Volero Zurich will host the FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championship 2015 fir a third year in a row
Lausanne, Switzerland, March 3, 2015 – The FIVB is pleased to confirm that six teams will feature at the FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championship 2015 in Zurich, Switzerland from May 6 to 10, with clubs from Asia and South America now confirmed.
The ninth edition of the annual tournament – which brings together the world’s top club sides – will return to the Swiss city for the third year in a row. South American Women’s Club Championship winners Rexona of Brazil and Hisamitsu Springs of Japan have been confirmed as two of the teams to join hosts Volero Zurich, with the eventual winners of the CEV DenizBank Volleyball Women’s Champions League also qualifying alongside two wild card entries.
Teams participating:
- Volero Zurich (Switzerland)
- Rexona Ades (Brazil)
- Hisamitsu Springs (Japan)
- CEV DenizBank Volleyball Women’s Champions League winners
- Wild card 1
- Wild card 2
The home side will be hoping to make it third time lucky for a podium spot after narrowly missing out on a top three finish at the last two Club World Championships, finishing fourth in 2013 and 2014. Volero Zurich’s current form in the CEV Women’s Champions League looks good having just qualified for the next stage of the Playoffs with two strong wins over French champions RC Cannes. They now face Eczacibasi VitrA Istanbul in the next round.
Standing in their way will be Rexona from Brazil, who make their return to the tournament for the first time since 2013. On that occasion the Rio de Janeiro outfit fell at the final hurdle, losing to VakifBank Istanbul from Turkey in the gold medal match. However, Rexona will be confident having beaten Brazilian rivals and Women’s Club World Championship 2014 silver medallists Molico/Nestlé 3-1 (15-25, 25-20, 25-22, 25-14) in the final of the South American Women’s Club Championship on February 8. They also currently lead the Brazilian Superliga, two points ahead of last year’s Women’s Club World Championship bronze medallists SESI-SP.
Japan’s Hisamitsu Springs will also travel to Zurich for their second Women’s Club World Championship outing. The 2014 Japanese V League champions return after finishing fifth at last year’s tournament. A tough draw in 2014 saw them paired with eventual champions Dinamo Kazan of Russia and Molico/Nestlé and they failed to salvage a win. However, they are currently riding high in this year’s V League with 16 wins and three losses as they look to add a fourth domestic title in a row – and fifth overall – to their trophy cabinet.
The FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championships was established in 1991 with tournaments following in 1992 and 1994. It returned 16 years later in 2010 following the successful resurrection of the Men’s Club World Championship. The Women’s Club World Championship has had eight different winners from five different countries. Brazil has been represented on the winner’s podium three times, Turkey twice, while Azerbaijan, Italy and Russia have all had clubs win the competition once.