China, the Czech Republic, and Australia will play host to the final rounds of the 2017 FIVB Women’s World Grand Prix Tournament for their respective groups 1, 2, and 3, FIVB has confirmed. The tournament is the major global women’s indoor event on the 2017 calendar.
Group 1 – Top Tier
China will host Group 1, the top tier of teams, were drawn into 9 pools of 4 teams each (or, 3 rounds of 3 pools). After all 54 of those pool games are played, all teams will be lumped into one big rankings table, from which the top 5 teams will advance to play in the final round in China. China, as the host of that final round, gets an automatic berth. The last-ranked team could be relegated to group 2 for next year, if the team that wins group 2 this year meets the FIVB’s criteria.
In the final rounds, teams will be drawn into 2 pools using a serpentine system. In other words, the 1st, 4th, and 5th best teams from pool play will be a group; while 2nd, 3rd, and 6th will be a group – with the host team automatically getting the top seed.
Brazil landed in the top spot in 2016, finishing with a 3-2 victory over the United States in the final.
Pools will be hosted throughout the month of June at different sites around the world – sometimes those by teams participating, and sometimes not.
- 1st round – June 7th-9th in Turkey, China, and the Netherlands.
- 2nd round – June 16th-18th in Japan, Russia, and Macau.
- 3rd round – June 21st-June 23rd, with hosting sites in Hong Kong, Thailand, and Brazil.
- Final round – August 2nd-6th in Nanjing, China
Teams in this group:
- Belgium
- Brazil
- China (finals hosts)
- Dominican Republic
- Italy
- Japan
- Netherlands
- Russia
- Serbia
- Thailand
- Turkey
- United States
| Week 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pool A1 Turkey |
Pool B1 China |
Pool C1 Netherlands |
 Brazil Belgium Turkey Serbia |
 United States Russia Italy China |
 Netherlands Dominican Republic Japan Thailand |
| Week 2 | ||
| Pool D1 Japan |
Pool E1 Macau |
Pool F1 Russia |
| Brazil Thailand Japan Serbia |
United States Turkey Italy China |
Netherlands Dominican Republic Russia Belgium |
| Week 3 | ||
| Pool G1 Hong Kong |
Pool H1 Thailand |
Pool I1 Brazil |
| Japan Russia China Serbia |
Italy Dominican Republic Turkey Thailand |
Netherlands Belgium United States Brazil |
Group 2 – Middle Tier
Group 2 will follow a nearly-identical format to group 1 in pool play, except that only 4 teams (the top 3 teams not the hosts, plus the Czech hosts). In Group 2, there won’t be a week off between the 3rd round of pool play and the finals, and again the top team gets the #1 seed automatically. In this group, the Czech Republic will receive the free pass to the finals and the top seed, with the next 5 best teams joining them in late June.
The Dominican Republic won the title last year and advanced to the top tier with a 3-2 win over Poland.
Pools will be held on the same weekends as Group 1:
- 1st round – June 7th-9th in Bulgaria, Argentina, and Peru
- 2nd round – June 16th-18th in Kazakhstan, Poland, and Puerto Rico
- 3rd round – June 21st-June 23rd, with hosting sites in Richmond, Canada; South Korea, Croatia
- Final round – Dates TBD in Czech Republic
Teams in this group:
- Argentina
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Croatia
- Czech Republic (finals hosts)
- Germany
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Peru
- Poland
- Puerto Rico
- South Korea
| Week 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pool A2 Bulgaria |
Pool B2 Argentina |
Pool C2 Peru |
 Germany Bulgaria South Korea Kazakhstan |
 Poland Canada Argentina Croatia |
 Puerto Rico Czech Republic Peru Kenya |
| Week 2 | ||
| Pool D2 Kazakhstan |
Pool E2 Poland |
Pool F2 Puerto Rico |
| Germany Kenya Croatia Kazakhstan |
Poland South Korea Argentina Peru |
Puerto Rico Czech Republic Canada Bulgaria |
| Week 3 | ||
| Pool G2 Canada |
Pool H2 South Korea |
Pool I2 Croatia |
| Germany Canada Peru Czech Republic |
Poland Kenya South Korea Kazakhstan |
Puerto Rico Bulgaria Argentina Croatia |
Group 3 – Bottom Tier
With only 8 teams in group 3, the format is a little different. The winning team still has the chance to advance to group 2 next year, and the 4-team final round format will be the same as Group 2, but instead of 9 pools of 4 teams, there will be 4 pools of 4 teams that play across two weeks in June. Then, while Groups 1 and 2 are playing their 3rd round of pool play, Group 3 will have its championship in Australia.
Croatia won the group last year and qualified to advance to Group 2. Kazakhstan, the runners-up, and Colombia, the 3rd-place finishers, also advanced after other countries pulled out.
- 1st round – June 7th-9th in Mexico and Cameroon
- 2nd round – June 16th-18th in Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago
- Final round – July 29-30th in Canberra, Australia
Teams in this group:
- Algeria
- Austraila (finals hosts)
- Cameroon
- Colombia
- Hungary
- Mexico
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Venezuela (replacing Azerbaijan)
Group 3[edit]
| Week 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pool A3 Mexico |
Pool B3 Cameroon |
|
 Australia Trinidad and Tobago Mexico Hungary |
 Colombia Algeria Cameroon Venezuela |
|
| Week 2 | ||
| Pool C3 Venezuela |
Pool D3 Trinidad and Tobago |
|
| Hungary Algeria Mexico Venezuela |
Colombia Trinidad and Tobago Cameroon Australia |
|
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