USA women's sitting team qualifies for 2004 Paralympics, men advance to Para Pan Am final

by Paul Soriano USA Volleyball Manager, Public Relations & Publications

The USA women's national sitting volleyball team qualified for the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece, with a 3-0 win over Brazil at the Para Pan American Games Sunday in Mar del Plata, Argentina.

The USA Women, who also defeated Brazil in four sets on Saturday, has won the first three matches of a five-match series to clinch the spot from the Pan American zone.

The Pan Am Zone consists of North and South American countries, but only the USA and Brazil field sitting teams for women. Women's Sitting Volleyball will join the ranks of Paralympic sports for the first time in Athens, Greece, in September 2004, and the USA Women, led by head coach Mike Hulett (Des Plaines, Ill.), will be a part of the history.

In Saturday's 25-15, 25-17, 21-25, 25-17 win, high school senior Lora Webster (Cave Creek, Ariz.) led the United States with 22 points on a match-high 13 kills and eight aces. Bonnie Brawner (Carrollton, Texas) added 11 points on a match-high nine aces and two kills, while team captain Gina McWilliams (Flower Mound, Texas) chipped in with 10 points on six kills and four aces.

"It was good to lose a set (on Saturday) to see how we handled it," said Hulett, who was the head coach of the USA men's sitting team at the 1996 and 2000 Paralympic Games. "We have a mix of very young and very experienced athletes, but not a lot of experienced volleyball players. It was good to see us fight back in the third set and then make a statement in the fourth."

"I'm very proud of the way the girls responded after losing a set," added McWilliams. "We came back and closed the match out strong."

The women's team also includes: Allison Ahlfeldt (Laguna Beach, Calif.); Lori Daniels (Bedford, Texas); Brenda Maymon (Sellersberg, Ind.); Erica Moulton (Queensbury, N.Y.); Erica Moyers (Athens, Ala.); Penny Ricker (Green Bay, Wis.); and Deborah Vosler (Eyota, Minn.).

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.

In men's action, the United States advanced to the Para Pan Am championship match with wins over Costa Rica (3-0) and Brazil (3-2) on Sunday. Brazil and the USA will play on Tuesday for the right to advance to the 2004 Paralympics.

In the win over Costa Rica, Chris Seilkop (DeLand, Fla.) led the United States with 12 points on eight aces, three kills and one block. Robert Osbahr (Freehold, N.J.) added 11 points on seven kills, two blocks and two aces and Curtis Lease (Naperville, Ill.) posted 10 points on five kills, three aces and two blocks.

Sunday's second match was a rematch of a Saturday showdown between the two teams, won by Brazil in three sets (25-18, 25-22, 25-22).

This time, the Americans rebounded from a 2-1 deficit after three sets to pull out an exciting 25-17, 22-25, 20-25, 25-23, 15-10 victory to finish round-robin play with a 3-1 record Brazil also finished round-robin action with a 3-1 mark.

In the win over Brazil, Team USA was led by Essam Hamido (Nashville, Tenn.) with 15 points on 11 kills, three aces and one block. Osbahr added 12 points on eight kills and four blocks, Seilkop scored 11 points on six kills, four blocks and one ace and Jeff MacMunn (Sugar Hill, Ga.) chipped in with nine points on six kills, two aces and one block.

"The team was able to overcome a pro-Brazilian crowd and stay focused," said Bill Hamiter (Bethany, Okla.), head coach of the USA men's team. "We proved we have depth. Our team played and moved on the court as well as I have ever seen."

The men's team includes: Rene Aquino (Chicago, Ill.); Joey Evans (Springville, Utah); Brad Johnson (Tampa, Fla.); Tracey Lange (Waunakee, Wis.); Paul Moran (Glenview, Ill.); and Brent Rasmussen (Omaha, Neb.).

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.