USA sitting teams open Pan Am Games with wins

by Paul Soriano USA Volleyball Manager, Public Relations & Publications

Both the USA men's and women's national sitting volleyball teams opened play in the Para Pan American Games with victories Friday in Mar del Plata, Argentina.

The USA Men defeated Costa Rica, 3-0 (25-13, 25-9, 25-10), while the USA Women, a first-year team playing in its first-ever match, swept Brazil (25-11, 25-13, 25-10).

The event serves as the lone Paralympic qualifier for teams from the Pan American zone. For the United States to advance to next year's Paralympics in Athens, Greece, it must first win its respective competitions in Argentina. The tournaments for both teams run through Tuesday, Dec. 9.

In the historic win for the USA Women, Allison Ahlfeldt (Laguna Beach, Calif.) led all scorers with 12 points on eight kills, three service aces and one block. Team captain Gina McWilliams (Flower Mound, Texas) and high school senior Lora Webster (Cave Creek, Ariz.) both scored 11 points in the victory.

McWilliams had six kills and five aces, while Webster ripped seven aces with four kills. Deb Vosler (Eyota, Minn.) entered the match in the third set and served 12 consecutive points-including four aces-to close out the game and the match.

"This win was a total team effort with very good serve-receive, better serving and a team hitting efficiency of .420," said USA Women's head coach Mike Hulett, Des Plaines, Ill.). "Everyone got an opportunity to play, some for the first time ever, and all contributed to the first-match win by the USA."

The women's team also includes: Bonnie Brawner (Carrollton, Texas); Lori Daniels (Bedford, Texas); Brenda Maymon (Sellersberg, Ind.); Erica Moulton (Queensbury, N.Y.); Erica Moyers (Athens, Ala.); and Penny Ricker (Green Bay, Wis.).

The assistant coach is Denise Van De Walle (Bowling Green, Ohio), who is also the head coach of the women's volleyball program at Bowling Green State University.

The USA Women will face the Brazilians four more times to determine the qualifying team from the Pan American Zone. The Pan Am Zone consists of North and South American countries, but only the USA and Brazil field teams for women. Women's Sitting Volleyball will join the ranks of Paralympic sports for the first time in Athens, Greece, in September 2004.

On the men's side, Team USA was led by Jeff MacMunn's (Sugar Hill, Ga.) serving and setting, the hitting of both Robert Osbahr (Freehold, N.J.) and Tracey Lange (Waunakee, Wis.) and the all-around play of Paul Moran (Glenview, Ill.).

"The entire team played focused and controlled to dominate the Costa Rican team," said USA Men's head coach Bill Hamiter.

On Saturday, the USA Men play Brazil at 12:30 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time). The three teams will play a double round-robin schedule. The top two seeds at the conclusion of round-robin play will square off on Tuesday, Dec. 9 for the right to go to Athens. The third-seeded team will automatically finish third.

The men's team also includes: Rene Aquino (Chicago, Ill.); Joey Evans (Springville, Utah); Essam Hamido (Nashville, Tenn.); Brad Johnson (Tampa, Fla.); Curtis Lease (Naperville, Ill.); Brent Rasmussen (Omaha, Neb.); and Chris Seilkop (DeLand, Fla.).

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

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.