USA and China to repeat World Championship final
 

COLORADO SPRINGS, USA, February 8, 2015 – Reigning FIVB Volleyball world champions USA will meet China, the team they defeated in the 2014 World Championship final, in the four-match USA Volleyball Cup in June. 

The series is divided up into two series of two matches. The first two take place on June 5 and 6 at the Stan Sheriff Center on the University of Hawaii campus in the Hawaiian capital Honolulu. The teams then travel to the mainland for the second two matches which will take place in Southern California on June 9 and 11.  

“We’re thrilled to bring the Chinese women’s team here to compete in 2015,” U.S. head coach Karch Kiraly said. “They’re a strong young team, and we had a battle that tested both teams in the gold medal match of 2014 FIVB World Championships.”

“It is a special honour to participate in the 2015 USA Volleyball Cup, and even more so this year as we will be competing alongside the 2014 USA women’s FIVB world champions.” Lang Ping said. “This is a great opportunity to develop our young players. We would love to learn from and share our advance techniques and strategies with each other.”

The USA Volleyball Cup will serve as an ideal warm-up for both teams less than a month before the start of the 2015 FIVB Volleyball World Grand Prix that starts on July 3. 

Both teams will have their eyes on finishing atop the podium having missed out to Brazil, who won a record 10th title in 2014. 

“I think it is wonderful for our sport to play China in this year's USA Volleyball Cup,” USA captain Christa Dietzen said.

“One of the main purposes of hosting these USA Volleyball Cups is to have the opportunity to play the top teams in the world and that makes us better. But it also allows us to display our level of talent, which is among the best in the world, to our fans here in the United States.”

The USA Volleyball Cup was launched in 2013 when USA hosted Japan in three matches in Southern California. In 2014 Brazil were the visitors for two matches in Southern California and two in Hawaii and the teams drew 11,000 fans for their two matches in Hawaii after drawing 8,400 fans for two matches in Southern California.

The USA begin the 2015 World Grand Prix in Turkey, where they take on the hosts, Belgium and Italy in the Turkish capital Ankara. China meanwhile start their campaign with a home group that also features the Dominican Republic, Germany and Russia. 

“We hope the USA Volleyball Cup continues to grow the game here in the United States and bringing in teams like China, Brazil and Japan helps accomplish this goal,” Dietzen added. “In the future we would also love to host a FIVB World Championship, a FIVB World Cup and other major international tournaments.”