The FIVB World Grand Prix 2006 was the fourteenth edition of the annual women's volleyball

Volleyball

Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...

 tournament, which is the female equivalent of the Men's Volleyball World League.

The 2006 edition was played by twelve countries from August 16 to September 10, 2006 with the final round held at the PalaCalafiore

PalaCalafiore

PalaCalafiore is an indoor sporting arena located in Reggio Calabria , Italy. The capacity of the arena is 8,500 people....

 in Reggio Calabria

Reggio Calabria

Reggio di Calabria , commonly known as Reggio Calabria or Reggio, is the biggest city and the most populated comune of Calabria, southern Italy, and is the capital of the Province of Reggio Calabria and seat of the Council of Calabrian government.Reggio is located on the "toe" of the Italian...

, Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

. Hosts Italy and the top five ranked teams after the preliminary rounds qualified for the last round. The tournament started with single round-robin action in Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

, Poland

Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

 and Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. The global event kicked off on August 16 in the Polish city of Bydgoszcz, where Dominican Republic, United States, Italy and Poland started the WGP Tournament.

The competition of the 2006 WGP lasted four weeks with a total number of 65 matches. During the first, second and third week: 18 matches per team were played with a total of 54 matches. Classification in the preliminary rounds was decided by the number of points gained by teams participating in the same group. The classification in the general ranking of the preliminary rounds of the 2006 WGP was decided by the total number of World Grand Prix Points (GPP) gained by the teams in the preliminary matches.

Group A

Team	Points	G	W	L	PW	PL	Ratio	SW	SL	Ratio
1.		5	3	2	1	281	259	1.085	8	4	2.000
2.		5	3	2	1	280	263	1.065	8	5	1.600
3.		5	3	2	1	275	266	1.034	7	5	1.400
4.		0	3	0	3	180	228	0.789	0	9	0.000

• 2005-07-26

  	2 – 3		25-23 19-25 25-17 24-26 10-15
  	3 – 0		26-24 25-21 25-21

• 2005-07-27

  	1 – 3		27-29 25-22 19-25 22-25
  	0 – 3		20-25 16-25 18-25

• 2005-07-28

  	3 – 0		27-25 25-17 25-18
  	2 – 3		25-20 19-25 20-25 25-21 10-15

Group B

Team	Points	G	W	L	PW	PL	Ratio	SW	SL	Ratio
1.		5	3	2	1	306	293	1.044	8	1	1.600
2.		5	3	2	1	268	254	1.055	7	5	1.400
3.		4	3	1	2	312	316	0.987	6	8	0.750
4.		4	3	1	2	247	270	0.915	4	7	0.571

• 2005-07-26

  	3 – 2		23-25 19-25 25-19 25-20 15-10
  	3 – 1		26-24 21-25 25-23 25-20

• 2005-07-27

  	3 – 1		25-23 29-27 21-25 25-23
  	3 – 1		25-27 25-21 25-21 25-17

• 2005-07-28

  	3 – 0		25-15 25-22 25-18
  	3 – 2		22-25 25-23 25-22 28-30 15-09

Semi finals

• 2005-07-30

  	3 – 2		19-25 20-25 25-20 25-23 15-08
  	3 – 0		28-26 25-10 25-20

Third Place Match

• 2005-07-31

  	3 – 1		25-27 25-13 25-21 25-19

First Place Match

• 2005-07-31

  	2 – 3		25-17 16-25 17-25 25-18 15-17

• Azerbaijan, Russia and Poland qualified; Italy received a wild card as the host nation.

North and South America

• Pan-American Cup
  2005 Women's Pan-American Volleyball Cup
  The 2005 Women's Pan-American Volleyball Cup was the fourth edition of the annual women's volleyball tournament, played by twelve countries from 8 to 19 June 2005 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The intercontinental event served as a qualifier for the 2006 FIVB World Grand Prix...
  
   in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic from June 8 to June 19, 2005

}
}
}
}

Group A

• Venue: Tokyo, Japan
  • 2006-08-18

    	3 – 0		25-14 25-17 25-14
    	0 – 3		27-29 18-25 17-25

  • 2006-08-19

    	1 – 3		19-25 27-25 20-25 21-25
    	0 – 3		20-25 20-25 17-25

  • 2006-08-20

    	3 – 0		25-23 25-20 25-23
    	3 – 0		25-22 25-16 25-20

Group B

• Venue: Hong Kong
  Hong Kong
  Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
  
  
  • 2006-08-18

    	3 – 2		22-25 21-25 27-25 25-23 15-07
    	3 – 0		25-20 25-19 25-22

  • 2006-08-19

    	3 – 1		25-17 25-15 26-28 25-19
    	3 – 2		21-25 25-23 22-25 25-21 15-13

  • 2006-08-20

    	3 – 2		20-25 22-25 25-19 25-20 16-14
    	3 – 0		25-15 25-23 25-21

Group C

• Venue: Bydgoszcz, Poland
  Poland
  Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
  
  
  • 2006-08-16

    	2 – 3		25-21 23-25 25-19 25-27 08-15
    	0 – 3		23-25 18-25 21-25

  • 2006-08-16

    	3 – 0		25-17 25-17 25-18
    	1 – 3		24-26 22-25 25-18 21-25

  • 2006-08-18

    	3 – 1		25-21 27-25 18-25 25-17
    	1 – 3		23-25 20-25 30-28 17-25

Group D

• Venue: Macau
  Macau
  Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
  
  
  • 2006-08-25

    	3 – 2		25-14 22-25 20-25 25-17 15-08
    	3 – 2		25-27 25-22 25-22 20-25 16-14

  • 2006-08-26

    	3 – 1		29-27 25-22 23-25 25-21
    	3 – 1		25-22 25-20 20-25 25-22

  • 2006-08-27

    	3 – 1		25-22 22-25 26-24 25-16
    	0 – 3		22-25 19-25 17-25

Group E

• Venue: Seoul, South Korea
  • 2006-08-25

    	1 – 3		15-25 18-25 25-20 20-25
    	0 – 3		18-25 24-26 18-25

  • 2006-08-26

    	3 – 2		25-16 28-30 25-16 24-26 15-06
    	0 – 3		22-25 15-25 19-25

  • 2006-08-27

    	3 – 2		23-25 25-10 19-25 25-22 15-09
    	3 – 0		25-23 25-17 25-21

Group F

• Venue: Taipei
  Taipei
  Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
  
  
  • 2006-08-25

    	3 – 2		25-18 25-20 22-25 23-25 15-11
    	0 – 3		23-25 21-25 17-25

  • 2006-08-26

    	3 – 2		22-25 26-24 21-25 25-21 15-12
    	1 – 3		25-23 20-25 23-25 20-25

  • 2006-08-27

    	3 – 1		25-22 25-23 20-25 25-18
    	2 – 3		21-25 25-18 25-17 23-25 10-15

Group G

• Venue: Ningbo
  Ningbo
  Ningbo is a seaport city of northeastern Zhejiang province, Eastern China. Holding sub-provincial administrative status, the municipality has a population of 7,605,700 inhabitants at the 2010 census whom 3,089,180 in the built up area made of 6 urban districts. It lies south of the Hangzhou Bay,...
  
  , PR China
  • 2006-09-01

    	3 – 2		18-25 25-27 25-15 25-16 15-09
    	3 – 1		25-18 25-20 19-25 26-24

  • 2006-09-02

    	3 – 0		25-18 25-21 28-26
    	3 – 0		25-22 25-15 25-14

  • 2006-09-03

    	3 – 2		25-21 25-21 19-25 22-25 15-13
    	3 – 0		25-19 25-23 25-19

Group H

• Venue: Bangkok, Thailand
  • 2006-09-01

    	3 – 2		21-25 25-22 25-20 21-25 15-07
    	0 – 3		27-29 15-25 25-27

  • 2006-09-02

    	1 – 3		25-12 16-25 27-29 16-25
    	3 – 0		25-19 25-20 27-25

  • 2006-09-03

    	1 – 3		22-25 25-20 11-25 23-25
    	0 – 3		27-29 18-25 22-25

Group I

• Venue: Okayama, Japan
  • 2006-09-01

    	3 – 0		25-22 25-22 30-28
    	2 – 3		16-25 25-18 16-25 25-15 14-16

  • 2006-09-02

    	3 – 0		25-22 25-22 26-24
    	3 – 0		25-18 25-19 25-23

  • 2006-09-03

    	0 – 3		13-25 19-25 16-25
    	3 – 0		25-21 25-21 25-18

Final round

• Hosts Italy and the top five ranked teams after the preliminary rounds qualified for the Final Round, held from September 6 to September 10, 2006 at the PalaCalafiore
  PalaCalafiore
  PalaCalafiore is an indoor sporting arena located in Reggio Calabria , Italy. The capacity of the arena is 8,500 people....
  
   in Reggio Calabria
  Reggio Calabria
  Reggio di Calabria , commonly known as Reggio Calabria or Reggio, is the biggest city and the most populated comune of Calabria, southern Italy, and is the capital of the Province of Reggio Calabria and seat of the Council of Calabrian government.Reggio is located on the "toe" of the Italian...
  
  , Italy
  Italy
  Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
  
  .

Group A

Team	Points	G	W	L	PW	PL	Ratio	SW	SL	Ratio
1.		3	2	1	1	170	143	1.189	4	3	1.333
2.		3	2	1	1	178	191	0.932	4	4	1.000
3.		3	2	1	1	144	158	0.911	3	4	0.750

• Wednesday September 6

  	3 – 1		25-19 21-25 25-23 25-16

• Thursday September 7

  	3 – 1		26-24 19-25 25-23 25-23

• Friday September 8

  	3 – 0		25-17 25-17 25-14

Group B

Team	Points	G	W	L	PW	PL	Ratio	SW	SL	Ratio
1.		4	2	2	0	173	136	1.272	6	1	6.000
2.		3	2	1	1	135	139	0.971	3	3	1.000
3.		2	2	0	2	144	177	0.814	1	6	0.167

• Wednesday September 6

  	3 – 0		25-15 25-19 25-22

• Thursday September 7

  	3 – 0		25-15 25-22 29-27

• Friday September 8

  	1 – 3		25-23 22-25 16-25 17-25

Semi finals

• Saturday September 9

  	0 – 3		20-25 15-25 18-25
  	2 – 3		25-21 25-23 23-25 15-25 10-15

Finals

• Saturday September 9 — Fifth Place Match

  	3 – 0		25-20 25-13 25-18

• Sunday September 10 — Bronze Medal Match

  	3 – 2		25-17 25-15 23-25 23-25 15-11

• Sunday September 10 — Gold Medal Match

  	1 – 3		20-25 20-25 25-23 17-25

Final ranking

Place	Team
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.

Individual awards

• Most Valuable Player:

}

• Best Scorer:

}

• Best Spiker:

}

• Best Blocker:

}

• Best Server:

}

• Best Libero:

}

• Best Setter:

}