
FIVB
One of the greatest teams ever finally won its first world title, the greatest team ever returned to the court, and new duos emerged as medal contenders. Here's a look at the top 11 moments from the 2011 FIVB World Tour.

DOMINIC EBENBICHLER/Reuters
The game of beach volleyball may be struggling in the U.S., but it appears to be alive and well around the world. The FIVB announced that nine Grand Slams will be on the 2012 schedule, in addition to the Olympics.

FIVB
In 2008, the race for the second U.S. women's berth into the Olympics wasn't decided until a month before the Beijing Games. That won't be the case in 2012. The American men, however, are a different story.

FIVB
Americans Jen Kessy and April Ross came up a match short of their second FIVB title of the year, as they fell to China's Xue Chen and Zhang Xi in the FIVB Phuket Open final. The U.S. pair ends the season fourth overall.