katowice (POL) Poland Brazil Germany

2010 Rome (ITA) Brazil Cuba Serbia

2006 Tokyo (JPN) Brazil Poland Bulgaria

BEST OPPOSITE SECOND BEST SECOND BEST
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER MIDDLE BLOCKER OUTSIDE SPIKER
MARIUSZ KAROL MURILO 2002 Buenos Aires (ARG) Brazil Russia France

WLAZŁY KŁOS ENDRES

1998 Tokyo (JPN) Italy Yugoslavia Cuba
10 7 8

1994 Athens (GRE) Italy The Netherlands USA

MVP AWARD CROWNS
WLAZŁY’S PERSISTENCE
More on page 42 1990 Rio de Janeiro (BRA) Italy Cuba USSR

1986 Paris (FRA) USA USSR Bulgaria

1982 Buenos Aires (ARG) USSR Brazil Argentina

BEST BEST OUTSIDE

LIBERO SPIKER 1978 Rome (ITA) USSR Italy Cuba

JENIA RICARDO
GREBENNIKOV LUCARELLI 1974 Mexico City (MEX) Poland USSR Japan

2 10
1970 Sofia (BUL) East Germany Bulgaria Japan

1966 Prague (TCH) Czechoslovakia Romania USSR

1962 Moscow (URS) USSR Czechoslovakia Romania

1960 Rio de Janeiro (BRA) USSR Czechoslovakia Romania

BEST MIDDLE BEST 1956 Paris (FRA) Czechoslovakia Romania USSR

BLOCKER SETTER
MARCUS LUKAS 1952 Moscow (URS) USSR Czechoslovakia Bulgaria
BÖHME KAMPA
8 1949 Prague (TCH) USSR Czechoslovakia Bulgaria
11
36 37

BEST PERFORMANCES 8 Seyed Mousavi (IRI) Iran v .Puerto Rico September 7, 2014

TOP SCORER BY DAY 8 Lucas Saatkamp (BRA) Brazil v. Poland September 21, 2014

Points Player Match Date 7 Seyed Mousavi (IRI) Iran v. France September 4, 2014

24 Taylor Sander (USA) United States v Belgium August 31, 2014 7 Felix Chapman (CUB) Cuba v. Korea September 5, 2014

31 Zhi Yuan (CHN) China v Egypt September 1, 2014 7 Seyed Mousavi (IRI) Iran v. Argentina September 11, 2014

27 Antonin Rouzier (FRA) France v Italy September 2, 2014 7 Karol Kłos (POL) Poland v. Brazil September 16, 2014

30 Zhi Yuan (CHN) China v Mexico September 3, 2014

20 Nikola Kovacevic (SRB) Serbia v. Australia September 4, 2014

TOP SERVING PERFORMANCES
Points Player Match Date
20 Jiri Kovar (ITA) Italy v Belgium September 4, 2014
8 György Grozer (GER) Germany v. Bulgaria September 11, 2014
20 Daniel Vargas (MEX) Mexico v Russia September 5, 2014
6 Zhi Yuan (CHN) China v. Mexico September 3, 2014
27 Maurice Torres (PUR) Puerto Rico v Italy September 6, 2014
6 Ricardo Lucarelli (BRA) Brazil v. Finland September 5, 2014
25 Thomas Edgar (AUS) Australia v Venezuela September 7, 2014
6 Kervin Piñerua (VEN) Venezuela v. Australia September 7, 2014
23 Taylor Sander (USA) United States v Poland September 10, 2014
6 Dimitriy Muserskiy (RUS) Russia v. Bulgaria September 7, 2014
25 Mariusz Wlazły (POL) Poland v Italy September 11, 2014
6 Facundo Conte (ARG) Argentina v. Italy September 13, 2014
28 Mariusz Wlazły (POL) Poland v Iran September 13, 2014

30 Amir Ghafour (IRI) Iran v Serbia September 14, 2014

TOP TEAM BLOCKING PERFORMANCES TOP TEAM SERVING PERFORMANCES
31 Mariusz Wlazły (POL) Poland v Brazil September 16, 2014
Points Match Date Points Match Date
23 György Grozer (POL) Germany v Iran September 17, 2014
18 Bulgaria v. Egypt September 6, 2014 17 Russia v. Bulgaria September 7, 2014
28 Mariusz Wlazły (POL) Poland v Russia September 18, 2014
16 Korea v. Tunisia September 1, 2014 12 Germany v. Bulgaria September 11, 2014
22 Ricardo Lucarelli (BRA) Brazil v France September 20, 2014
16 Italy v. Belgium September 4, 2014 11 Venezuela v. Cameroon September 2, 2014
22 Mariusz Wlazły (POL) Poland v Germany September 20, 2014
16 Iran v. Belgium September 6, 2014 11 Brazil v. China September 11, 2014
22 Mateusz Mika (POL) Poland v Brazil September 21, 2014
16 Iran v. Puerto Rico September 7, 2014 11 Argentina v. Italy September 13, 2014

TOP SCORING PERFORMANCES HIGHEST SCORING SETS

Points Player Match Date Pts Match Date Pts Match Date

31 Zhi Yuan (CHN) China v Egypt September 1, 2014 33-31 China v. Egypt (4th Set) September 1, 2014 31-29 United States v. Serbia (2nd Set) September 11, 2014

31 Mariusz Wlazły (POL) Poland v Brazil September 16, 2014 33-31 Cameroon v. Venezuela (3rd Set) September 2, 2014 30-28 Argentina v. Italy (3rd Set) September 13, 2014

30 Zhi Yuan (CHN) China v Mexico September 3, 2014 32-30 Australia v. France (3rd Set) September 11, 2014 30-28 Cuba v. Bulgaria (3rd Set) September 13, 2014

30 Amir Ghafour (IRI) Iran v Serbia September 14, 2014

28 Mariusz Wlazły (POL) Poland v Iran September 13, 2014 HIGHEST SCORING MATCHES
Points Match Date
28 Mariusz Wlazły (POL) Poland v Russia September 18, 2014
217 China d. Finland 3-2 (22-25, 25-22, 25-23, 20-25, 16-14) September 13, 2014
27 Antonin Rouzier (FRA) France v Italy September 2, 2014
217 Argentina d. United States 3-2 (19-25, 28-26, 25-20, 23-25, 15-11) September 14, 2014
27 Maurice Torres (PUR) Puerto Rico v Italy September 6, 2014
216 Finland d. Cuba 3-2 (18-25, 21-25, 27-25, 25-23, 15-12) September 1, 2014

TOP BLOCKING PERFORMANCES 216 Bulgaria d. Egypt 3-2 (25-22, 26-24, 23-25, 20-25, 15-11) September 6, 2014

Points Player Match Date 214 Australia d. Venezuela 3-2 (25-20, 23-25, 21-25, 25-16, 15-9) September 7, 2014

8 Seyed Mousavi (IRI) Iran v. Italy August 31, 2014 213 Brazil d. France 3-2 (25-18, 23-25, 25-23, 22-25, 15-12) September 20, 2014
38 39

MATCH RESULTS September 6, 2014 Pool A Wrocław 13:10 ARG-AUS 3-0 (25-18, 25-19, 25-18)

FIRST ROUND September 6, 2014 Pool B Katowice 13:10 CUB-TUN 3-2 (16-25, 25-20, 25-23, 20-25, 15-13)

September 6, 2014 Pool C Gdańsk 13:10 BUL-EGY 3-2 (25-22, 26-24, 23-25, 20-25, 15-11)
Date Pool Host City Time Teams Score
September 6, 2014 Pool D Kraków 13:10 USA-FRA 1-3 (25-19, 17-25, 15-25, 21-25)
August 30, 2014 Pool A Warsaw 20:15 POL-SRB 3-0 (25-19, 25-18, 25-18)
September 6, 2014 Pool A Wrocław 16:40 VEN-SRB 0-3 (20-25, 17-25, 22-25)
August 31, 2014 Pool D Kraków 13:10 ITA-IRI 1-3 (16-25, 25-23, 21-25, 22-25)
September 6, 2014 Pool B Katowice 16:40 FIN-GER 1-3 (20-25, 25-19, 24-26, 19-25)
August 31, 2014 Pool A Wrocław 16:40 VEN-ARG 0-3 (23-25, 17-25, 19-25)
September 6, 2014 Pool C Gdańsk 16:40 MEX-CAN 0-3 (17-25, 18-25, 19-25)
August 31, 2014 Pool D Kraków 16:40 BEL-USA 2-3 (21-25, 25-17, 16-25, 25-21, 11-15)
September 6, 2014 Pool D Kraków 16:40 BEL-IRI 1-3 (23-25, 15-25, 25-21, 20-25)
August 31, 2014 Pool A Wrocław 20:25 CAM-AUS 0-3 (22-25, 15-25, 18-25)
September 6, 2014 Pool A Wrocław 20:25 CAM-POL 1-3 (27-25, 23-25, 16-25, 22-25)
August 31, 2014 Pool D Kraków 20:25 PUR-FRA 0-3 (23-25, 22-25, 24-26)
September 6, 2014 Pool B Katowice 20:25 KOR-BRA 2-3 (25-21, 13-25, 21-25, 25-17, 13-15)
September 1, 2014 Pool B Katowice 13:10 BRA-GER 3-0 (25-21, 25-19, 25-17)
September 6, 2014 Pool C Gdańsk 20:25 CHN-RUS 0-3 (22-25, 11-25, 21-25)
September 1, 2014 Pool C Gdańsk 13:10 RUS-CAN 3-0 (25-21, 25-19, 25-21)
September 6, 2014 Pool D Kraków 20:25 PUR-ITA 3-1 (19-25, 25-19, 25-23, 25-22)
September 1, 2014 Pool B Katowice 16:40 FIN-CUB 3-2 (18-25, 21-25, 27-25, 25-23, 15-12)
September 7, 2014 Pool A Wrocław 13:10 AUS-VEN 3-2 (25-20, 23-25, 21-25, 25-16, 15-9)
September 1, 2014 Pool C Gdańsk 16:40 MEX-BUL 0-3 (16-25, 17-25, 21-25)
September 7, 2014 Pool B Katowice 13:10 TUN-FIN 0-3 (18-25, 14-25, 20-25)
September 1, 2014 Pool B Katowice 20:25 KOR-TUN 3-1 (24-26, 26-24, 25-21, 25-18)
September 7, 2014 Pool C Gdańsk 13:10 EGY-MEX 2-3 (25-16, 20-25, 21-25, 25-21, 10-15)
September 1, 2014 Pool C Gdańsk 20:25 CHN-EGY 3-1 (25-20, 25-20, 23-25, 33-31)
September 7, 2014 Pool D Kraków 13:10 FRA-BEL 3-2 (25-14, 21-25, 25-20, 22-25, 15-12)
September 2, 2014 Pool A Wrocław 13:10 ARG-SRB 1-3 (17-25, 25-20, 21-25, 21-25)
September 7, 2014 Pool A Wrocław 16:40 POL-ARG 3-0 (25-20, 25-20, 25-23)
September 2, 2014 Pool D Kraków 13:10 USA-IRI 2-3 (23-25, 19-25, 25-19, 25-18, 15-17)
September 7, 2014 Pool B Katowice 16:40 GER-KOR 3-0 (25-13, 25-16, 21-21)
September 2, 2014 Pool A Wrocław 16:40 VEN-CAM 3-1 (25-22, 25-21, 31-33, 25-15)
September 7, 2014 Pool C Gdańsk 16:40 CAN-CHN 3-0 (26-24, 27-25, 25-17)
September 2, 2014 Pool D Kraków 16:40 BEL-PUR 3-0 (25-19, 25-17, 25-20)
September 7, 2014 Pool D Kraków 16:40 IRI-PUR 3-0 (25-17, 25-22, 25-14)
September 2, 2014 Pool A Wrocław 20:25 AUS-POL 0-3 (17-25, 19-25, 22-25)
September 7, 2014 Pool A Wrocław 20:25 SRB-CAM 3-1 (25-21, 24-26, 29-27, 25-17)
September 2, 2014 Pool D Kraków 20:25 FRA-ITA 2-3 (25-20, 23-20, 23-25, 13-25, 12-15)
September 7, 2014 Pool B Katowice 20:25 BRA-CUB 3-1 (22-25, 25-23, 25-18, 25-17)
September 3, 2014 Pool B Katowice 13:10 CUB-GER 0-3 (16-25, 21-25, 19-25)
September 7, 2014 Pool C Gdańsk 20:25 RUS-BUL 3-2 (20-25, 23-25, 25-20, 25-23, 15-11)
September 3, 2014 Pool C Gdańsk 13:10 BUL-CAN 2-3 (25-17, 17-25, 25-20, 24-26, 8-15)
September 7, 2014 Pool D Kraków 20:25 ITA-USA 1-3 (18-25, 20-25, 25-23, 17-25)
September 3, 2014 Pool B Katowice 16:40 FIN-KOR 3-0 (25-22, 26-24, 25-15)
September 8, 2014 Rest day
September 3, 2014 Pool C Gdańsk 16:40 MEX-CHN 1-3 (25-20, 19-25, 20-25, 20-25)
Sepetmber 9, 2014 Rest day
September 3, 2014 Pool B Katowice 20:25 TUN-BRA 0-3 (18-25, 10-25, 17-25)

September 3, 2014 Pool C Gdańsk 20:25 EGY-RUS 0-3 (22-25, 15-25, 15-25)

September 4, 2014 Pool A Wrocław 13:10 CAM-ARG 0-3 (17-25, 18-25, 23-25)
SECOND ROUND
September 4, 2014 Pool D Kraków 13:10 PUR-USA 0-3 (15-25, 8-25, 20-25) Date Pool Host City Time Teams Score

September 4, 2014 Pool A Wrocław 16:40 SRB-AUS 3-1 (25-23, 25-22, 22-25, 25-17) September 10, 2014 Pool E Bydgoszcz 16:40 ARG-FRA 1-3 (25-21, 17-25, 27-29, 18-25)

September 4, 2014 Pool D Kraków 16:40 IRI-FRA 1-3 (18-25, 25-14, 19-25, 27-29) September 10, 2014 Pool F Katowice 16:40 BRA-BUL 3-0 (25-15, 25-21, 25-21)

September 4, 2014 Pool A Wrocław 20:25 POL-VEN 3-0 (25-20, 25-13, 25-14) September 10, 2014 Pool F Wrocław 16:40 FIN-RUS 0-3 (10-25, 18-25, 16-25)

September 4, 2014 Pool D Kraków 20:25 ITA-BEL 3-1 (26-28, 25-15, 25-16, 28-26) September 10, 2014 Pool E Łódź 16:40 SRB-ITA 3-0 (25-19, 29-27, 25-22)

September 5, 2014 Pool B Katowice 13:10 KOR-CUB 1-3 (21-25, 25-23, 14-25, 22-25) September 10, 2014 Pool E Łódź 20:25 POL-USA 1-3 (27-29, 22-25, 27-25, 23-25)

September 5, 2014 Pool C Gdańsk 13:10 CHN-BUL 0-3 (23-25, 23-25, 19-25) September 10, 2014 Pool E Bydgoszcz 20:25 AUS-IRI 1-3 (23-25, 21-25, 25-21, 17-25)

September 5, 2014 Pool B Katowice 16:40 GER-TUN 3-1 (25-13, 25-29, 21-25, 25-12) September 10, 2014 Pool F Katowice 20:25 GER-CHN 3-0 (25-19, 25-22, 25-17)

September 5, 2014 Pool C Gdańsk 16:40 CAN-EGY 3-0 (27-14, 25-19, 25-22) September 10, 2014 Pool F Wrocław 20:25 CUB-CAN 2-3 (27-25, 18-25, 25-23, 11-25, 13-15)

September 5, 2014 Pool B Katowice 20:25 BRA-FIN 3-0 (27-25, 25-21, 26-24) September 11, 2014 Pool E Bydgoszcz 16:40 ARG-IRI 0-3 (15-25, 23-25, 16-25)

September 5, 2014 Pool C Gdańsk 20:25 RUS-MEX 3-1 (21-25, 25-20, 25-14, 25-17) September 11, 2014 Pool F Katowice 16:40 BRA-CHN 3-0 (25-14, 25-23, 25-18)
40 41

September 11, 2014 Pool F Wrocław 16:40 FIN-CAN 0-3 (25-27, 25-27 STATISTICS BY ROUND
September 11, 2014 Pool E Łódź 16:40 SRB-USA 1-3 (25-23, 29-31, 17-25, 21-25)

September 11, 2014 Pool E Łódź 20:25 POL-ITA 3-1 (19-25, 25-18, 25-20, 26-24) Rk Name Team Spike Block Serve Total

FIRST ROUND
1 Antonin Rouzier FRA 91 2 4 97

Best scorers
September 11, 2014 Pool E Bydgoszcz 20:25 AUS-FRA 1-3 (22-25, 18-25, 32-30, 17-25)
2 Kervin Pinerua VEN 77 7 8 92
September 11, 2014 Pool F Katowice 20:25 GER-BUL 3-1 (25-16, 25-15, 23-25, 25-17) 3 Zhi Yuan CHN 74 2 14 90
September 11, 2014 Pool F Wrocław 20:25 CUB-RUS 1-3 (18-25, 25-23, 15-25, 19-25) 4 Taylor Sander Taylor USA 73 10 4 87

September 12, 2014 Rest Day 5 Javier Ernesto Jimenez Scull CUB 75 3 7 85
6 Thomas Edgar AUS 71 9 4 84
September 13, 2014 Pool E Bydgoszcz 16:40 ARG-ITA 3-1 (17-25, 25-21, 30-28, 25-21)
7 Matthew Anderson USA 71 5 6 82
September 13, 2014 Pool F Katowice 16:40 BRA-CAN 3-0 (25-19, 25-23, 29-27) 7 Ivan Zaytsev ITA 70 7 5 82
September 13, 2014 Pool F Wrocław 16:40 FIN-CHN 2-3 (25-22, 22-25, 23-25, 25-20, 14-16) 9 Jean Patrice Ndaki Mboulet CMR 67 5 3 75
10 Nathan Wounembaina CMR 55 11 6 72
September 13, 2014 Pool E Łódź 16:40 SRB-FRA 1-3 (27-25, 23-25, 23-25, 20-25)

September 13, 2014 Pool E Łódź 20:25 POL-IRI 3-2 (25-17, 25-16, 24-26, 19-25, 16-14) Rk Name Team Spikes Faults Shots Total Attempts Succ. %
September 13, 2014 Pool E Bydgoszcz 20:25 AUS-USA 0-3 (15-25, 19-25, 20-25) 1 Nicholas Hoag CAN 35 6 18 59 59.32

Best spikers
2 Gavin Schmitt CAN 41 9 22 72 56.94
September 13, 2014 Pool F Katowice 20:25 GER-RUS 0-3 (17-25, 18-25, 24-26)
3 Kevin Tillie FRA 50 16 22 88 56.82
September 13, 2014 Pool F Wrocław 20:25 CUB-BUL 3-0 (25-23, 25-18, 30-28)
4 Kwang-In Jeon KOR 44 14 20 78 56.41
September 14, 2014 Pool E Bydgoszcz 16:40 ARG-USA 3-2 (19-25, 28-26, 25-20, 23-25, 15-11) 5 Michał Winiarski POL 39 11 20 70 55.71
September 14, 2014 Pool F Katowice 16:40 BRA-RUS 3-1 (25-21, 24-26, 25-19, 25-19) 6 Denys Kaliberda GER 52 12 30 94 55.32
7 Kervin Pinerua VEN 77 29 34 140 55.00
September 14, 2014 Pool F Wrocław 16:40 FIN-BUL 3-0 (25-18, 25-21, 25-18)
8 Zhi Yuan CHN 74 18 51 143 51.75
September 14, 2014 Pool E Łódź 16:40 SRB-IRI 1-3 (25-27, 25-22, 22-25, 18-25)
9 Todor Aleksiev BUL 44 15 27 86 51.16
September 14, 2014 Pool E Łódź 20:25 POL-FRA 3-2 (25-18, 21-25, 25-23, 22-25, 15-12) 10 Jean Patrice Ndaki Mboulet CMR 67 30 34 131 51.15
September 14, 2014 Pool E Bydgoszcz 20:25 AUS-ITA 1-3 (23-25, 14-25, 25-21, 18-25)
Rk Name Team Kill Blocks Faults Rebounds Total Attempts Avg. by set %
September 14, 2014 Pool F Katowice 20:25 GER-CAN 3-0 (28-26, 25-22, 25-23) 1 Mohammad Mousavi Eraghi Seyed IRI 30 45 34 109 1.50

Best blockers
September 14, 2014 Pool F Wrocław 20:25 CUB-CHN 2-3 (25-19, 20-25, 25-18, 20-25, 11-15) 2 Maxwell Holt USA 19 49 47 115 0.90

September 15, 2014 Rest Day 3 Marcus Böhme GER 15 49 18 82 0.88

4 Xin Geng CHN 14 28 19 61 0.82
5 David Fiel Rodriguez CUB 16 70 24 110 0.76
THIRD ROUND 6 Dmitriy Muserskiy RUS 13 19 16 48 0.72
7 Aidan Zingel AUS 13 55 22 90 0.72
Date Pool Host City Time Teams Score 8 Emanule Birarelli ITA 15 49 27 91 0.71
September 16 Pool G Katowice 20:25 FRA-GER 3-0 (25-15, 26-24, 25-22) 9 Mannix Roman PUR 11 38 27 76 0.69

September 16 Pool H Łódź 20:25 POL-BRA 3-2 (25-22, 22-25, 14-25, 25-18, 17-15) 10 Justin Duff CAN 11 18 16 45 0.65

September 17 Pool G Katowice 20:25 GER-IRI 3-0 (25-15, 25-21, 25-19) Rk Name Team Aces Faults Serve hits Total attempts Avg. by set
September 17 Pool H Łódź 20:25 BRA-RUS 3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 25-21) 1 Dmitriy Muserskiy RUS 16 13 36 65 0.89

Best servers
2 Zhi Yuan CHN 14 13 49 76 0.82
September 18 Pool G Katowice 20:25 FRA-IRI 3-2 (25-20, 25-23, 22-25, 19-25, 15-9)
3 Santos Lucarelli BRA 11 7 29 47 0.76
September 18 Pool H Łódź 20:25 POL-RUS 3-2 (25-22, 25-22, 21-25, 22-25, 15-11)
4 Mariusz Wlazły POL 9 18 32 59 0.56
September 20 5th place playoff Łódź 13:40 IRI-RUS 0-3 (19-25, 21-25, 18-25) 5 Kevin Le Roux FRA 10 9 53 72 0.48
September 20 Semifinals Katowice 16:40 FRA-BRA 2-3 (18-25, 25-23, 23-25, 25-22, 12-15) 6 György Grozer GER 8 18 34 60 0.47
7 Nikolay Pavlov RUS 8 4 45 57 0.44
September 20 Semifinals Katowice 20:25 GER-POL 1-3 (24-26, 26-28, 25-23, 21-25)
8 Kervin Pinerua VEN 8 19 37 64 0.44
September 21 Bronze medal match Katowice 16:40 FRA-GER 0-3 (21-25, 24-26, 23-25)
9 Jianjun Cui CHN 7 11 29 47 0.41
September 21 Final Katowice 20:25 BRA-POL 1-3 (25-18, 22-25, 23-25, 22-25) 10 Rolando Cepeda Abreu CUB 8 14 65 87 0.38
42 43

Rk Name Team Digs Faults Receptions Total attempts Avg. by set Rk Name Team Spikes Faults Shots Total Attempts Succ. %
FIRST ROUND

1 Jenia Grebennikov FRA 98 23 6 127 4.67 1 Denys Kaliberda GER 89 20 51 160 55.63
Best diggers

Best spikers
2 Bert Derkoningen BEL 95 33 24 152 4.52 2 Gavin Schmitt CAN 90 22 53 165 54.55
3 V. Farhad Zarif Ahangaran IRI 90 27 13 130 4.50 3 Urpo Sivula FIN 64 20 35 119 53.78
4 Dennis L Del Valle PUR 69 21 18 108 4.31 4 Antonin Rouzier FRA 153 53 86 292 52.40
5 Keibel L Gutierrez Torna CUB 88 9 4 101 4.19 5 Ricardo Lucarelli Santos De Souza BRA 74 23 46 143 51.75
6 Sebastian Closter ARG 65 8 5 78 4.06 6 Mariusz Wlazły POL 115 34 80 229 50.22
7 Anouer Taouerghi TUN 72 7 5 84 3.79 7 Nikolay Pavlov RUS 60 14 48 122 49.18
8 Erik Shoji USA 79 14 16 109 3.76 8 Taylor Sander USA 128 34 100 262 48.85
9 Luke Perry AUS 64 10 14 88 3.56 9 Michał Winiarski POL 65 26 43 134 48.51
10 Paweł Zatorski POL 52 9 6 67 3.25 10 Thomas Edgar AUS 122 50 81 253 48.22

Running
Rk Name Team Faults Still Sets Total Attempts Avg. by set Rk Name Team Kill Blocks Faults Rebounds Total Attempts Avg. by set %
Sets
1 Mir Saeid S Marouflakrani IRI 203 2 193 398 10.15 1 Mohammad Mousavi Eraghi Seyed IRI 49 82 48 179 1.36

Best blockers
Best setters

2 José Carrasco VEN 164 5 145 314 9.11 2 Dmitriy Muserskiy RUS 26 54 42 122 0.81
3 Frank Depestele BEL 190 5 256 451 9.05 3 Aidan Zingel AUS 25 76 42 143 0.76
4 Micah Christenson USA 184 2 215 401 8.76 4 Simone Buti ITA 26 51 86 163 0.72
5 Paweł Zagumny POL 133 2 79 214 8.31 5 Maxwell Holt USA 26 80 65 171 0.70
6 Nicolas Uriarte ARG 127 3 83 213 7.94 6 Marcus Böhme GER 21 87 29 137 0.70
7 Leandro Macias Infante CUB 153 1 244 398 7.29 7 Emanuele Birarelli ITA 22 74 37 133 0.61
8 Lukas Kampa GER 123 3 164 290 7.24 7 Srecko Lisinac SRB 20 89 31 140 0.61
9 Nikola Jovovic SRB 127 2 139 268 7.06 7 Marko Podrascanin SRB 20 90 27 137 0.61
10 Ahmed Awal Mbutngam CMR 126 5 169 300 7.00 10 Nikolay Apalikov RUS 19 45 20 84 0.59

Rk Name Team Excellents Faults Serve Receptions Total Attempts Eff. %

Rk Name Team Aces Faults Serve hits Total attempts Avg. by set
1 Farhad Ghaemi IRI 78 4 40 122 60.66
Best receivers

1 Dmitriy Muserskiy RUS 24 31 63 118 0.75

Best servers
2 Murilo Endres BRA 56 2 42 100 54.00
2 György Grozer GER 20 36 58 114 0.67
3 Sam Deroo BEL 66 2 52 120 53.33
3 Ricardo Lucarelli Santos De Souza BRA 19 19 61 99 0.61
4 Ahangaran Zarif IRI 56 7 31 94 52.13
4 Zhi Yuan CHN 17 21 74 112 0.52
5 Jianjun Cui CHN 55 7 32 94 51.06
5 Facundo Conte ARG 14 21 94 129 0.44
6 Mario Da Silva Pedreira Junior BRA 42 1 38 81 50.62
6 Nikolay Pavlov RUS 12 9 79 100 0.38
7 Javier Filardi ARG 54 2 50 106 49.06
6 Maxwell Holt USA 14 38 107 159 0.38
8 Jiri Kovar ITA 76 9 58 143 46.85
6 Mariusz Wlazły POL 13 39 69 121 0.38
9 Sebastien Closter ARG 46 5 37 88 46.59
9 Kevin Le Roux FRA 14 22 90 126 0.37
10 Denys Kaliberda GER 60 4 59 123 45.53
10 Farhad Ghaemi IRI 13 19 103 135 0.36

Rk Name Team Spike Block Serve Total Rk Name Team Digs Faults Receptions Total attempts Avg. by set
SECOND ROUND

1 Antonin Rouzier FRA 153 5 8 166 1 Keibel Gutierrez Torna CUB 182 21 15 218 4.79

Best diggers
Best scorers

2 Taylor Sander USA 128 17 9 154 2 Jenia Grebennikov FRA 153 27 25 205 4.03
3 Matthew Anderson USA 134 9 10 153 3 Daniel Lewis CAN 123 18 25 166 3.97
4 Thomas Edgar AUS 122 11 8 141 4 V. Farhad Zarif Ahangaran IRI 140 33 17 190 3.89
5 Mariusz Wlazły POL 115 10 13 138 5 Pawel Zatorski POL 123 15 12 150 3.62
6 Aleksandar Atanasijevic SRB 119 9 4 132 6 Lauri Kerminen FIN 115 24 7 146 3.59
7 Amir Ghafour IRI 108 17 4 129 7 Erik Shoji USA 124 26 28 178 3.35
7 Javier Ernesto Jimenez Scull CUB 115 4 10 129 8 Luke Perry AUS 108 17 26 151 3.27
9 Earvin Ngapeth FRA 108 10 10 128 9 Teodor Salparov BUL 105 17 19 141 3.09
10 Facundo Conte ARG 103 10 14 127 10 Sebastián Closter ARG 93 13 10 116 2.91
44 45

Running Rk Name Team Kill Blocks Faults Rebounds Total Attempts Avg. by set %
Rk Name Team Faults Still Sets Total Attempts Avg. by set
Sets
SECOND ROUND

1 Mohammad Mousavi Eraghi Seyed IRI 52 95 53 200 1.18

Best blockers
1 Mir Saeid Marouflakrani IRI 347 5 384 736 9.64
Best setters

2 Dmitriy Muserskiy RUS 32 65 52 149 0.80

2 Nikola Jovovic SRB 273 4 325 602 8.27
3 Marcus Böhme GER 26 104 39 169 0.72
3 Lukas Kampa GER 244 6 272 522 8.13
4 Karol Kłos POL 24 68 33 125 0.55
4 Micah Christenson USA 296 3 435 734 8.00
5 Sidnei Dos Santos Jr. BRA 21 75 44 140 0.54
5 Andrey Zhekov BUL 250 4 431 685 7.35
6 Nikolay Apalikov RUS 19 47 20 86 0.48
6 Leandro Macias Infante CUB 269 4 429 702 7.08
7 Nicolas Le Goff FRA 21 82 46 149 0.46
6 Benjamin Toniutti FRA 269 7 423 699 7.08
8 Dmitriy Ilinykh RUS 17 33 22 72 0.43
8 Paweł Zagumny POL 234 4 180 418 6.88
9 Lukas Kampa GER 15 39 27 81 0.42
9 Luciano De Cecco ARG 196 3 219 418 6.13
10 Amir Ghafour IRI 18 42 33 93 0.41
10 Bruno MossaRezende BRA 187 1 166 354 6.03

Rk Name Team Excellents Faults Serve Receptions Total Attempts Eff. % Rk Name Team Aces Faults Serve hits Total attempts Avg. by set
1 Murilo Endres BRA 96 5 74 175 52.00 1 György Grozer GER 24 43 76 143 0.67

Best servers
Best receivers

2 Michał Kubiak POL 89 5 72 166 50.60 2 Dmitriy Muserskiy RUS 25 43 76 144 0.63
3 Farhad Ghaemi IRI 143 11 109 263 50.19 3 Ricardo Lucarelli Santos De Souza BRA 20 28 78 126 0.51

4 Mario Da Silva Pedreira Junior BRA 88 4 76 168 50.00 4 Nikolay Pavlov RUS 15 11 114 140 0.38
5 V. Farhad Zarif Ahangaran IRI 96 11 67 174 48.85 5 Mariusz Wlazły POL 16 50 92 158 0.36
6 Javier Filardi ARG 96 9 75 180 48.33 6 Farhad Ghaemi IRI 15 22 113 150 0.34
7 Denys Kaliberda GER 115 5 113 233 47.21 7 Kevin Le Roux FRA 15 27 108 150 0.33
8 Luke Perry AUS 98 15 70 183 45.36 8 Earvin Ngapeth FRA 13 36 108 157 0.28
9 Nikolay Penchev BUL 124 15 115 254 42.91 9 Lucas Saatkamp BRA 10 34 74 118 0.26
10 Jiri Kovar ITA 118 17 108 243 41.56 10 Denys Kaliberda GER 9 20 74 103 0.25

Rk Name Team Digs Faults Receptions Total attempts Avg. by set

Rk Name Team Spike Block Serve Total
1 Jenia Grebennikov FRA 177 40 42 259 3.85

Best diggers
1 Mariusz Wlazły POL 170 11 16 197
Best scorers

V. Farhad Zarif Ahangaran

THIRD ROUND

2 IRI 164 36 28 228 3.73

2 Antonin Rouzier FRA 174 5 8 187
3 Pawel Zatorski POL 144 20 30 194 3.27
3 György Grozer GER 122 14 24 160
4 Lukas Kampa GER 84 10 20 114 2.33
4 Earvin Ngapeth FRA 132 11 13 156
5 Earvin Ngapeth FRA 99 23 27 149 2.15
5 Dmitriy Muserskiy RUS 88 32 25 145
6 Farhad Ghaemi IRI 94 19 13 126 2.14
6 Amir Ghafour IRI 120 18 4 142
7 Denys Kaliberda GER 73 11 18 102 2.03
7 Ricardo Lucarelli Santos De Souza BRA 100 13 20 133
8 Ferdinand Tille GER 73 12 4 89 2.03
8 Dmitriy Ilinykh RUS 100 17 10 127
9 Mir Saeid Marouflakrani IRI 88 18 25 131 2.00
9 Denys Kaliberda GER 103 9 9 121
10 Felipe Lourenço Silva BRA 77 14 10 101 1.97
9 Mohammad Mousavi Eraghi Seyed IRI 68 52 1 121

Running
Rk Name Team Faults Still Sets Total Attempts Avg. by set
Rk Name Team Spikes Faults Shots Total Attempts Succ. % Sets
1 Mariusz Wlazły POL 170 42 103 315 53.97 1 Lukas Kampa GER 315 7 324 646 8.75
Best spikers

Best setters
2 Denys Kaliberda GER 103 26 66 195 52.82 2 Mir Saeid Marouflakrani IRI 383 5 419 807 8.70
3 Antonin Rouzier FRA 174 62 96 332 52.41 3 Benjamin Toniutti FRA 307 7 470 784 6.67
4 Ricardo Lucarelli Santos De Souza BRA 100 29 63 192 52.08 4 Bruno Mossa Rezende BRA 234 2 251 487 6.00
5 György Grozer GER 122 36 91 249 49.00 5 Sergey Grankin RUS 238 6 369 613 5.95
6 Earvin Ngapeth FRA 132 53 87 272 48.53 6 Paweł Zagumny POL 251 5 190 446 5.70
7 Alexey Spiridonov RUS 70 27 48 145 48.28 7 Fabian Drzyzga POL 217 4 214 435 4.93
8 Dmitriy Ilinykh RUS 100 31 82 213 46.95 8 Raphael Vieira De Oliveira BRA 115 - 153 268 2.95
9 Nikolay Pavlov RUS 83 23 72 178 46.63 9 Yoann Jaumel FRA 84 5 118 207 1.83
10 Kubiak POL 76 28 59 163 46.63 10 Mehdi Mahdavi IRI 67 1 78 146 1.52
46 47

Rk Name Team Excellents Faults Serve Receptions Total Attempts Eff. % Rk Name Team Aces Faults Serve hits Total attempts Avg. by set
THIRD ROUND

1 Murilo Endres BRA 107 5 82 194 52.58 1 György Grozer GER 26 52 88 166 0.60

Best servers
Best receivers

2 Mario Da Silva Pedreira Junior BRA 114 5 97 216 50.46 2 Ricardo Lucarelli Santos De Souza BRA 20 34 105 159 0.42
3 Farhad Ghaemi IRI 163 13 124 300 50.00 3 Mariusz Wlazły POL 20 54 118 192 0.38

4 Michał Kubiak POL 128 9 102 239 49.79 4 Earvin Ngapeth FRA 19 47 126 192 0.35
5 V. Farhad Zarif Ahangaran IRI 120 15 84 219 47.95 5 Kevin Le Roux FRA 16 35 133 184 0.30
6 Denys Kaliberda GER 138 7 134 279 46.95 6 Denys Kaliberda GER 12 26 96 134 0.28
7 Earvin Ngapeth FRA 130 13 152 295 39.66 7 Luiz Felipe Marques Fonteles BRA 10 27 63 100 0.21
8 Alexey Spiridonov RUS 58 10 98 166 28.92 8 Lucas Saatkamp BRA 10 40 100 150 0.21
9 Nikolay Penchev BUL 124 15 115 254 42.91 9 Michał Winiarski POL 10 29 88 127 0.19
10 Jiri Kovar ITA 118 17 108 243 41.56 10 Wallace De Souza BRA 9 21 76 106 0.19

Rk Name Team Spike Block Serve Total

Rk Name Team Digs Faults Receptions Total attempts Avg. by set
FINALS

1 Mariusz Wlazły POL 199 14 20 233

Best scorers

1 Jenia Grebennikov FRA 197 48 53 298 3.65

Best diggers
2 Antonin Rouzier FRA 189 7 8 204
2 Pawel Zatorski POL 160 27 48 235 3.08
3 György Grozer GER 151 16 26 193
3 Lukas Kampa GER 96 14 33 143 2.23
4 Earvin Ngapeth FRA 157 12 19 188
4 Earvin Ngapeth FRA 108 30 40 178 2.00
5 Ricardo Lucarelli Santos De Souza BRA 136 17 20 173
5 Markus Steuerwald GER 84 8 37 129 1.95
6 Denys Kaliberda GER 129 11 12 152
6 Denys Kaliberda GER 82 14 31 127 1.91
7 Lucas Saatkamp BRA 103 26 10 139
7 Felipe Lourenço Silva BRA 84 13 17 114 1.75
8 Wallace De Souza BRA 105 15 9 129
8 Murilo Endres BRA 79 12 30 121 1.65
9 Mateusz Mika POL 114 9 6 129
9 Benjamin Toniutti FRA 83 22 43 148 1.54
10 Kevin Tillie FRA 110 3 3 116
10 Ferdinand Tille GER 64 11 3 78 1.49

Rk Name Team Spikes Faults Shots Total Attempts Succ. %

1 Ricardo Lucarelli Santos De Souza BRA 136 44 79 259 52.51
Best spikers

Running
2 Denys Kaliberda GER 129 35 83 247 52.23 Rk Name Team Faults Still Sets Total Attempts Avg. by set
Sets
3 Mariusz Wlazły POL 199 56 127 382 52.09 1 Lukas Kampa GER 381 9 424 814 8.86

Best setters
4 Antonin Rouzier FRA 189 74 104 367 51.50 2 Benjamin Toniutti FRA 373 7 547 927 6.91
5 György Grozer GER 151 43 116 310 48.71 3 Bruno Mossa Rezende BRA 311 2 336 649 6.48
6 Mateusz Mika POL 114 44 80 238 47.90 4 Paweł Zagumny POL 279 6 213 498 5.37
7 Earvin Ngapeth FRA 157 61 110 328 47.87 5 Fabian Drzyzga POL 278 4 274 556 5.35
8 Wallace De Souza BRA 105 32 89 226 46.46 6 Raphael Vieira De Oliveira BRA 130 0 162 292 2.71
7 Yoann Jaumel FRA 86 6 134 226 1.59
8 Sebastian Kühner GER 28 0 30 58 0.65
Rk Name Team Kill Blocks Faults Rebounds Total Attempts Avg. by set % 9 Michał Winiarski POL 2 0 4 6 0.04
1 Marcus Böhme GER 27 122 52 201 0.63 10 Mateusz Mika POL 2 0 2 4 0.04
Best blockers

2 Karol Kłos POL 30 90 47 167 0.57

3 Lucas Saatkamp BRA 26 110 52 188 0.54
4 Sidnei Dos Santos Jr. BRA 25 96 60 181 0.52
5 Nicolas Le Goff FRA 25 97 61 183 0.46 Rk Name Team Excellents Faults Serve Receptions Total Attempts Eff. %
6 Kevin Le Roux FRA 24 106 39 169 0.44 1 Murilo Endres BRA 128 8 104 240 50.00

Best receivers
7 Piotr Nowakowski POL 23 106 54 183 0.44 2 Michał Kubiak POL 136 9 113 258 49.22
8 György Grozer GER 16 38 21 75 0.37 3 Denys Kaliberda GER 159 14 159 332 43.67
9 Ricardo Lucarelli Santos De Souza BRA 17 43 25 85 0.35 4 Earvin Ngapeth FRA 165 15 190 370 40.54
10 Lukas Kampa GER 15 50 33 98 0.35 5 Ricardo Lucarelli Santos De Souza BRA 42 16 87 145 17.93
48 49

WHAT THEY SAID

POLAND 2014 IN QUOTES

“ We have made history. I kept

“ I think that we are not really having tears in my eyes. ”
conscious of what we have done
Germany’s top scorer György Grozer
and achieved. We don’t really wells up after helping his side to bronze.
know what is going on here. ” bronze.
. .
Poland’s Marcin Mozdzonek tries to
get his head round becoming a world
champion.

“ I am so angry my players

were not motivated to play
hard to get at least fifth place.
Of course, sixth place overall “ We have a little reason to
is a fantastic result, that is 13 smile in the end. We played
positions better compared to far from our potential in the
four years ago, but we had the entire tournament. We have
possibility to go further. ” played very far from our level, “ We wanted to play this match as if it was any other match. The
even tonight. ” guys showed a lot of character and spirit and they all played as a
Iran coach Slobodan Kovac is left
rueful after his side lost to Russia in the
team. ”
A 3-1 win over Australia isn’t
fifth-place play-off. enough to cheer up Italy coach
Poland coach Stephane Antiga heaps praise on his charges.
Mauro Berruto after they exited
the tournament.
50
TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION
With the latest technology and fan social engagement, volleyball seems
to be at the peak of its time, both online and in-venue. A record 62,000
fans attended the FIVB Men’s World Championship Poland 2014
opening match in Warsaw and the FIVB Volleyball Facebook fan page
also reached a milestone with 200,000 likes.
New social engagement tools at tournaments and online have given
fans new opportunities to support their favourite volleyball teams. The
FIVB aims to provide fans on social media an exclusive and inside look at
the world of volleyball. Each social media platform gives fans a unique
perspective on the sport, while encouraging them to share their own
volleyball experiences. With a focus on fans, the FIVB is well on its way
to achieving its mission to be the official commentator on FIVB events:
forming relationships with fans and engaging an audience to bring the
spectacular sports of beach volleyball and volleyball to the world, while
preserving high standards that will maintain and grow both disciplines
into the world’s premier sports and entertainment properties.
poland2014.fivb.org
THE BEST ANALYSIS EVERY STEP OF THE WAY
The tournament was also the first time the FIVB used Match
Text Commentary to provide fans and the media a blow by blow
account of all the action on the court. Each match was covered
by the FIVB’s on-site commentators who added insight and
statistics through their commentary. For those wanting a full
view of the day’s news and scores there was the live commentary
stream, bringing together the most important points from each
city both on and off the court.
In-depth statistics were also provided with the daily preview and
review analysis. These were also transformed into eye-catching
infographics highlighting the most interesting statistics on
teams and players.
SOCIAL
WALL
The FIVB launched the innovative Social Wall at the start
of the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship, giving
fans the chance to give their thoughts on the tournament
live on the Poland 2014 website. Using the hashtag
#FIVBMensWCH supporters from all over the world were
given the opportunity to interact with each other
through Facebook and Twitter.
FAN ZONE
TWEET
FOR YOUR TEAM
Supporters were encouraged to be proud and get loud
during the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship Poland
2014 and Tweet for your Team. Fans could show their
support by tweeting for their team using #TEAM_____
during matches throughout the tournament. Fans with
the loudest fans and most loyal supporters during the
event were showcased on the Tweet for your
Team hub.
51
360˚ PANORAMIC
PHOTOS
A spectacular high resolution photograph of Warsaw’s
National Stadium for fans to tag and share with friends via
email, Facebook or Twitter also formed part of the Poland
2014 experience. Fans from every area of the stadium could
identify and tag themselves, and share the image with
friends via email, Facebook or Twitter. The image is a
lasting record of a memorable event and of the
passion of volleyball fans in Poland.
JOIN
THE CONVERSATION
Thousands of people took the chance to Join the
Conversation throughout the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World
Championship Poland 2014.
They had their say on matches, results, teams, players
and news from the tournament with fans around the
world on social media using #FIVBMensWCH.
FIVB VOLLEYBALL APP
The official FIVB Volleyball App was launched for all
iPhone and iPad users during the FIVB Volleyball Men’s
World Championship.
The new version of the app allowed fans to stay up-to-date
with all the action from the tournament, offering access
to the match schedule, teams and player profiles, live
scores, statistics and breaking news. They could also
check out the Social Wall in the Fan Zone.
52 53

SOCIAL MEDIA
The FIVB Men’s World Championship Poland 2014 will go down in history as one of the most social events of the International
Volleyball Federation, as a record number of fans flocked to social media platforms during the month-long tournament.

Hosts Poland, whose team won the
18th edition of the championship, were
tuned into every match. The official
hashtag of the event #FIVBMensWCH, as
well as the team hashtag #TeamPoland
were trending regularly throughout the
tournament as fans voiced their support.
Fans joined in the #FIVBMensWCH
conversation, sharing selfies, views from
the venue, fan art, and more, which were
displayed on the new FIVB Men’s World
Championship Social Wall.
As the tournament neared the gold-
medal match, fans in Katowice had
one last time to view the FIVB Trophy
before it was handed to the FIVB Men’s
World Championship winning team.
Their photos were featured on the FIVB
Facebook page and dedicated albums on
Flickr.
While it was Katowice that hosted the
FIVB Men’s World Championship Finals,
seven other Polish cities also hosted
matches throughout the tournament.
Fans following the FIVB on Pinterest were
able to learn more about the host cities,
through photos of the beautiful cityscapes
and historic landmarks.
The FIVB’s social media channels also
provided an opportunity for fans around
the world to share in some of the lighter
moments of the tournament.
The FIVB Volleyball Men’s World
Championship Poland 2014 was a record-
breaking event on many fronts, and it is
only the beginning of what’s to come for
men’s volleyball.

TWEET FOR YOUR TEAM

#TEAMBRAZIL
VS
#TEAMPOLAND
252 people like this
Vote Vote
#TEAMBRAZIL #TEAMPOLAND
And to highlight the some of the creativity
from around the court. This is Poland = This is volleyball #BestFansEver
#congatulations #TeamPoland #FIVBMensWCH

#TeamPoland GOLD!! 25-22 in the 4th

set against #TeamBrazil

18% 82%
75 people like this

97 people like this

54
MVP AWARD CROWNS WLAZŁY’S PERSISTENCE
With the benefit of hindsight, the importance
of Mariusz Wlazły’s return from injury ahead of
the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship
Poland 2014 is clear. His contribution to his
team’s World Championship success was
recognised when he received the Best Opposite
and Most Valuable Player awards from the
hands of FIVB President Dr. Ary S. Graça F°.
As the top scorer in the tournament with 233
points, Wlazły was a key component of the
Poland team that jumped the many hurdles on
the way to winning the World Championship
and defeating defending world champions
Brazil in the competition’s Final. Former Polish
player Paweł Papke’s saying that “Whoever
has Wlazły – wins” rings even more true
after Poland’s victorious campaign. Wlazły
had already helped Poland to silver medals in
2006, when his team lost out to Brazil in the
Final in Tokyo, Japan, but this time his team
went one step further to claim a second World
Championship title, following the competition
Poland won in 1976.
Mariusz Wlazły was born on August 4, 1983
in Wielun, Poland. International honours came
early when Wlazły won the 2003 Men’s U21
World Championship, which was hosted by Iran.
He joined PGE Skra Belchatow in the same year,
winning eight Polish PlusLiga golds with the club
since, and made his senior national team debut
two years later.
Before the huge success at this year’s FIVB
Men’s World Championship, his best moment
with the national team came in 2006, during
the World Championship in Japan. Poland
finished the tournament with the silver medal
and Wlazły was one of three candidates for the
tournament’s MVP title. In 2006, he lost out to
Brazilian star Giba, just like his team lost to the
Canarinhos in the final match 3-0. Things were
different in September 2014 when Wlazły led the
55
White-Reds to victory over Brazil 3-1 and took
the tournament’s MVP and Best Opposite titles.
Between 2011 and 2014, Wlazły was often
absent from the national team through injury, but
when newly-appointed coach Stephane Antiga
came calling ahead of the World Championship
in Poland, he was eager to demonstrate that he
was still one of the best players in the world.
In his everyday life, Wlazły is passionate about
three things: his family (he and his wife, Paulina -
also a former volleyball player - have a 5-year-old
son, Arkadiusz), charity work and photography.
Some friends call him “Szampon” (“Shampoo”),
because allegedly during a training camp with his
first club WKS Wielun, as a challenge, he drank
some shampoo.
On the court, however, Wlazły is recognised for
one thing in particular. His attacking skills. It is
something Poland will miss as Wlazly takes time
off from the national team.
56 57

HOW IT BEGAN
QUALIFICATION PROCESS
AFRICA (CAVB) - THREE VACANCIES

Tournament Dates (country) Qualified team

African World Championship Qualification 3rd round (winner Pool U) February 6-10, 2014 (Nairobi, Kenya) EGYPT European World Championship Qualification 3rd round (winner Pool K) January 3-5, 2014 (Ludwigsberg, Germany) GERMANY

African World Championship Qualification 3rd round (winner Pool T) February 13-17, 2014 (Yaoundé, Cameroon) CAMEROON European World Championship Qualification 3rd round (winner Pool L) January 3-5, 2014 (Paris, France) BELGIUM

African World Championship Qualification 3rd round (winner Pool V) March 3-7, 2014 (Tunis, Tunisia) TUNISIA European World Championship Qualification 3rd round (winner Pool M) January 3-5, 2014 (Poprad, Slovakia) FINLAND

European World Championship Qualification 3rd round

January 3-5, 2014 (Paris, France) FRANCE
(second best placed team overall)

ASIA (AVC) - FOUR VACANCIES

Tournament Dates (country) Qualified team NORTH, CENTRAL AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN (NORCECA) - FIVE VACANCIES

Asian World Championship Qualification 3rd round (winner Pool D) September 5-8, 2013 (Komaki, Japan) KOREA Tournament Dates (country) Qualified team

Asian World Championship Qualification 3rd round (winner Pool A) September 6-8, 2013 (Canberra, Australia) AUSTRALIA NORCECA World Championship Qualification 3rd round (winner Pool P) May 21-24, 2014 (Havana, Cuba) CUBA

Asian World Championship Qualification 3rd round (winner Pool B) September 11-13, 2013 (Tehran, Iran) IRAN NORCECA World Championship Qualification 3rd round (winner Pool O) May 15-18, 2014 (Colorado Springs, USA) USA

Asian World Championship Qualification 3rd round (winner Pool C) September 20-22, 2013 (Chenzhou, China) CHINA NORCECA World Championship Qualification 3rd round (winner Pool Q) May 16-19, 2014 (Mississauga, Canada) CANADA

NORCECA World Championship Qualification 3rd round (winner Pool R) May 22-25, 2014 (Ponce, Puerto Rico) MEXICO

EUROPE (CEV) - EIGHT VACANCIES FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship Poland 2014 NORCECA playoff (winner) July 17-20, 2014 (Carolina, Puerto Rico) PUERTO RICO

Tournament Dates (country) Qualified team

Hosts POLAND
SOUTH AMERICA (CSV) - THREE VACANCIES

Tournament Dates (country) Qualified team

2013 Men’s Volleyball European Championship (winner) September 20-29, 2013 (Denmark & Poland) RUSSIA

South American Continental Championship (winner) August 6-10, 2013 (Peru) BRAZIL
2013 Men’s Volleyball European Championship (runner-up) September 20-29, 2013 (Denmark & Poland) ITALY

South American Continental Championship (runner-up) August 6-10, 2013 (Peru) ARGENTINA
European World Championship Qualification 3rd round (winner Pool I) January 3-5, 2014 (Opava, Czech Republic) BULGARIA

South America Qualification Tournament for the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World
European World Championship Qualification 3rd round (winner Pool J) January 3-5, 2014 (Nis, Serbia) SERBIA September 13-15, 2013 (Envigado, Colombia) VENEZUELA
Championship Poland 2014 (winner)
58
HOW IT BEGAN
THE DRAWING OF LOTS
Back in January all the eyes of the volleyball
world were on the Palace of Culture and Science
in Warsaw as the Drawing of Lots for the FIVB
Volleyball Men’s World Championship Poland
2014 took place to determine which of the
world’s 24 top teams would be paired together.
There was a wide range of famous faces
from the world of volleyball and beyond for a
spectacular event that set the tone for what was
to come later in the year. Over one and a half
hours, the 16 teams that had already qualified
for the World Championship and the eight who
were hoping to join them from the NORCECA
and CAVB qualifiers held their collective breath
and waited.
After the opening speeches by FIVB and Polish
volleyball dignitaries and performances by local
musicians and pop stars, the serious business
of the draw began, led by FIVB President Dr.
Ary S. Graça F° and Poland’s Minister of Sport
and Tourism, Andrzej Biernat.
On hand to help them were three volleyball
legends - Tomasz Wojtowicz, a member of
Poland’s 1974 World Championship winning
side, Italy’s Lorenzo Bernardi, the volleyball
player of the century and Vladimir Grbic,
Vice-President of the Volleyball Federation
of Serbia and an Olympic gold-medallist with
Yugoslavia in Sydney 2000.
It began with the drawing of 24 countries
in four pools for the first round of the
tournament, which took place in Katowice,
Łód´z, Wrocław, Gda´nsk, Bydgoszcz and
Kraków. The tournament featured three
59
teams from South America, four from Asia,
nine (including the hosts) from Europe, three
from Africa and five from the North, Central
America and Caribbean, with $200,000 on
offer to the winners, $125,000 for silver and
$75,000 to the bronze medal winners.
The 24 teams were spread across four pools
of six teams playing in a round-robin system,
from which the top four teams advanced
to a second round of preliminary matches
featuring two pools of eight teams playing in
four cities.
The top three teams from each second round
pool qualified for the third round, where the
six teams were split into two pools, from which
the top two teams from each pool advanced
to the semifinals and medal matches.
60 61

THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY

A trophy can help symbolise a competition and celebrate the prestige The trophy was designed especially for Poland 2014 with the conceptual
of being at the pinnacle of sporting greatness. With that in mind, the design for the trophy provided by Marco Heer of ‘Achtung!’ a creative
FIVB commissioned a new trophy for the FIVB Volleyball Mens’ World agency known internationally for their work in brand development who
Championship Poland 2014 to present to the eventual victors. has worked closely with the FIVB for a number of years.

Having been sent on its way

The coming together of an
open minded sports federation,
two contemporary product
designers and highly skilled
production specialists made it
possible to create something
truly extraordinary for the
FIVB Volleyball Men’s World
Championship Poland 2014.
Rising from a solid base
with the names of previous
champions, the trophy
consists of 12 individual
pieces – for the 12 players on
the court and the 12 players
in each squad – that create
a round space near the top
representing both the ball
and the world.
The shape is designed
to show the speed and
elegance of volleyball as
well as the sport’s values of
purity, performance, power,
precision and teamwork.
There’s a graduation of colour
from nickel at the bottom to
the ultimate prize of gold at
the top.
from Belgrade by former
Serbia internationals Vladimir
Grbic, Andrija Geric, Djula
Mester, Djorde Djuric, Veljko
Petkovic, Zeljko Tanaskovic
and Slobodan Boskan, the
trophy arrived in Katowice
to mark the start of its
voyage around Poland. In the end, it was destined
to stay in Poland as captain
Before Polish captain Michał Michał Winiarski made
Winiarski was able to lift the From there it was taken to history following the Final
trophy high above his head to Wrocław, Kraków, Bydgoszcz, Łódź to become the first player
the delight of Polish fans, the and Gdańsk before continuing to lift the brand new World
trophy and its Women’s World its journey throughout the Championship trophy.
Championship counterpart tournament, until Winiarski took it
were taken around the world into his grasp and sent Poland into
to build excitement before rapturous delight.
the two tournaments.
It meant that thousands of
volleyball fans around the world
were able to see the trophy
before the biggest volleyball
event of the year.
The trophy made stops in
multiple cities, around Italy,
Brazil, USA, France and Serbia
before arriving in Poland in June
to mark the final countdown to
the World Championship.
62
HISTORY OF THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
Brazil Brazil
Poland ended the FIVB Volleyball Men’s
World Championship victorious in front of
their home fans, concluding one of the most
successful editions of the tournament since
its inception. VolleyWorld reviews the results
from the previous 17 tournaments.
2010
Brazil wrapped up a hat-trick of World
Championship titles with a win over Cuba
in the Final. They did not have a smooth
ride to their fourth gold overall as they lost
to Cuba and Bulgaria in the preliminary
round, but they recovered to beat hosts
Italy in the semifinals and Cuba in their
rematch. Dante, Rodrigão, and Giba
collected their third set of winner’s medals,
while Serbia defeated Italy to win bronze.
2006
Brazil made their first successful defence of
their world title, but again began slowly by
losing to France in the preliminary round.
2004
2003
2002
2001
Brazil
They recovered to beat surprise finalists
Poland 3-0, the second time the east
Europeans had reached a Final. Bronze
went to Bulgaria and their star attacker
Matey Kazyiski, who defeated Serbia and
Montenegro 3-1.
2002
Brazil didn’t have to go far to win their
first World Championship, over the border
in Argentina. They defeated Russia in a
thrilling Final that went to a tie-break in
which Nalbert was top scorer with 23
points. France eventually went on to win
bronze. For Argentina, a country going
through economic hardship at the time,
the tournament was a roaring success with
over 330,000 fans attending matches at
the six arenas around the country.
1998
All eyes were on Italy, as they sought a
third consecutive crown and the chance
to make history as the first team to win
five titles. They duly accomplished their
task with a win over Yugoslavia, which
meant Andrea Giani, Andrea Gardini,
Ferdinando De Giorgi and Marco Bracci
became the first four of seven players to
win three World Championship titles in a
2000
1999
1998
1997
Italy
row. Cuba won bronze, their third World
Championship medal, while Spain’s Rafael
Pascual claimed the Most Valuable Player
and Best Scorer awards.
1994
There were new faces in the form of Russia
and a newly unified Germany, but the
same victors in Italy.
The tournament was held in Greece for
the first time and Lorenzo Bernardi’s Italy
team recovered from an early loss to Japan
to defeat the Netherlands in the Final,
while USA beat Cuba in the bronze medal
match.
1990
Italy won their first Men’s
Championship with a 3-1 victory over
Cuba in the Final. The Azzurri had
previously won gold at the European
1996
1995
1994
1993
1992
1991
Italy
Championship and finished runners-up
at the 1989 FIVB Volleyball World Cup,
The Italian team’s flexible game plan
took time to get going, but when it did
the likes of Andrea Luchetta, Lorenzo
Bernardi and Andrea Giani shone
brightly. They broke the hearts of hosts
Brazil in the semifinals and then beat
Cuba in the Final. The Soviet Union
claimed bronze in their final appearance
in the tournament before its break up.
1986
USA completed their sweep of the major
volleyball titles that started with the Los
Angeles 1984 Olympic Games gold and
1985 FIVB World Cup title in France and
in doing so they became the first team
from outside eastern Europe to win the
World Championship. Charles ‘Karch’
World Kiraly was the USA’s star player and his
victorious duel with the Soviet Union’s
Alexander Savin was key to their 3-1 win.
USA’s victory came at the height of the
63
1990
1989
1988
1987
1986
1985
1984
1983
1982
1981
Italy USA USSR
Cold War and soon after each country 1978
had boycotted one another’s hosting of
the Olympic Games in 1980 and 1984.
Bronze went to Bulgaria, who beat Brazil
3-0, a rematch of a preliminary round
match that the South Americans won.
1982 The Soviet Union claimed their fifth World
Championship in Rome, but it was hosts
Italy who made the biggest impression
between September 20 and October 1,
as they emerged as a major power in the
sport in front of enthusiastic home crowds.
After impressing in their run to the Final,
they were unable to complete their dream
run when the Soviet Union claimed their
first gold in 16 years with a 3-1 victory. In
the bronze medal match Cuba beat Korea
for their first World Championship medal.
The Soviet Union won the last of their
six world titles in Argentina with a win
over Brazil in the Final. For Brazil the
result marked their breakthrough in the 1974
world of volleyball and thousands of fans
crossed the border to cheer them on
against the Soviet Union in Buenos Aires,
while stars such as playmaker William da
Silva and the attacking duo of Bernardo
Rajzman and Renan de Zotto became
household names in Brazil. The hosts also
enjoyed their best World Championship
result when they rode a tide of emotion
to the bronze medal under the astute Poland became the fourth eastern
coaching of Korean Sohn Young-Wan. European country to win the World
64
1980
1979
1978
1977
1976
1975
USSR
Championship when they defeated the
Soviet Union in the final in Mexico City. It
was a surprise win for Poland, who two
years earlier had finished ninth in the Munich
1972 Olympic Games. The tournament
didn’t feature a Final, rather a six-team final
round and in the final match Poland beat
Olympic champions Japan 3-1 to claim the
title, which had they lost the match, would
have gone to the Soviet Union. It also
meant that the Soviet Union finished with
silver, while Japan claimed bronze.
1970
The German Democratic Republic (GDR)
were surprise world champions after a
dramatic finish against host nation Bulgaria
in the final match of the eight-team final
round. Having already lost to Japan they
needed to beat the previously undefeated
Bulgaria to triumph and after trailing early,
Siegfried Schneider secured the victory
with a block on their fourth match point.
It meant that the GDR triumphed in the
closest fashion, winning on sets won,
1974
1973
1972
1971
Poland German Democratic Republic
trumping Bulgaria’s 20 set wins and seven
losses by with their 20 wins, six losses..
Japan meanwhile won the bronze. The key
to the East Germans’ success was good
technique and the athleticism of the team,
which had already caught the eye when
they won the World Cup in 1969 and which
was embodied by the likes of Schneider,
Arno Schulz and Rudi Schumann, who was
named tournament MVP.
1966
Czechoslovakia won their second World
Championship and in doing so delighted
their legion of fans.
They emerged from the final round with
six wins from seven, inspired by the likes of
the two-metre tall Pavel Schenk and captain
Bohumil Golian. Silver went to Romania,
whose hopes of winning the title were
dashed by a shock 3-2 defeat to Poland in a
match which lasted 200 minutes, while the
Soviet Union claimed bronze.
1970
1969
1968
1967
1966
1965
Czechoslovakia
1962
The decision to include volleyball in the
programme for the Tokyo 1964 Olympic
Games meant the World Championship
was brought forward two years. One thing
that didn’t change were the champions
after the Soviet Union won their fourth
World Championship title in front of
their own fans in Moscow. Once again
eastern European countries carved up
the medals and it was the same three
teams who reached the same three places
on the podium as two years previously.
Czechoslovakia won silver, the fifth time
in five tournaments that they reached the
podium and Romania won bronze again.
1960
For the first time the Men’s World
Championship was hosted outside Europe
as Brazil took on the task of organising the
1964
1963
1962
1961
USSR
tournament. The Soviet Union reclaimed
the world title after missing out four years
previously with 11 victories from 11. Their
team featured a number of star names,
notably playmaker Gerogy Mondzolevski,
spiker Ivans Bugajenkovs, Yuri Chesnokov
and Yuriy Poyarkov. They defeated
defending champions Czechoslovakia
3-0 in the decisive match, while Romania
finished third for bronze.
1956
Czechoslovakia stopped the Soviet Union
from winning three successive titles in
a tournament that featured a number
of firsts on and off the court. For the
first time the World Championship was
played indoors and the number of teams
participating in the event also increased
dramatically, with Brazil, USA, China and
1960
1959
1958
1957
1956
1955
1954
USSR Czechoslovakia
South Korea joining for the first time.
Czechoslovakia won nine matches from
nine to claim their maiden title, Romania
won silver and the Soviet Union left France
the the bronze.
1952
The Soviet Union won their second title
in front of their home fans in Moscow
in a tournament in which over 250,000
fans took in the action. Matches were
still played outdoors and over 50,000
flocked to Dynamo Stadium for the final
matches. Sergey Nefedov, Mikhail Pimenov,
Konstantin Reva, Vladimir Shagin and Alexey
Yakushev were the Soviet stars as the team
ended the tournament with eight victories,
having won 24 sets and losing none.
65
1953
1952
1951
1950
1949
USSR USSR
In a repeat of the Final three years earlier,
they swept aside arch-rivals Czechoslovakia
3-0. Bronze went to Bulgaria, resulting in
an identical podium to that at the very first
World Championship.
1949
Two years after the FIVB was founded
in Paris, the first World Championship
took place, in Prague. They were humble
beginnings as 10 European teams played
each other outdoors on a converted
tennis court. The Soviet Union emerged
triumphant from a tournament that
featured a total of 30 matches and was
dominated by eastern European teams.
Czechoslovakia won silver and while they
were cheered on by thousands of fans,
they were unable to repeat their win from
1948 when they won the first European
Championships in Rome. Bulgaria took the
bronze, followed by Poland and Romania.
66 67

ANALYSIS
ANDREA ZORZI

Former Italian star Andrea

Zorzi shared his thoughts on
a memorable tournament.

In many ways, the World Championship was
completely unpredictable.
Poland played wonderfully and their performance
was unpredictable. Brazil were favourites and
but were not consistent had. They have a good
attitude but they aren’t as talented as past
Brazilian teams.
We knew Poland were a good team but they
always struggled with pressure. After winning
the opening match something changed. I
was impressed with coach Antiga who has
immediately succeeded in coaching.
France were great to watch. They showed us that
defence is just as important as attack and can win
you games.
Andrea Zorzi is a former Italian
volleyball star who won two Men’s
World Championship crowns
(1990 and 1994) as well as three
World League titles from 1990-
1992. He has collaborated with a
number of Italian TV networks and
newspapers as a journalist.

France’s Earvin Ngapeth and Poland’s Mateusz

Mika were two standout players. Ngapeth is
a complete player and Mika played his part at
important moments.

As for Russia, they usually play in a focused

manner but they were less determined this time.
Being physically talented isn’t enough without
the right frame of mind.

Italy either dominated a match and won or

struggled when they had to fight. You can’t beat
everyone unless you are ready to fight.

USA needed a spiker to replace Rooney and

although they changed a lot they were still quite
consistent.

The atmosphere in Poland was unbelievable and

they love volleyball more than any country in the
world. It was a great opportunity for me to be at
the World Championshipsme to be at the World
Championships.
68
FINAL WORD
The FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship
Poland 2014 was an enthralling, exhilarating
and outstanding tournament and has now set
a new benchmark for FIVB tournaments going
forward.
The competition delivered on all fronts, from
entertainment off the court to the thrilling action
on it. There were many great stories told across
the three weeks of action; a title 40 years in the
making for Poland, the runs of both France and
Germany which culminated in an epic bronze Thank you all once again
medal match, Canada recording their best ever for what was the best
finish. Poland 2014 had everything. Men’s World Championship
in volleyball history!
However the biggest stars of the show were
the fans who descended on Poland in huge
numbers. It goes without saying that the home Dr. Ary S. Graça F°
supporters are some of the liveliest, loudest and FIVB President
most dedicated ever and it was on the back of
their passion that Poland has been unofficially
re-christened “Volleyland.”