2010 SWATCH FIVB World Tour Women Awards

Juliana (BRA) - Most Outstanding Player Award 2010

(Photo: copyright Karim Levy)

Brazil's Juliana Felisberta Silva was named the most outstanding women's player on the SWATCH FIVB World Tour for the second straight season.

The accolade underlines the 27-year-old's success in overcoming her disappointment at missing the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games due to a knee injury.

The results of the voting for the top competitors on the 2010 SWATCH FIVB World Tour by SWATCH representatives, players, coaches, referees and officials on the international Beach Volleyball circuit were announced here on Thursday. Juliana and her partner Larissa Franca were the top 2010 honorees as the pair captured their fifth tour team championship in the last six seasons.

In addition to becoming the first women's player to be named the tour's most outstanding player in back-to-back seasons, Juliana was also named the FIVB's top blocker and offensive player, receiving the former award for the second year running.

Juliana's misfortunes in 2008 began with her right knee injury at an event in Paris. After attempting a comeback two weeks prior to the Olympics, Juliana had to withdraw from the Olympics two days before the start of the competition and had knee surgery in the following weeks.

Larissa, the 2006 SWATCH MOP and runner-up for the 2010 season, was named as the 2010 tour's top setter and hitter. She has now won the setting award for the past five seasons, including in 2008 when she shared the accolade with Greece's Vasso Karadassiou. Larissa was also the tour's top hitter in 2008 and best defender in 2009.

With seven gold medals in 2010 after winning eight events in 2009, Juliana and Larissa retained the tour championship after previously winning the top team honours in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009. For their efforts this season, Juliana and Larissa shared US$351,300 in earnings for 12 events.

Since forming their partnership in 2004, Juliana and Larissa hold the SWATCH record for team gold medals with 36 titles in 84 FIVB events with 66 podium placements, 70 'final four' finishes and $2,088,450 in winnings.

Also capturing 2010 individual awards were Kristyna Kolocova and Marketa Slukova of the Czech Republic, Taiana Lima of Brazil, Marleen Van Iersel of The Netherlands, Xi Zhang of China and Great Britain's Denise Johns, who was honored as the SWATCH FIVB World Tour's most inspirational player.

Kolocova and Slukova tied for the 2010 rookie-of-the-year honour by edging Marta Menegatti, who captured the first-ever women's silver medal for Italy with Valeria Rosso at the season finale in Thailand. Kolocova and Slukova finished as the 12th-ranked team on the SWATCH tour, the highest finish by a team from the Czech Republic since the 2004 season.

Playing her first full season on the SWATCH FIVB World Tour, Lima was the most improved player as she teamed with Vivian Cunha to rank as the 22nd team in earnings ($50,950) in 2010. Lima and Vivan finished second to Juliana and Larissa at the Austrian Grand Slam along with a fourth-place finish in Finland. In advancing to both semi-finals, the Brazilians had to win Country Quota and qualifying matches to reach the Main Draws in Austria and Finland.

Xi Zhang was part of the third-ranked women's team on the 2010 SWATCH FIVB World Tour as the Chinese pair resumed their partnership after playing in 2009 with different partners.The bronze-medal winners at the Beijing Olympics, Zhang and Xue captured three titles in 2010 with seven podium placements in 15 events.

A 2008 junior world champion, Van Iersel was the top server on the 2010 SWATCH FIVB World Tour with a season best of 85.6 km at the Polish Grand Slam in Stare Jablonki. As part of the ninth-ranked team on the tour, Van Iersel posted the top serve in seven of her 12 tournament appearances with Sanne Keizer. Van Iersel's season best serve ranks third all-time in women's tour history.

The 2010 SWATCH FIVB World Tour calendar began in April and concluded in November with the final women’s events in China and Thailand. With $6.83-million in prize money, the 2010 SWATCH FIVB World Tour calendar featured 17 sites in 14 countries. The men’s award winners were announced in September where American Phil Dalhausser was named the most outstanding player while also earning honors as the top blocker, setter, hitter and offensive player.

2010 SWATCH-FIVB World Tour Women’s Post-Season Awards - Results

Most Improved Player

1. Taiana Lima, Brazil

2. Anastasia Vasina, Russia

3. Marloes Wesselink, Netherlands

Also receiving votes - Angie Akers, United States, Sara Goller, Germany, Barbara Hansel, Austria, Hana Klapolova, Czech Republic, Emilia Nystrom, Finland, Erika Nystrom, Finland, Evgenia Ukolova, Russia, Marleen Van Iersel, Netherlands.

Most Inspirational Player

1. Denise Johns, England

2. Lucy Boulton, England

3. Kristyna Kolocova, Czech Republic

Also receiving votes - Maria Antonelli, Brazil, Louis Bawden, Australia, Marie-Andre Lessard, Canada, Laura Ludwig, Germany, Misty May-Treanor, United States, Ingrid Torlen, Norway, Liesbet Van Breedam, Belgium.

Rookie of the Year

1. Marketa Slukova, Czech Republic

1. Kristyna Kolocova, Czech Republic

3. Lenka Hajeckova, Czech Republic

3. Marta Menegatti, Italy

Also receiving votes - Elisa Cella, Italy, Greta Cicolari, Italy, Erika Fabjan, Slovenia, Simona Fabjan, Slovenia, Angelina Grun, Germany, Anna Hu, China, Jieqiong Jin, China, Jana Kohler, Germany, Luana Madeira, Brazil, Liliane Maestrini, Brazil, Valeria Rosso, Italy, Roos Van der Hoeven, Netherlands, Jantine van der Vlist, Netherlands, Yuan Yue, China.

Sportswoman

1. Misty May-Treanor, United States

2. Liesbet Van Breedam, Belgium

3. Chen Xue, China

Also receiving votes - Angie Akers, United States, Lucy Boulton, England, Natalie Cook, Australia, Janne Kongshavn, Norway, Marie-Andree Lessard, Canada, Ingrid Torlen, Norway, Tyra Turner, United States, Evgenia Ukolova, Russia.

Best Defensive Player

1. Xi Zhang, China

2. Larissa Franca, Brazil

3. Laura Ludwig, Germany

Also receiving votes - Maria Antonelli, Brazil, Kristyna Kolocova, Czech Republic, Lenka Hajeckova, Czech Republic, Inguna Minusa, Latvia, Misty May-Treanor, United States, Marloes Wesselink, Netherlands.

Best Offensive Player

1. Juliana Felisberta Silva, Brazil

2. Larissa Franca, Brazil

3. Xi Zhang, China

Also receiving votes - Angie Akers, United States, Maria Antonelli, Brazil, Vassiliki Arvaniti, Greece, Sara Goller, Germany, Laura Ludwig, Germany, Misty May-Treanor, United States, April Ross, United States, Anastasia Vasina, Russia, Chen Xue, China.

Best Blocker

1. Juliana Felisberta Silva, Brazil

2. Talita Antunes, Brazil

3. Chen Xue, China

Also Receiving Votes - Nicole Branagh, United States, Sanne Keizer, Netherlands, Jen Kessy, United States, Sara Goller, Germany, Madelein Meppelink, Netherlands, Marketa Slucova, Czech Republic, Tyra Turner, United States, Anastasia Vasina, Russia.

Best Setter

1, Larissa Franca, Brazil

2, Marleen Van Iersel, Netherlands

3, Sanne Keizer, Netherlands

Also receiving votes - Katrin Holtwick, Germany, Laura Ludwig, Germany, Misty May-Treanor, United States, Becchara Palmer, Australia, Maria Clara Salgado, Brazil, Stefanie Schwaiger, Austria, Ilka Semmler, Germany.

Best Hitter

1. Larissa Franca, Brazil

2. Misty May-Treanor, United States

3. Xi Zhang, China

Also Receiving Votes - Juliana Felisberta Silva, Brazil, Sara Goller, Germany, Ekaterina Khomyakova, Russia, April Ross, United States, Tyra Turner, United States, Marleen Van Iersel, Netherlands, Anastasia Vasina, Russia, Chen Xue, China.

Top Server (speed, event site)

1. Marleen Van Iersel, Netherlands, (85.6 km, Stare Jablonki)

2. Maria Clara Salgado, Brazil (85.1, Seoul)

3. Angelina Grun, Germany (83.6, Stare Jablonki)

Other Top Servers - April Ross, United States (82.2, Shanghai), Larissa Franca, Brazil, (81.7, Shanghai), Sara Goller, Germany (81.5, Stare Jablonki).

Most Outstanding Player Award

1. Juliana Felisberta Silver, Brazil

2. Larissa Franca, Brazil

3. Xi Zhang, China

Also Receiving Votes - Maria Antonelli, Brazil, Talita Antunes, Brazil, Sara Goller, Germany, Laura Ludwig, Germany, Chen Xue, China.