SCAC Women's VolleyballAug 31, 2016 by FloVolleyball Staff
Ranking the Top 5 Volleyball Countries
Ranking the Top 5 Volleyball Countries
Brazil leads our list of the top volleyball countries after earning three medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The sport of volleyball is more than 120 years old. But it may never have been bigger than it was this past summer during the 2016 Rio Olympics. Volleyball is one of Brazil's most popular sports, and Brazil is among the greatest countries to ever play the game.
In fact, we'd venture to say it's the best nation to ever play volleyball. Americans would beg to differ, and China might have something to say on the matter, too. But Brazil's volley history is mighty impressive.
To see exactly how these nations stack up against each other, we took a look at all-time results in major international competitions--indoors and on the beach. Here are FloVolleyball's top five volleyball countries:
Brazil didn't win its first Olympic medal (silver) until 1984, two years after its first World Championship medal (also a silver). Since then, however, the Brazilians have ruled. They own 10 Olympic indoor medals (second to the former Soviet Union), nine World Championship indoor medals (behind Russia/Soviet Union), a world-best 18 FIVB World League medals, and a world-best 17 World Grand Prix medals.
On the beach, Brazil dominates even more. It's won the most overall Olympic medals (13), by far the most World Championship medals (15 more than the second-place country), and it owns too many records to count on the FIVB World Tour.
In Rio, the host nation secured medals in three of the four disciplines: indoor gold for the men, beach gold for the men, and beach silver for the women. The most amazing thing, though, is that some would say that haul was a letdown.
The best American argument for volley supremacy comes from this fact: The U.S. has won six beach volleyball gold medals in six Olympics (compared to Brazil's three). After that, though, there's not much else to say other than the U.S. volleyball program is better than every other nation except Brazil.
Indoors, the U.S. women were atop the world rankings entering Rio but left with bronze. They've never won an Olympic gold medal, just three silvers and two bronzes. The American indoor men own three Olympic golds, tied for first all-time with Brazil and the Soviet Union. The U.S. men also have two bronze medals, putting their overall Olympic medal count third.
Bronze was all the Americans could produce in Rio, as the indoor men and women placed third, as did Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross on the beach.
China earns its place on this list solely from the strength of its women, as the Chinese men have yet to collect a medal at a major international competition.
The Chinese women owns two beach volleyball Olympic medals, four beach worlds medals, six Olympic indoor medals, and five worlds indoor medals. Those numbers put them in the top five for each competition.
The indoor women won their third Olympic gold in Rio, a tally that trails only the Soviet Union.
Russia has made little impact in beach volleyball (just one World Championship medal, though a men's pair did place fourth in Rio) but has long been a force indoors. The medal counts are skewed, because Russia gets credit for many of the medals won by the former Soviet Union. But Russia was obviously a large part of the USSR.
Before its dissolution, the Soviet Union captured 12 Olympic volleyball medals, which remains No. 1 overall. Russia owns six such medals--six in the past six Games.
The best Russia could manage in Rio, however, was fourth place by the men's indoor team (losing to the U.S. in the bronze-medal match) and fourth for the beach duo of Viacheslav Krasilnikov and Konstantin Semenov.
This fifth spot goes to Germany because of its rise on the beach. German men took the 2012 Olympic beach volleyball gold, and German women topped the podium in Rio. Both times, the German duos knocked off Brazilians in the Olympic final. Furthermore, Germans have won five World Championship medals on the beach (trailing only Brazil and the U.S. in the overall count).
Indoors, only East Germany has collected Olympic medals (men's silver in 1972, women's silver in 1980). But the German/East German men own two World Championship medals, most recently a bronze in 2014, and the German women have collected two medals in the World Grand Prix.
Neither the indoor men nor women qualified for Rio, however.
Italy: 15 World League medals, five World Championship medals, six Olympic medals, one on the beach.
Japan: Nine Olympic medals, nine world championship medals, one World Grand Prix medal, none on the beach.
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In fact, we'd venture to say it's the best nation to ever play volleyball. Americans would beg to differ, and China might have something to say on the matter, too. But Brazil's volley history is mighty impressive.
To see exactly how these nations stack up against each other, we took a look at all-time results in major international competitions--indoors and on the beach. Here are FloVolleyball's top five volleyball countries:
1. Brazil
Brazil didn't win its first Olympic medal (silver) until 1984, two years after its first World Championship medal (also a silver). Since then, however, the Brazilians have ruled. They own 10 Olympic indoor medals (second to the former Soviet Union), nine World Championship indoor medals (behind Russia/Soviet Union), a world-best 18 FIVB World League medals, and a world-best 17 World Grand Prix medals.
On the beach, Brazil dominates even more. It's won the most overall Olympic medals (13), by far the most World Championship medals (15 more than the second-place country), and it owns too many records to count on the FIVB World Tour.
In Rio, the host nation secured medals in three of the four disciplines: indoor gold for the men, beach gold for the men, and beach silver for the women. The most amazing thing, though, is that some would say that haul was a letdown.
2. United States
The best American argument for volley supremacy comes from this fact: The U.S. has won six beach volleyball gold medals in six Olympics (compared to Brazil's three). After that, though, there's not much else to say other than the U.S. volleyball program is better than every other nation except Brazil.
Indoors, the U.S. women were atop the world rankings entering Rio but left with bronze. They've never won an Olympic gold medal, just three silvers and two bronzes. The American indoor men own three Olympic golds, tied for first all-time with Brazil and the Soviet Union. The U.S. men also have two bronze medals, putting their overall Olympic medal count third.
Bronze was all the Americans could produce in Rio, as the indoor men and women placed third, as did Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross on the beach.
3. China
China earns its place on this list solely from the strength of its women, as the Chinese men have yet to collect a medal at a major international competition.
The Chinese women owns two beach volleyball Olympic medals, four beach worlds medals, six Olympic indoor medals, and five worlds indoor medals. Those numbers put them in the top five for each competition.
The indoor women won their third Olympic gold in Rio, a tally that trails only the Soviet Union.
4. Russia
Russia has made little impact in beach volleyball (just one World Championship medal, though a men's pair did place fourth in Rio) but has long been a force indoors. The medal counts are skewed, because Russia gets credit for many of the medals won by the former Soviet Union. But Russia was obviously a large part of the USSR.
Before its dissolution, the Soviet Union captured 12 Olympic volleyball medals, which remains No. 1 overall. Russia owns six such medals--six in the past six Games.
The best Russia could manage in Rio, however, was fourth place by the men's indoor team (losing to the U.S. in the bronze-medal match) and fourth for the beach duo of Viacheslav Krasilnikov and Konstantin Semenov.
5. Germany
This fifth spot goes to Germany because of its rise on the beach. German men took the 2012 Olympic beach volleyball gold, and German women topped the podium in Rio. Both times, the German duos knocked off Brazilians in the Olympic final. Furthermore, Germans have won five World Championship medals on the beach (trailing only Brazil and the U.S. in the overall count).
Indoors, only East Germany has collected Olympic medals (men's silver in 1972, women's silver in 1980). But the German/East German men own two World Championship medals, most recently a bronze in 2014, and the German women have collected two medals in the World Grand Prix.
Neither the indoor men nor women qualified for Rio, however.
Just missed the cut:
Italy: 15 World League medals, five World Championship medals, six Olympic medals, one on the beach.
Japan: Nine Olympic medals, nine world championship medals, one World Grand Prix medal, none on the beach.
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