Bowling Green State University Athletics
Coach Van De Walle and Team USA Head to Beijing for the 2008 Paralympics
August 25, 2008 | Volleyball
Aug. 25, 2008
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - BGSU volleyball's head coach Denise Van De Walle and the USA Women's National Sitting Volleyball Team are preparing to travel to Beijing, China to compete in the 13th Paralympics in hopes of continuing the success of Team USA's volleyball teams in the 2008 Olympics. The 2008 Beijing Paralympics will begin the Opening Ceremonies on Saturday, Sept. 6 and will mark the 13th Paralympics.
Coach Van De Walle and Team USA head to Beijing as the third ranked team in the world, behind the Netherlands and China. The 2008 Beijing Paralympics in sitting volleyball will consist of eight nations: the Netherlands, the reigning World Champions and 2004 Athens silver medallists, China, the 2004 Athens Gold Medalist, USA, the 2004 Athens Bronze medallists, Lithuania, Slovenia, Latvia, Ukraine and Japan.
The road to gold for Team USA at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics will consist of five matches to get to the gold medal match. Team USA will match up against Lithuania on Sunday, (Sept. 7) China on Tuesday (Sept. 9) and Latvia on Wednesday (Sept. 10) in the preliminary rounds and then enter tournament play.
"To say I am honored to represent the USA at the Paralympics is an understatement," said Van De Walle. "I am so excited to see what we can do. It has been a great four years since Athens. We've played in more international competition than before. The team is younger, more athletic, and better prepared for these games. We are the last USA Volleyball team to compete in Beijing. With the Gold Medal success of Beach and Men's Indoor, we want to continue the winning ways. We know it will be tough but we are up for the challenge. We have been dreaming big."
Team USA qualified for their second appearance in the Paralympics after finishing fifth at the 2006 Sitting Volleyball World Championships.
In preparation of the 2008 Beijing Paralympics Coach Van De Walle and Team USA competed in the first ever World Organization Volleyball for the Disabled Intercontinental Cup in April in Egypt bringing home the bronze medal and then traveled to Atlanta, Georgia for the 2008 USA Open Volleyball Championships.
Coach Van De Walle is in her fifth year as the assistant coach of the USA National Sitting Team. Both Van De Walle and Head Coach Mike Hulett have been with the team since it was started in February 2003, leading the team to a 2004 bronze medal in Athens.
Coach Van De Walle and Team USA will depart for Beijing on Sept. 2, following the opening weekend of Falcon volleyball at the Florida State Invitational (Aug. 28-Sept. 1). For more updates on Coach Van De Walle's and the USA Women's National Sitting Team's journey for a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics visit www.BGSUFalcons.com. All Falcon and USA fans can also follow Coach Van De Walle and Team USA's journey at the 13th Paralympics via live video and highlights of the 2008 Paralympics at www.UniversalSports.com and www.usparalympics.org.
