Membership
B.J. Hoeptner Evans
Manager, Media Relations and Publications
Phone: (719) 228-6800
E-Mail: bj.evans@usav.org
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (April 21, 2010) – Fenerbahce, the Turkish team of Gabe Gardner (San Clemente, Calif.), won the league playoffs on Saturday with a 25-20, 25-13, 24-26, 25-19 victory over Ziraat Bankasi.
Gardner had 13 points on 13 kills for Fenerbahce in the final match. His kill percentage was 0.42.
It is the second year in a row that a team with a U.S. player won the Turkish title. Last year, Istanbul Buyuksehir Belediye with Ryan Millar (Alpine, Utah) and Scott Touzinsky (St. Louis, Mo.) won the championship.
Spain
Unicaja Almeria, the Spanish league team of U.S. players Matt Denmark (Edmond, Okla.) and David Smith (Saugus, Calif.), has advanced to the playoff finals after defeating Tarragona SPiSP in three straight semifinal matches.
In the third semifinal match on April 16, Smith scored nine points on seven kills and two blocks. His kill percentage was 0.50. Denmark scored five points on three kills, one block and one ace. His kill percentage was also 0.50.
Unicaja Almeria will play CAI Voleibol Teruel in the finals, which begin on Friday.
France
Poitiers, the French League team of Paul Lotman (Lakewood, Calif.), has advanced to the semifinals of the playoffs after winning its quarterfinal matches over Beauvais Oise.
In the second quarterfinal match on Saturday, Poitiers defeated Beauvais Oise, 3-2 (25-21, 26-28, 23-25, 25-22, 15-8. Lotman led Poitiers with 19 points on 14 kills, four blocks and one ace. His kill percentage was 0.44.
Poitiers will play Tours, which won the regular season league title, in the best-of-three semifinals that begin on April 24.
Trivia
- Who was the leading blocker of the 2009 FIVB World League final round (if you go by blocks per set, which is how the final award is determined)?
Southern California Scrimmages
The U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team is holding two intersquad scrimmages in Southern California in May.
On May 15, the team will scrimmage at 7:30 p.m. at JSerra Catholic High School, 26351 Junipero Serra Road in San Juan Capistrano.
On May 21, the team will scrimmage at 7:30 p.m. at the Walter Pyramid at 1250 North Bellflower Blvd., in Long Beach.
Tickets are $10 for adults, $7 for kids and seniors and LBSU students will get in free. Tickets are available at the Walter Pyramid box office or online at www.longbeachstate.com.
Ball’s E-Book Now Available
Lloy Ball’s biography, The Biggest Mistake I Never Made, is now available for download.
The book details the life and career of Ball, a four-time Olympian, including his experience in Beijing when the U.S. Men won the gold medal at the Olympic Games.
The E-book costs $9.95. For more information, click here.
The NET Live
The NET Live is an Internet radio show hosted by former U.S. Men’s Team player and two-time Olympian Kevin Barnett along with current team member, two-time Olympian and 2008 gold medalist Reid Priddy.
The show is usually broadcast at 10 a.m. PT on Mondays and features interviews with a variety of volleyball personalities along with banter by the two hosts and sidekick/engineer Dan “Kinda Good” Madden.
Click here to listen to the show.
You can also download the podcast from iTunes by clicking here.
Trivia Answer
David Lee (Alpine, Calif.) had eight blocks and six errors in 26 attempts for an average of 1.33 blocks per set. However, he did not get the award because the U.S. Men did not advance to the semifinals. Cuba’s Roberlandy Simón Aties won the award instead. His average was 0.80 blocks per set.