Omaha, USA, July 26, 2015 – It was another golden moment for USA on Sunday as they officially received the FIVB Volleyball World Grand Prix trophy from FIVB President Dr. Ary S. Graça F° after clinching their sixth title in front of their home fans in Omaha.
The world No.1 claimed gold a day earlier with a convincing 3-0 win over Brazil but had to wait an extra day to get their hands on the crown. They finished off in style with a convincing straight sets (25-23, 25-19, 25-18) victory over China.
It has been a dominating performance by the reigning world champions, who dropped just two sets throughout the five-day finals. It is safe to say that none of the five teams have come close to the level the hosts have played at, much to the elation of the partisan crowd.
Amazingly, it is the first time in the tournament’s 23-year history that the hosts have been triumphant.
It is also the first time that a team has won the world’s premier annual women’s tournament a year after winning the Women’s World Championship.
USA last won the event back in 2012. That was the third of three titles in a row starting in 2010. Prior to that they had claimed the 1995 and 2001 competitions. All of those titles came in China, and in just three cities (Shanghai, Macau and Ningbo).
There have been some stunning individual performances, most notably from Kelsey Robinson and Karsta Lowe. The former – a star for the University of Nebraska nearby – could potentially win the Best Receiver award – with Lowe proving to be one of the tournament’s most efficient spikers.
The performance also puts them in the strongest possible position ahead of the FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Cup Japan 2015 in September, where they will be hoping to earn a coveted Rio 2016 Olympic berth.