European Champs battle from lucky losers to play World Champions for gold

Rio de Janeiro, August 17, 2016 - European Champions and lucky loser survivors, Daniele Lupo/Paolo Nicolai of Italy battled through to play for the gold medal against the 2015 World Champions, Alison Cerutti/Bruno Oscar Schmidt of Brazil.  The Brazilians have won five of the eight meetings in FIVB World Tour competition, including the last four and two of three gold medal matches.  The winner will win the gold medal, the loser wins the silver medal.

Alison Cerutti/Bruno Oscar Schmidt have won five of the eight meetings on the FIVB World Tour, including the last four.  The Brazilians also lead two to one in gold medal matches. 

• Cerutti/Oscar Schmidt won 21-19 and 21-18 in 38 minutes, Moscow Grand Slam, Quarterfinals, 05/28/2016

• Cerutti/Oscar Schmidt won 21-13 and 21-18 in 37 minutes, Vitória Open, Gold Medal, 03/20/2016

• Cerutti/Oscar Schmidt won 21-17, 18-21, and 15-13 in 53 minutes, Rio de Janeiro Grand Slam, Pool Play, 03/10/2016

• Cerutti/Oscar Schmidt won 20-22, 21-19, and 15-10 in 61 minutes, SWATCH FIVB World Tour Finals, Round of 24, 10/03/2015

• Lupo/Nicolai won 21-18, 14-21, and 15-13 in 47 minutes, Stavanger Major Series, Pool Play, 06/12/2015

• Cerutti/Oscar Schmidt won 21-14 and 21-17 in 33 minutes, Klagenfurt Grand Slam, Gold Medal, 08/03/2014

• Lupo/Nicolai won 21-19, 16-21, and 15-11 in 50 minutes, Moscow Grand Slam, Quarterfinals, 06/14/2014

• Lupo/Nicolai won 21-17, 16-21, and 15-13 in 48 minutes, Fuzhou Open, Gold Medal, 04/26/2014

• Daniele: May 6, 1991 (25y3m12d), 195 cm (6'5"), 80 kg (178 lbs.), Hometown Rome, 62nd FIVB World Tour event, three gold medals, $312,487 career winnings (ranks 63rd)

• Paolo: August 6, 1988 (28y0m12d), 203 cm (6'8"), 91 kg (202 lbs.), Hometown Ortona, 82nd FIVB World Tour event, three gold medals, $358,412 career winnings (ranks 55th)

• Daniele and Paolo have been playing together since 2011. They are playing in their 58th FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour tournament together (ranks 46th), three gold medals, $620,175 career winnings (ranks 25th).

• Daniele has played in 15 FIVB World Tour final fours with three gold, five silver, five bronze medals and two 4th place finishes.

• Paolo has played in 15 FIVB World Tour final fours with three gold, five silver, five bronze medals and two 4th place finishes.

• Daniele and Paolo have played in four Final Fours in 2015-2016 (Bronze Sochi Open 2015, Silver Vitória Open 2016, Silver Fuzhou Open 2016, Gold Sochi Open 2016).

• Daniele and Paolo finished 5th in the Olympic Games in 2012 (London).

• Daniele and Paolo finished 9th in the FIVB World Championships in 2013 (Stare Jablonki) and 17th in 2015 (The Hague).

• Daniele finished 33rd in the FIVB World Championships with Andrea Tomatis in 2011 (Rome).

• Paolo finished 17th in the FIVB World Championships in 2009 (Stavanger) and 9th in 2011 (Rome), both with Matteo Martino.

• Daniele and Paolo are currently ranked 22nd in FIVB World Tour points in 2016 with 3,120 points and 20th in winnings with $70,575.

• Daniele and Paolo have a career 205-102 (66.8%) match record in FIVB World Tour Events and a 68-38 (64.2%) record in 2015-16. Excluding forfeits, they are 131-53 (71.2%) in two sets and 70-48 (59.3%) in three sets, including 164-23 (87.7%) when winning the 1st set and 37-78 (32.2%) when losing the 1st set.

• Daniele and Paolo won the gold medal at the European (CEV) Continental Championships in 2014 (Cagliari, Italy) and 2016 (Biel, Switzerland).

• Paolo won the silver medal at the U19 World Championships with Francesco Giontella in 2006 (Bermuda, Bermuda).

• Paolo won the gold medal at the U21 World Championships in 2007 (Modena, Italy) and 2008 (Brighton, England), both with Francesco Giontella.

• Paolo Nicolai was named the FIVB World Tour Most Improved Player in 2012 and Best Offensive Player in 2014.

• Pool C: Lost to Lombardo Ontiveros/Juan Virgen, Mexico (15), 21-14, 14-21, and 11-15 in 48 minutes.

• Pool C: Defeated Choaib Belhaj/Mohamed Naceur, Tunisia (22), 21-17 and 21-13 in 35 minutes.

• Pool C: Lost to Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena, United States (3), 13-21, 21-17, and 22-24 in 60 minutes.

• Lucky Loser: Defeated Piotr Kantor/Bartosz Losiak, Poland (11), 21-12, 15-21, and 15-13 in 41 minutes.

• Round of 16: Defeated Adrian Carambula/Alex Ranghieri, Italy (12), 21-12 and 23-21 in 40 minutes.

• Quarterfinals: Defeated Dmitri Barsouk/Nikita Liamin, Russia (23), 21-18, 20-22, and 15-11 in 50 minutes.

• Semi-finals: Defeated Viacheslav Krasilnikov/Konstantin Semenov, Russia (8), 15-21, 21-16, and 15-13 in 56 minutes.

• Alison: December 7, 1985 (30y8m11d), 203 cm (6'8"), 110 kg (244 lbs.), Hometown Espirito Santo, 100th FIVB World Tour event (ranks 73rd), 20 gold medals (ranked 6th), $1,025,450 career winnings (ranks 5th).

• Bruno: October 6, 1986 (29y10m12d), 185 cm (6'1"), 87 kg (193 lbs.), Hometown Brasilia, 99th FIVB World Tour event (ranks 75th), 11 gold medals (ranks 14th), $743,025 career winnings (ranks 12th).

• Alison and Bruno have been playing together since 2014. They are playing in their 30th FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour tournament together, nine gold medals (ranks 10th), $892,500 career winnings (ranked 7th).

• Alison has played in 54 FIVB World Tour final fours with 20 gold, 15 silver, 11 bronze medals and eight 4th place finishes.

• Bruno has played in 31 FIVB World Tour final fours with 11 gold, eight silver, four bronze medals and eight 4th place finishes.

• Alison and Bruno have played in 13 Final Fours in 2015-2016 (4th Moscow Grand Slam 2015, Gold The Hague World Championships 2015, Gold Gstaad Major Series 2015, Gold Yokohama Grand Slam 2015, Gold Long Beach Grand Slam 2015, Gold Olsztyn Grand Slam 2015, 4th Rio de Janeiro Open 2015, Gold Fort Lauderdale World Tour Finals 2015, Gold Vitória Open 2016, Silver Moscow Grand Slam 2016, 4th Hamburg Major Series 2016, Silver Olsztyn Grand Slam 2016, Gold Porec Major Series 2016).

• Alison won the silver medal in the Olympic Games with Emanuel Rego in 2012 (London).

• Alison and Bruno won the gold medal in the FIVB World Championships in 2015 (The Hague).

• Alison won the silver medal in the FIVB World Championships with Harley Marques in 2009 (Stavanger), won gold in 2011 (Rome) and finished 4th in 2013 (Stare Jablonki), both with Emanuel Rego .

• Bruno finished 17th in the FIVB World Championship  with Joao Maciel in 2009 (Stavanger), 9th  with Benjamin Insfran in 2011 (Rome), and 5th  with Pedro Solberg in 2013 (Stare Jablonki).

• Alison and Bruno are currently ranked 10th in FIVB World Tour points in 2016 with 4,140 points and 2nd in winnings with $206,000.

• Alison and Bruno have a career 149-38 (79.7%) match record in FIVB World Tour Events and a 102-20 (83.6%) record in 2015-16. Excluding forfeits, they are 109-19 (85.2%) in two sets and 36-19 (65.5%) in three sets, including 125-9 (93.3%) when winning the 1st set and 20-29 (40.8%) when losing the 1st set.

• Alison won the gold medal at the 2011 Pan American Games with Emanuel Rego (Guadalajara, Mexico).

• Bruno won the gold medal at the U21 World Championships with Pedro Solberg in 2006 (Myslowice, Poland).

• Alison and Bruno were Team of the Year and Tour Points Champions in 2015.

• Alison was named the FIVB World Tour Most Improved Player in 2009, Best Blocker in 2011 and 2015, Best Hitter in 2011 and 2012, Best Offensive Player in 2011 and was Team of the Year and Tour Points Champion with Emanuel Rego in 2011.

• Bruno was named the FIVB World Tour Most Improved Player in 2010, Best Defensive Player in 2013, 2014, and 2015, Best Offensive Player in 2015, Most Outstanding in 2015, and Sportsperson in 2015.

• Alison is the heaviest men's player who has competed in any of the six Olympic Games at 110 kg (244 lbs.).

• Bruno is the nephew of Basketball Hall of Fame legend Oscar Schmidt

• Pool A: Defeated Josh Binstock/Sam Schachter, Canada (24), 21-19 and 22-20 in 43 minutes.

• Pool A: Lost to Clemens Doppler/Alexander Horst, Austria (13), 21-23, 21-16, and 13-15 in 57 minutes.

• Pool A: Defeated Adrian Carambula/Alex Ranghieri, Italy (12), 21-19 and 21-16 in 45 minutes.

• Round of 16: Defeated Adrian Gavira/Pablo Herrera, Spain (7), 24-22 and 21-13 in 39 minutes.

• Quarterfinals: Defeated Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena, United States (3), 21-14, 12-21, and 15-9 in 45 minutes.

• Semi-finals: Defeated Alexander Brouwer/Robert Meeuwsen, Netherlands (2), 21-17, 21-23, and 16-14 in 56 minutes.