Players of France celebrate their first place after winning the final match

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July 19, 2015 – The final day of the FIVB Volleyball World League at the Maracanazinho Arena featured two straight-sets victories; France defeated Serbia 3-0 to claim their first title while the USA upset world champions Poland to win bronze.





France’s outside spiker Earvin Ngapeth was nominated the MVP after France went from winning Group 2 to winning Group 1 a week later.





“We arrived here with less pressure than the other teams, because we were in the Group 2, but we knew that we could win," France’s captain Benjamin Toniutti said . "We won in Brazil in 2013 and we knew that we could do it again. It is amazing, I do not know how to say the way we feel, but I think that we won't think about this for now, maybe tomorrow. But we are so happy, we trained so hard two months and a half to get this trophy and now we go back with this trophy to France and words cannot describe this."





France received $1m in prize money and Serbia received $500,000 for finishing second.





Key Points

• France claimed their first World League title; the previous best result was silver in 2006, when they lost 3-2 against Brazil.

• France have lost only one match in the 2015 World League, their 3-1 loss against United States on July 17 in the Final Round pool stages.

• Antonin Rouzier was France's top scorer in the 2015 World League with 251 points.

• This was the third time that the United States played for bronze. In 1992 they beat the Netherlands 3-1 and in 2007 they won against Poland by the same score.

• The Bronze Medal Match was also a rematch of the 2012 World League final in which Poland beat the United States 3-0.

• Host nation of the World League Finals, Brazil enjoyed one victory, against the USA, and one loss, against France in Pool I. They could not advance to semifinals because of point average.





2015 World League Dream Team

• Best Outside Spiker: Earvin Ngapeth (FRA)

• 2nd Best Outside Spiker: Michal Kubiak (POL)

• Best Middle Blocker: Maxwell Holt (USA)

• 2nd Best Middle Blocker: Srecko Lisinac (SRB)

• Best Libero - Pawel Zatorski (POL)

• Best Setter - Benjamin Toniutti (FRA)

• Opposite Spiker - Aleksandar Atanasijevic (SRB)

• Most Valuable Player - Earvin Ngapeth (FRA)





Final standings:

1) France

2) Serbia

3) USA

4) Poland

5) Brazil

5) Italy





Top scoring performances

• 32 - Aleksandar Atanasijevic of Serbia v Italy (June 28)

• 30 – Matthew Anderson of USA v Brazil (July 16)

• 30 - Mitar Tzourits of Greece v China (June 21)

• 30 – Mitar Tzourits of Greece v Slovakia (June 20)

• 30 – Bartosz Kurek of Poland v Iran (June 5)

• 29 – Dai Xingyao of China v Slovakia (July 5)

• 29 - Giulio Sabbi of Italy v Serbia (June 28)

• 29 – Jan Stokr of Czech Republic v Korea (June 27)

• 28 – Bartosz Kurek of Poland v France (July 18)

• 28 - Tom Edgar of Australia v Serbia (July 4)

• 28 – Marouen Garci of Tunisia v Puerto Rico (June 14)

• 28 – Kervin Martin Pinerua Urbina of Venezuela v Spain (June 13)

• 28 - Thomas Edgar of Australia v Italy (May 30)

• 28 - Rolando Cepeda of Cuba v Argentina (May 30)

• 27 - Aleksandar Atanasijevic of Serbia v Poland (July 17)

• 27 - Olli-Pekka Ojanivsu of Finland v Portugal (July 4)

• 27 – Kunihiro Shimizu of Japan v France (June 27)

• 27 – Yuki Ishikawa of Japan v France (June 27)

• 27 – Zhi Juan of China v Greece (June 21)

• 27 – Kervin Martin Pinerua Urbina of Venezuela v Kazakhstan (June 12)

• 26 - Aleksandar Atanasijevic of Serbia v Italy (July 15)

• 26 - Baturalp Burak Gungor of Turkey v Montenegro (June 21)

• 26 – Bartosz Kurek of Poland v Russia (June 19)

• 26 – Rolando Cepeda of Cuba v Bulgaria (June 5)

• 26 - Jan Stokr of Czech Republic v Japan (May 31)

• 26 - Gavin Schmitt of Canada v Bulgaria (May 30)

• 26 - Jae-Duck Seo of Korea v Czech Republic (June 7)

• 25 – Antonin Rouzier of France v Poland (July 18)

• 25 – Antonin Rouzier of France v Brazil (July 15)

• 25 – Rolando Cepeda of Cuba v Canada (June 20)

• 25 – Jan Stokr of Czech Republic v France (June 20)

• 25 – Jan Stokr of Czech Republic v Korea (June 6)

• 25 - Todor Aleksiev of Bulgaria v Canada (May 31)

• 25 - Vladimir Nikolov of Bulgaria v Canada (May 31)

• 25 - Yuki Ishikawa of Japan v Czech Republic (May 31)

• 25 – Sam Deroo of Belgium v Finland (May 23)

• 25 - Dick Kooy of Netherlands v Portugal (May 17)

• 24 – Bartosz Kurek of Serbia v Poland (July 17)

• 24 – Casey Adam Schouten of Canada v Argentina (June 27)

• 24 – Urpo Sivula of Finland v Netherlands (June 27)

• 24 – Dick Kooy of Netherlands v Finland (June 27)

• 24 – Pavel Moroz of Russia v Poland (June 20)

• 24 – Ricardo Lucarelli of Brazil v Serbia (June 14)

• 24 – Bartosz Kurek of Poland v USA (June 12)

• 24 – Wallace de Souza of Brazil v Serbia (June 12)

• 24 - Hugo Gaspar of Portugal v Netherlands (May 17)





Top scoring performances by team

• 124 - Kazakhstan v Venezuela (June 12)

• 117 – Italy v Brazil (July 3)

• 117 - Belgium v Portugal (June 14)

• 117 - Venezuela v Kazakhstan (June 12)

• 117 - Belgium v Finland (May 24)

• 116 – Greece v China (June 21)

• 115 - Brazil v Italy (July 3)

• 115 - Brazil v Serbia (May 29)

• 114 – Argentina v Bulgaria (June 20)

• 113 – China v Slovakia (July 5)

• 113 - Serbia v Italy (June 28)

• 113 - Italy v Serbia (June 28)

• 113 – China v Greece (June 21)

• 113 – Greece v China (June 13)

• 113 – Belgium v Finland (May 23)

• 112 – Slovakia v China (July 5)

• 112 - Spain v Egypt (June 12)

• 112 - Poland v Russia (May 29)

• 111 – Poland v France (July 18)

• 111 – Argentina v Canada (June 27)

• 111 – Turkey v Montenegro (June 21)

• 111 - Finland v Portugal (July 4)

• 110 – Serbia v USA (July 18)

• 110 – France v Japan (June 27)

• 110 - China v Slovakia (June 12)

• 110 - Turkey v Puerto Rico (June 12)





Top blocking performances

• 8 – Georgi Manshev of Bulgaria v Cuba (June 6)

• 8 - Konstantin Shumov of Finland v Belgium (May 30)

• 7 - Emanuele Birarelli of Italy v Serbia (July 15)

• 7 - Viktor Yosifov of Bulgaria v Canada (May 31)

• 6 – Michal Kubiak of Poland v Italy (July 16)

• 6 - Srecko Lisinac of Serbia v Italy (July 15)

• 6 – Jacob Ross Guymer of Australia v Serbia (July 5)

• 6 - Franck Lafitte of France v Korea (July 4)

• 6 - Shin Yung-Suk of Korea v France (July 4)

• 6 – Shin Yung-Suk of Korea v Czech Republic (June 27)

• 6 – Antonin Rouzier of France v Japan (June 27)

• 6 – Jasper Diefenbach of Netherlands v Finland (June 26)

• 6 – Pablo Crer of Argentina v Bulgaria (June 20)

• 6 – Emanuel Kohut of Slovakia v China (June 19)

• 6 – Jakub Vesely of Czech Republic v France (June 14)

• 6 – Jorge Fernandez of Spain v Serbia (June 14)

• 6 - Simone Anzani of Italy v Serbia (June 7)

• 6 – Seyed Mousavi Eraghi of Iran v Poland (June 6)

• 6 – Matti Oivanen of Finland v Portugal (June 6)

• 6 - Kevin Le Roux of France v Korea (May 31)

• 5 - Maxwell Holt of USA v Serbia (July 18)

• 5 - Piotr Nowakowski of Poland v Italy (July 16)

• 5 – Milos Culafic of Montenegro v Egypt (July 5)

• 5 – Simone Anzani of Italy v Brazil (July 3)

• 5 - Teodor Todorov of Bulgaria v Cuba (June 28)

• 5 – Filip Habr of Czech Republic v Korea (June 27)

• 5 – Teodor Todorov of Bulgaria v Cuba (June 27)

• 5 – Miguel Angel Fornes of Spain v Egypt (June 21)

• 5 - Mohamed Masoud of Egypt v Spain (June 21)

• 5 - Baturalp Burak Gungor of Turkey v Montenegro (June 21)

• 5 – Seyed Mohammad Mousavi Eraghi of Iran v USA (June 21)

• 5 – Anton Kuznetzov of Kazakhstan v Spain (June 20)

• 5 – Andrey Ashchev of Russia v Poland (June 20)

• 5 – Marko Bojic of Montenegro v Puerto Rico (June 20)

• 5 – Georgios Tzioumakas of Greece v Mexico (June 19)

• 5 – Micah Christenson of USA v Poland (June 13)

• 5 – Maxwell Holt of USA v Poland (June 13)

• 5 – Seyed Mousavi Eraghi of Iran v Russia (June 13)

• 5 – Teodor Todorov of Bulgaria v Canada (June 12)

• 5 - Viktor Yosifov of Bulgaria v Canada (June 12)

• 5 - Mannix Roman of Puerto Rico v Turkey (June 12)

• 5 - Marko Podrascanin of Serbia v Italy (June 7)

• 5 – Martin Ramos of Argentina v Canada (June 6)

• 5 – Jasper Diefenbach of Netherlands v Belgium (June 6)

• 5 – Adam Bartos of Czech Republic v Korea (June 6)

• 5 – Shin Yung-Suk of Korea v Czech Republic (June 6)

• 5 - Travis Passier of Australia v Italy (May 29)

• 5 – Pieter Coolman of Belgium v Finland (May 24)

• 5 – Sam Deroo of Belgium v Finland (May 23)

• 5 - Cornelius Bontje Johannes of Netherlands v Portugal (May 17)





Top blocking performances by team

• 20 – Poland v Italy (July 16)

• 20 – France v Japan (June 27)

• 19 – Italy v Brazil (July 3)

• 18 – Bulgaria v Cuba (June 6)

• 17 – Italy v Serbia (July 15)

• 17 – Kazakhstan v Venezuela (June 12)

• 17 – Belgium v Finland (May 23)

• 16 – Australia v Serbia (July 5)

• 16 - Spain v Kazakhstan (June 14)

• 16 - Cuba v Argentina (June 12)

• 16 - Bulgaria v Canada (May 31)

• 16 - Netherlands v Portugal (May 17)

• 15 – USA v Serbia (July 18)

• 15 – Czech Republic v Korea (June 26)

• 15 – Turkey v Montenegro (June 21)

• 15 – Slovakia v China (June 19)

• 15 – Egypt v Spain (June 12)

• 15 – Poland v Iran (June 6)

• 15 – Belgium v Finland (May 24)

• 14 – Serbia v Australia (July 5)

• 14 – Argentina v Canada (June 27)

• 14 – Egypt v Spain (June 21)

• 14 – Montenegro v Tunisia (June 19)

• 14 – Mexico v Greece (June 12)

• 14 - Bulgaria v Cuba (June 5)

• 14 - Canada v Bulgaria (May 30)

• 14 - Italy v Australia (May 29)





Top serving performances

• 7 – Tomas Krisko of Slovakia v China (July 5)

• 7 – Jean Carlos Ortiz of Puerto Rico v Tunisia (June 21)

• 7 – Marko Bojic of Montenegro v Puerto Rico (June 13)

• 6 – Nimir Abdel-Aziz of Netherlands v Portugal (June 19)

• 6 – Song Jianwei of China v Slovakia (June 19)

• 6 – Gojko Cuk of Montenegro v Turkey (June 6)

• 6 – Nimir Abdel-Aziz of Netherlands v Belgium (June 6)

• 6 – Pieter Coolman of Belgium v Finland (May 23)

• 5 – Kevin Le Roux of France v Brazil (July 15)

• 5 – Daniel Rocamora Blazquez of Spain v Kazakhstan (June 20)

• 5 – Yuan Zhi of China v Slovakia (June 19)

• 5 – Leandro Vissotto of Brazil v Serbia (June 14)

• 5 – Hossam Abdalla of Egypt v Kazakhstan (June 13)

• 5 – Matti Oivanen of Finland v Portugal (June 6)

• 5 - Micah Christenson of USA v Iran (May 30)

• 5 - Gavin Schmitt of Canada v Bulgaria (May 30)

• 5 - Antonin Rouzier of France v Korea (May 30)





Top serving performances by team

• 15 – Slovakia v China (July 5)

• 15 - Brazil v Serbia (June 14)

• 14 - China v Slovakia (June 19)

• 12 – China v Slovakia (July 5)

• 12 – Egypt v Venezuela (June 20)

• 12 - Finland v Portugal (June 6)

• 12 - France v Korea (May 30)

• 11 – China v Mexico (June 20)

• 11 – Netherlands v Finland (June 14)

• 11 - Serbia v Australia (July 4)

• 10 – Finland v Portugal (July 5)

• 10 – Egypt v Spain (June 21)

• 10 – China v Greece (June 21)

• 10 – Greece v China (June 21)

• 10 – Puerto Rico v Tunisia (June 21)

• 10 – Spain v Kazakhstan (June 20)

• 10 – Netherlands v Finland (June 14)

• 10 – Netherlands v Finland (June 13)

• 10 – Belgium v Finland (May 23)





Highest scorer by round

• Day 1: 17 - Gavin Schmitt of Canada v Cuba (May 16)

• Day 2: 25 - Dick Kooy of Netherlands v Portugal (May 17)

• Day 3: 25 - Sam Deroo of Belgium v Finland (May 23)

• Day 5: 15 - Bartosz Kurek of Poland v Russia (May 28)

• Day 6: 23 - Bartosz Kurek of Poland v Russia (May 29)

• Day 7: 28 - Thomas Edgar of Australia v Italy and Rolando Cepeda of Cuba v Argentina (May 30)

• Day 8: 26 - Jan Stokr of Czech Republic v Japan (May 31)

• Day 9: 30 – Bartosz Kurek of Poland v Iran (June 5)

• Day 10: 25 – Jan Stokr of Czech Republic v Korea (June 6)

• Day 11: 25 - Jae-Duck Seo of Korea v Czech Republic (June 7)

• Day 12: 27 – Kervin Martin Pinerua Urbina of Venezuela v Kazakhstan (June 12)

• Day 13: 28 – Kervin Martin Pinerua Urbina of Venezuela v Spain (June 13)

• Day 14: 28 – Marouen Garci of Tunisia v Puerto Rico (June 14)

• Day 15: 19 – Aleksandar Atanasijevic of Serbia v Australia (June 18)

• Day 16: 26 – Bartosz Kurek of Poland v Russia (June 19)

• Day 17: 30 – Mitar Tzourits of Greece v Slovakia (June 20)

• Day 18: 30 - Mitar Tzourits of Greece v China (June 21)

• Day 19: 17 – Antonin Rouzier of France v Japan (June 25)

• Day 20: 23 – Song Myung Geun of Korea v Czech Republic (June 26)

• Day 21: 23 – Jan Stokr of Czech Republic v Korea (June 27)

• Day 22: 32 - Aleksandar Atanasijevic of Serbia v Italy (June 28)

• Day 23: - Jae-Duck Seo of Korea v France (July 2)

• Day 24: - Kunihiro Shimizu of Japan v Czech Republic (July 3)

• Day 25: 28 - Tom Edgar of Australia v Serbia (July 4)

• Day 26: 28 – Dai Xingyao of China v Slovakia (July 5)

• Day 27: 26 - Aleksandar Atanasijevic of Serbia v Italy (July 15)

• Day 28: 30 – Matthew Anderson of USA v Brazil (July 16)

• Day 29: 27 - Aleksandar Atanasijevic of Serbia v Poland (July 17)

• Day 30: 28 – Bartosz Kurek of Poland v France (July 18)

• Day 31: 17 – Antonin Rouzier of France v Serbia (July 19)





Highest set score

• Day 1: Canada v Cuba, 26-24 (May 16)

• Day 2: Canada v Cuba and Portugal v Netherlands, 26-24 (May 17)

• Day 3: Belgium v Finland, 30-28 (May 23)

• Day 4: Belgium v Finland, 31-29 (May 24)

• Day 5: Poland v Russia, 25-20 (May 28)

• Day 6: Brazil v Serbia, 26-28 (May 29)

• Day 7: Korea v France, 30-28 (May 30)

• Day 8: Belgium v Finland, 29-27 (May 31)

• Day 9: USA v Russia, 28-26 (June 5)

• Day 10: Portugal v Finland, 30-28 (June 6)

• Day 11: Korea v Czech Republic, 27-29 (June 7)

• Day 12: Kazakhstan v Venezuela, 33-31 (June 12)

• Day 13: China v Greece, 30-28 (June 13)

• Day 14: Belgium v Portugal, 30-28 (June 14)

• Day 15: Serbia v Australia, 31-29 (June 18)

• Day 16: Russia v Poland, 32-30 (June 19)

• Day 17: Puerto Rico v Montenegro, 26-28 (June 20)

• Day 18: China v Greece, 34-32 (June 21)

• Day 19: France v Japan, 25-21 (June 25)

• Day 20: Netherlands v Finland, 28-26 (June 26)

• Day 21: Czech Republic v Korea, 30-28 (June 27)

• Day 22: Portugal v Belgium, 26-28 (June 28)

• Day 23: Brazil v Italy & France v Korea, 26-24 (July 2)

• Day 24: Brazil v Italy & France v Korea, 33-31 (July 3)

• Day 25: Australia v Serbia, 31-29 (July 4)

• Day 26: China v Slovakia, 28-26 (July 5)

• Day 27: France v Brazil, 31-29 (July 15)

• Day 28: Brazil v USA, 28-26 (July 16)

• Day 29: USA v France, 24-26 (July 17)

• Day 30: USA v Serbia, 27-25 (July 18)

• Day 31: USA v Poland and France v Serbia, 25-23 (July 19)





Highest scoring matches

• Day 1: Netherlands v Portugal (May 16) (23-25, 25-20, 25-21, 25-20) - 184

• Day 2: Netherlands v Portugal (May 17) (17-25, 25-18, 24-26, 25-21, 25-12) - 208

• Day 3: Belgium v Finland (May 23) (25-20, 30-28, 20-25, 23-25, 15-7) - 218

• Day 4: Belgium v Finland (May 24) (29-31, 25-20, 23-25, 25-21, 15-11) – 225

• Day 5: Poland v Russia (May 28) (25-16, 25-17, 25-20) – 128

• Day 6: Brazil v Serbia (May 29) (24-26, 25-17, 25-22, 26-28, 15-11) - 219

• Day 7: Argentina v Cuba (May 30) (25-17, 17-25, 21-25, 25-16, 9-15) - 195

• Day 8: Japan v Czech Republic (May 31) (25-22, 25-20, 24-26, 23-25, 11-15) – 216

• Day 9: Serbia v Italy (June 5) (22-25, 25-23, 26-24, 25-23) – 193

• Day 10: Argentina v Canada (June 6) (23-25, 25-22, 21-25, 25-19, 15-10) – 210

• Day 11: Italy v Serbia (June 7) (25-14, 19-25, 18-25, 25-20, 15-12) -198

• Day 12: Kazakhstan v Venezuela (June 12) (25-22, 31-33, 25-23, 30-28, 15-9) – 241

• Day 13: China v Greece (June 13) (25-22, 20-25, 18-25, 30-28, 15-13) – 221

• Day 14: Belgium v Portugal (June 14) (25-13, 27-25, 30-28, 23-25, 15-13) – 224

• Day 15: Serbia v Portugal (June 18) (31-29, 27-25, 25-19) – 156

• Day 16: Italy v Brazil (June 19) (26-24, 21-25, 25-18, 17-25, 16-14) – 211

• Day 17: Russia v Poland (June 20) (25-19, 21-25, 24-26, 25-20, 14-16) – 217

• Day 18: China v Greece (June 21) (21-25, 25-21, 34-32, 18-25, 15-13) – 229

• Day 19: France v Japan (June 25) (25-20, 25-19, 25-21) – 135

• Day 20: Iran v Poland (June 26) (25-21, 23-25, 21-25, 25-16, 15-11) - 207

• Day 21: France v Japan (June 27) (23-25, 22-25, 25-20, 25-23, 15-10) - 213

• Day 22: Serbia v Italy (June 28) (26-24, 21-25, 26-24, 23-25, 17-15) – 226

• Day 23: Brazil v Italy, France v Korea (July 2) (25-20, 26-24, 25-19), (26-24, 25-18, 25-21) -139

• Day 24: Brazil v Italy (July 3) (25-21, 27-29, 25-21, 19-25, 19-21) - 232

• Day 25: Finland v Portugal (July 4) (17-25, 25-22, 17-25, 26-24, 13-15) – 208

• Day 26: China v Slovakia (July 5) (25-17, 28-26, 20-25, 27-29, 13-15) – 225

• Day 27: France v Brazil (July 15) (27-29, 25-21, 31-29, 25-19) – 206

• Day 28: Brazil v USA (July 16) (28-26, 22-25, 25-22, 27-25)- 200

• Day 29: Serbia v Poland (July 17) (18-15, 25-22, 22-25, 25-22, 15-13) - 212

• Day 30: France v Poland (July 18) (25-23, 25-23, 19-25, 22-25, 17-15) - 219

• Day 31: USA v Poland (July 19) (25-22, 25-23, 25-23) - 143.