1998 Women's Volleyball World Championship

The 1998 Women's Volleyball World Championship was held in Japan from November 3rd to 12th . The Cubans successfully defended their title and became world champions for the third time. The games were played in Osaka , Nagoya , Fukuoka , Tokyo , Matsumoto , Tokuyama and Kagoshima .

mode

The sixteen participants played in four groups of four in the first round. The three best teams in each group reached the second round, which was held in two groups of six. The four best teams in each group then played in the placement games for places one to eight.

game schedule

First round

The German women were eliminated in the preliminary round after three defeats. The team included Hanka Pachale , Christina Benecke , Angelina Grün , Sylvia Roll , Susanne Lahme , Tanja Hart , Judith Flemig , Béatrice Dömeland , Nancy Celis , Johanna Reinink , Claudia Wilke and Kerstin Tzscherlich . The coach was Siegfried Köhler .

Group A in Tokyo space team S. N sentences 1.  Japan 3 0 9-0 2.  Netherlands 2 1 6: 3 3.  Peru 1 2 3: 8 4th  Kenya 0 3 2: 9

Group B in Tokuyama space team S. N sentences 1.  Cuba 3 0 9: 1 2.  Italy 2 1 6: 3 3.  Bulgaria 1 2 4: 6 4th  United States 0 3 0: 9

November 3rd Netherlands Kenya 3-0 Japan Peru 3-0 November 4th Netherlands Peru 3-0 Japan Kenya 3-0 November 5th Peru Kenya 3: 2 Japan Netherlands 3-0

November 3rd Italy Bulgaria 3-0 Cuba United States 3-0 November 4th Italy United States 3-0 Cuba Bulgaria 3: 1 November 5th Cuba Italy 3-0 Bulgaria United States 3-0

Group C in Matsumoto space team S. N sentences 1.  Russia 3 0 9-0 2.  Brazil 2 1 6: 3 3.  Dominican Republic 1 2 3: 8 4th  Germany 0 3 2: 9

Group D in Kagoshima space team S. N sentences 1.  South Korea 3 0 9: 4 2.  People's Republic of China 2 1 8: 5 3.  Croatia 1 2 7: 6 4th  Thailand 0 3 0: 9

November 3rd Dominican R. Germany 3: 2 Russia Brazil 3-0 November 4th Brazil Dominican R. 3-0 Russia Germany 3-0 November 5th Russia Dominican R. 3-0 Brazil Germany 3-0

November 3rd South Korea Croatia 3: 2 China Thailand 3-0 November 4th China Croatia 3: 2 South Korea Thailand 3-0 November 5th Croatia Thailand 3-0 South Korea China 3: 2

Second round

Group E in Nagoya space team S. N sentences 1.  Russia 5 0 15: 1 2.  Brazil 4th 1 12: 3 3.  Japan 3 2 10: 6 4th  Netherlands 2 3 6: 9 5.  Peru 1 4th 3:14 6th  Dominican Republic 0 5 2:15

Group F in Fukuoka space team S. N sentences 1.  Cuba 5 0 15: 1 2.  People's Republic of China 3 2 11: 8 3.  Italy 2 3 8: 9 4th  Croatia 2 3 10:12 5.  United States 2 3 7:13 6th  Bulgaria 1 4th 5:13

November 7th Peru Dominican R. 3: 2 Brazil Netherlands 3-0 Russia Japan 3: 1 November 8th Netherlands Dominican R. 3-0 Russia Peru 3-0 Brazil Japan 3-0 November 9th Russia Netherlands 3-0 Brazil Peru 3-0 Japan Dominican R. 3-0

November 7th China Italy 3-0 Cuba South Korea 3-0 Croatia Bulgaria 3: 1 November 8th Cuba China 3-0 Croatia Italy 3: 2 Bulgaria South Korea 3: 1 November 9th Cuba Croatia 3-0 China Bulgaria 3-0 Italy South Korea 3-0

Placement games

	Semifinals				final
	November 11th
	People's Republic of China	3
	Russia	0
					November 12th
					People's Republic of China	0
					Cuba	3
					3rd place match
	November 11th				November 12th
	Cuba	3			Russia	3
	Brazil	1			Brazil	1

	Placement games 5-8				Play for 5th place
	November 11th
	Italy	3
	Netherlands	0
					November 12th
					Italy	3
					Croatia	0
					Game for 7th place
	November 11th				November 12th
	Croatia	3			Netherlands	3
	Japan	0			Japan	1

Final score

1.	Cuba
2.	People's Republic of China
3.	Russia
4th	Brazil
5.	Italy
6th	Croatia
7th	Netherlands
8th.	Japan
9.	South Korea
10.	Bulgaria
11.	Peru
12.	Dominican Republic
13.	Germany
14th	Kenya
15th	Thailand
16.	United States

Individual awards

most valuable player (MVP)	Regla Torres	Cuba
best scorer	Barbara Jelić	Croatia
best attacker	Ana Ibis Fernández	Cuba
best blocker	Regla Torres	Cuba
best server	Elles Leferink	Netherlands
best player	Maurizia Cacciatori	Italy
best adoption player	Hiroko Tsukumo	Japan

qualification

Host Japan qualified automatically. The other starting places were awarded in continental qualifying tournaments.

Europe

In the European qualification, twenty teams competed in five groups of four. Three of these teams had prevailed in qualifying games. The five group winners went straight to the finals in Japan. Two runners-up played an additional playoff duel. Italy prevailed against the Czech Republic.

Preliminary round
3rd / 25th May	Romania	Azerbaijan	1: 3, 0: 3
May 17th / June 7th	Yugoslavia	Slovakia	1: 3, 0: 3
May 23 / June 14	Austria	Hungary	0: 3, 0: 3

Group 1 in Moscow
space	team	S.	N	sentences
1.	Russia	3	0	9-0
2.	Czech Republic	2	1	6: 4
3.	Azerbaijan	1	2	4: 8
4th	France	0	3	2: 9

12th September	Czech Republic	Azerbaijan	3: 1
	Russia	France	3-0
13.september	Azerbaijan	France	3: 2
	Russia	Czech Republic	3-0
September 14th	Czech Republic	France	3-0
	Russia	Azerbaijan	3-0

Group 2 in Amsterdam
space	team	S.	N	sentences
1.	Netherlands	3	0	9: 2
2.	Latvia	2	1	7: 5
3.	Poland	1	2	6: 6
4th	Spain	0	3	0: 9

September 19th	Netherlands	Spain	3-0
	Latvia	Poland	3: 2
September 20th	Netherlands	Latvia	3: 1
	Poland	Spain	3-0
21st September	Latvia	Spain	3-0
	Netherlands	Poland	3: 1

Group 3 in Bassano del Grappa
space	team	S.	N	sentences
1.	Croatia	3	0	9-0
2.	Italy	2	1	6: 4
3.	Turkey	1	2	4: 6
4th	Portugal	0	3	0: 9

January 9th	Croatia	Turkey	3-0
	Italy	Portugal	3-0
10. January	Croatia	Portugal	3-0
	Italy	Turkey	3: 1
11th January	Turkey	Portugal	3-0
	Croatia	Italy	3-0

Group 4 in Bremen
space	team	S.	N	sentences
1.	Germany	3	0	9: 2
2.	Greece	2	1	7: 3
3.	Belarus	1	2	4: 7
4th	Slovakia	0	3	1: 9

January 2nd	Belarus	Slovakia	3: 1
	Germany	Greece	3: 1
January 3rd	Germany	Slovakia	3-0
	Greece	Belarus	3-0
January 4th	Greece	Slovakia	3-0
	Germany	Belarus	3: 1

Group 5 in Sofia
space	team	S.	N	sentences
1.	Bulgaria	3	0	9-0
2.	Ukraine	2	1	6: 4
3.	Hungary	1	2	4: 6
4th	Belgium	0	3	0: 9

12th September	Ukraine	Hungary	3: 1
	Bulgaria	Belgium	3-0
13.september	Bulgaria	Hungary	3-0
	Ukraine	Belgium	3-0
September 14th	Hungary	Belgium	3-0
	Bulgaria	Ukraine	3-0

Play-off of the runners-up
January 25th	Italy	Czech Republic	3-0
February 1st	Czech Republic	Italy	1: 3

North and Central America

NORCECA determined its World Cup participants in a group of three and four. The group winners were directly qualified and the runners-up played two playoff games.

Group 1 in Santo Domingo
space	team	S.	N	sentences
1.	Cuba	2	0	6: 1
2.	Dominican Republic	1	1	4: 4
3.	Canada	0	2	1: 6

November 7th	Cuba	Dominican R.	3: 1
November 8th	Cuba	Canada	3-0
November 9th	Dominican R.	Canada	3: 1

Group 2 in San Antonio
space	team	S.	N	sentences
1.	United States	4th	0	12: 0
2.	Puerto Rico	2	2	6: 6
3.	Mexico	1	2	3: 6
4th	Barbados	0	3	0: 9

January 29th	United States	Mexico	3-0
	Puerto Rico	Barbados	3-0
January 30th	Mexico	Barbados	3-0
	United States	Puerto Rico	3-0
31 January	Puerto Rico	Mexico	3-0
	United States	Barbados	3-0
February 1st	United States	Puerto Rico	3-0

Play-off of the runners-up
12./14. March	Dominican R.	Puerto Rico	3-0, 3-1
both games in Santo Domingo

South America

In South America, four teams played a double round "everyone against everyone". The two most successful teams reached the tournament in Japan.

table
space	team	S.	N	sentences
1.	Brazil	6th	0	18: 0
2.	Peru	4th	2	12: 8
3.	Argentina	2	4th	8:12
4th	Venezuela	0	6th	0:18

in Buenos Aires
23rd October	Brazil	Peru	3-0
	Argentina	Venezuela	3-0
October 24th	Brazil	Venezuela	3-0
	Peru	Argentina	3-0
October 25	Peru	Venezuela	3-0
	Brazil	Argentina	3-0
in Arequipa
October 31	Brazil	Argentina	3-0
	Peru	Venezuela	3-0
November 1st	Brazil	Peru	3-0
	Argentina	Venezuela	3-0
November 2	Brazil	Venezuela	3-0
	Peru	Argentina	3-0

Asia

In Asia there were two groups of four after a preliminary decision. The group winners reached the world championship directly and the two runners-up competed in a playoff duel to determine the third Asian representative.

Preliminary round
8/15 June	Kazakhstan	Uzbekistan	3-0, 3-0

Group 1 in Chengdu
space	team	S.	N	sentences
1.	People's Republic of China	3	0	9-0
2.	Thailand	2	1	6: 3
3.	Indonesia	1	2	3: 6
4th	Australia	0	3	0: 9

June 27th	Thailand	Australia	3-0
	China	Indonesia	3-0
June 28th	Indonesia	Australia	3-0
	China	Thailand	3-0
June 29th	Thailand	Indonesia	3-0
	China	Australia	3-0

Group 2 in Suwon
space	team	S.	N	sentences
1.	South Korea	3	0	9-0
2.	Taiwan	2	1	6: 3
3.	Kazakhstan	1	2	3: 6
4th	Philippines	0	3	0: 9

July 4th	South Korea	Kazakhstan	3-0
	Taiwan	Philippines	3-0
5th July	South Korea	Taiwan	3-0
	Kazakhstan	Philippines	3-0
July 6th	South Korea	Philippines	3-0
	Taiwan	Kazakhstan	3-0

Play-off of the runners-up
12./18. September	Taiwan	Thailand	0: 3, 0: 3

Africa

In Africa, three teams initially competed in a preliminary round, two of which qualified for the final group with a total of four teams. The group winner received the only African starting place at the world championship.

Qualification in Tunis
space	team	S.	N	sentences
1.	Algeria	2	0	6: 3
2.	Nigeria	1	1	5: 4
3.	Tunisia	0	2	2: 6

10th of April	Algeria	Tunisia	3: 1
11 April	Algeria	Nigeria	3: 2
12. April	Nigeria	Tunisia	3: 1

Final group in Nairobi
space	team	S.	N	sentences
1.	Kenya	3	0	9: 1
2.	Egypt	2	1	7: 7
3.	Algeria	1	2	5: 8
4th	Nigeria	0	3	4: 9

27th of February	Egypt	Nigeria	3: 2
	Kenya	Algeria	3-0
February 28	Algeria	Nigeria	3: 2
	Kenya	Egypt	3: 1
1st March	Egypt	Algeria	3: 2
	Kenya	Nigeria	3-0

Web links

• Results for Todor66 (English)
• German volleyball magazine: Downfall (PDF; 737 kB)