Vargas and Calderon lead blockers and attackers at the Grand Prix  

OKAYAMA, Japan, August 29, 2006.- Dominican Annerys Vargas and Cuban Rosir Calderon are leaders of the blocking and attack departments of the Volleybal FIVB World Grand Prix.

Alter the completion of two Preliminary Rounds, Vargas is tops in blocking with a total of 28 and average of 1.12 by set. Vargas, who had 15 during the three matches in Macau, China, is followed by American Heather Bown with 23 and Cuban Nancy Carrillo with 19.

Meanwhile, Calderón has an efectiveness in attacks of 59.38. The high leaping Cuban  has landed in opponent’s territory 76 out of her 128 attempts. Erika Araki of Japan, is second with 57.58 and Carrillo is third with 53.15.

Natalya Mammadova oz Arzerbaijan, is the best scorer of the competition with 178 puntos, followed by Russian Ekaterina Gamova with 116 and American Tayyiba Haneef with 107. Nancy Metcalf and Bown have 92 and 89 respectively, Carrillo and Calderón have 85 apiece and Vargas has 84.

Other Dominicans with double figures in the six matches placed are Nurys Arias with 76 points and Cosiris Rodríguez with 67.

Rodríguez is fourth in the competition in service winners tie with Bown with 10. The tops are Thai Pleumjit Thinkakow with 13, and Russians Lioubov Shashkova and Gamova with 12 and 11 respectively.

American Lindsey Berg is the second best setter with an average of 11.23 by set, behind of Chinese Feng Kung, who had record of 11.61. Dominican Juana González is fifth with 8.24.

Cuba is the best team of NORCECA Confederation with 4 wins and 2 losses, while Dominican Republic have 2-4 record.

Dominican Republic faces Japan next Friday and then will meet Brazil and Italy on Saturday and Sunday.

Cuba plays in Ningbo, China against Poland, Azerbaijan and China, and USA is in Bangkok, Thailand to meet Thailandia, Korea and Russia.