Both the Men’s and Women’s USA Sitting Volleyball Teams will be heading
to Athens, Greece, in September along a route that took them to Argentina, through Brazil.

The most spectacular Paralympics qualifier was achieved by the USA Women who finished 5-0 in their first tournament in their first year of play. They have the honor of representing the USA in the debut competition of women’s sitting volleyball at the upcoming 2004 Paralympics. Both teams qualified for Athens by winning gold medals at the Para Pan American Games, held in Mar del Plata, Argentina, last Dec. 5-9.

The USA Women qualified on Dec. 7 after posting a 25-8, 25-8, 25-14 rout of Brazil. The two teams were playing a best three-of-five series to determine the women’s Pan American representative for the first Paralympic women’s sitting volleyball competition. Impressive, the U.S. women dropped just one set in winning the first three matches to secure the Paralympic berth, and then added two more wins in the final two matches (3-0 and 3-1) to sweep the series, 5-0.

In the third and deciding match, Team USA was led by Allison Ahlfeldt (Laguna Beach, Calif.), who scored a match-high 17 points on 11 aces and six kills. Lora Webster (Cave Creek, Ariz.), Gina McWilliams (Flower Mound, Tex.) and Bonnie Brawner (Carrollton, Tex.) added seven points apiece in the victory.

USA Women’s head coach is Mike Hulett (Des Plaines, Ill.). Denise Van De Walle (Bowling Green, Ohio) serves as the assistant coach.

The USA men earned their trip to Athens thanks to a 25-20, 26-28, 25-18, 25-23 victory over Brazil in the gold-medal match on Dec. 9. Both teams advanced to the final by finishing in the top two spots (with 3-1 records) after double round-robin competition along with Costa Rica
(0-4). Brazil won the first meeting between the two teams on Dec. 6
(3-0), and the United Statesemerged victorious on Dec. 7 after five sets.

In the championship match, Team USA proved to be stronger as Essam Hamido (Nashville, Tenn.) scored a team-high 17 points on 15 kills, one ace, and one block to lead a balanced attack. Chris Seilkop (DeLand, Fla.) scored 11 points on nine kills and two

blocks, while Robert Osbahr (Freehold, N.J.) added 10 points on six kills, three blocks and one ace. Brad Johnson (Tampa, Fla.) and Jeff MacMunn (Sugar Hill, Ga.) tallied nine points apiece in the win, while team captain Tracey Lange (Waunakee, Wis.) added seven points.

The USA men’s team is headed by Coach Bill Hamiter (Bethany, Okla.). The assistant coach 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 due to polio, or single or bilateral 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.

USA women were scheduled to hold three four-day team tryout camps before a May 10 deadline to nominate a 12 member team with three replace-ments. For more information, e-mail Mike Hulett at mike.hulett@usav.org, or John Kessel at john.kessel@usav.org.

The USA men’s Sitting Volleyball Team held general evaluations in March, with final selection and training in Chicago April 30 to May 2. The team’s 12 players and three alternates are also due to be nominated by May 10.

In addition, the men’s team will play in international tournaments in Bosnia May 15-23, and in Atlanta June 2-6. There will also be a Paralympics team camp June 10-13 at the Endeavor Games in Oklahoma City, in Austin, Tex., July 23-25, and at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs Aug. 5-7 and Aug. 19-22. Further information is available from men’s Head Coach Bill Hamiter at
405-789-2050, or by e-mailing him at bhamiter@ionet.net.

Editor’s Note: The above article, written by Paul Soriano of USA Volleyball, appeared in the group’s electronic newsletter last December and in the spring edition of its quarterly publication Volleyball USA.