USA men's sitting team qualifies for 2004 Paralympics, Women finish 5-0

by Paul Soriano USA Volleyball Manager, Public Relations & Publications

The USA men's national sitting volleyball team qualified for the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece, with a 3-1 win over Brazil in the gold medal match of the Para Pan American Games Tuesday afternoon in Mar del Plata, Argentina.

Team USA, which also qualified for the 1996 and 2000 Paralympic Games in men's sitting volleyball, won by scores of 25-20, 26-28, 25-18 and 26-24.

The American men, who finished the Paralympic qualifying tournament with a record of 4-1, qualified two days after the USA women's national sitting team secured a spot in next year's Athens games. Both teams will represent the Pan American zone.

The head coach of the men's team is Bill Hamiter (Bethany, Okla.) and includes: Rene Aquino (Chicago, Ill.); Joey Evans (Springville, Utah); Essam Hamido (Nashville, Tenn.); Brad Johnson (Tampa, Fla.); Tracey Lange (Waunakee, Wis.); Curtis Lease (Naperville, Ill.); Jeff MacMunn (Sugar Hill, Ga.); Paul Moran (Glenview, Ill.); Robert Osbahr (Freehold, N.J.); Brent Rasmussen (Omaha, Neb.); and Chris Seilkop (DeLand, Fla.).

The assistant coach of the USA men's sitting team is Dixie Collins (Burke, Va.).

The USA Women completed a five-match sweep of Brazil on Tuesday with a 3-1 victory. The two teams were playing a best three-of-five series to determine the women's Pan American representative for the first-ever women's sitting volleyball competition at next year's Paralympics, and the American women left no doubt about who is the best team.

High school senior Lora Webster (Cave Creek, Ariz.) scored 14 points on 10 kills, two blocks and two service aces in the 25-20, 25-18, 19-25, 25-7 win for the United States en route to earning Most Valuable Player and Best Attacker honors for the tournament.

Allison Ahlfeldt (Laguna Beach, Calif.) scored nine points and Brenda Maymon (Sellersberg, Ind.) added eight as the USA Women captured a gold medal in their first-ever tournament.

Ahlfeldt blasted eight aces and one kill and was named the tournament's Best Setter. Maymon added seven aces and one kill for the women's team, which has only been in existence since February 2003.

"While many think the journey is over, this was just the first leg," said USA Women's head coach Mike Hulett (Des Plaines, Ill.). "We are now in our second day of the most important volleyball experience these players will ever have. We'll continue to train hard at home and when we get together to train as a team leading up to the Paralympic Games."

The women's team also includes: Bonnie Brawner (Carrollton, Texas); Lori Daniels (Bedford, Texas); Gina McWilliams (Flower Mound, Texas); Erica Moulton (Queensbury, N.Y.); Erica Moyers (Athens, Ala.); Penny Ricker (Green Bay, Wis.); and Deb Vosler (Eyota, Minn.).

Denise Van De Walle (Bowling Green, Ohio), head coach of the women's volleyball program at Bowling Green State University, serves as the assistant coach of the women's sitting team.

The USA Women will have a team tryout camp at the United States Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, N.Y., from Feb. 17-22, 2004. For more information please e-mail Mike Hulett (mike.hulett@usav.org) or John Kessel (john.kessel@usav.org).

Sitting volleyball is played with athletes sitting on the floor. All team members have some type of disability to their lower body such as paralysis from polio, or single- or double-amputation. The net is about three feet high and the court is 10 meters by 6 meters with a 2-meter attack line. The only major differences between the standing game and sitting game besides the smaller court and lower net are: 1) players can block the serve; 2) there is no center line (unless it interferes); and 3) one "cheek" must be in contact with the floor when a person makes contact with the ball.

For more information, go to the USA Volleyball web site.