Italian Volleybelles (Article courtesy of Team Italy Homepage) The World Women´s Volleyball Grand Prix 2000 may be over, but the excitement generated by the event Shall remain in the memory of the Filipino audience. Here, such excitement lives on as we compiled the best images of the recent event, which was truly a display of feminine power and grace. They amazed us with their great form and beauty. Inside the court, their athleticism and energy inspired us even more. Described as the "spiking models", Maurizia Cacciatori and Francesca Piccinini captured the heart of many Filipinos. Maurizia Cacciatori Maurizia, 27, is arguably the most popular volleyball player in the world today. She owns the distinction of having the best form when setting the ball. Possessing the looks of a catwalk model, she has become the main attraction of Italian volleyball and international volleyball competition. Her statuesque look becomes even more noticeable with her blonde hair and 5-foot-10 height. Recently, she graced the cover of the Volley World magazine, the official publication of the volleyball international federation. She was born in Tuscany, Italy on April 6, 1973. She began playing volleyball when she was ten and joined the national team in 1990. Although her original position was the outside hitter, she shifted to the position of a setter. As a setter, she developed the skills of calculating plays during crucial moments of the game. Maurizia has seen action in seven World Championship tournaments. In the 1998 World Championship in Japan, she was adjudged as the "Best Setter". For the second time, she won it in Bremen, Germany last January. She believes in discipline and hardwork, two qualities she learned from ten years of playing the game. She spends three hours at the gym in the morning and another four in the afternoon. Her leadership abilities helped the Italian team to figure in winning form in many tournaments. She was in fact largely responsible for helping the team obtain a qualifying slot in the Olympic Games. During break, she enjoys reading modern novels, particularly those written by Ken Follet and Nicholas Park. She idolizes American-Italian actor Robert de Niro and is a great fan of pop artists Celine Dion and Barry White. The man who owns her heart must be a very lucky man. Yes, Maurizia is already engaged to a football player. The good news is Maurizia does not feel like giving up volleyball in the near future. Francesca Piccinini Francesca, 21, is one of the youngest players of the Italian team. But it doesn´t mean that this statuesque beauty plays with less dynamism and vigilance. In fact, this 5-foot-11 looker is a bombshell of a spiker, sending her opponents down on the floor. She was born on January 10, 1979 and joined the national team as a wing spiker at an early age. At 16, she played for the Rexona team in the Italian league, where players all over the world compete. At present, she is part of the Foppapedretti Bergamo Club, where Maurizia Cacciatori also plays for. Francesca was cheered on admirably by her Filipino fans during the World Grand Prix in the Philsports arena. And she returned the compliment with a great smile that could melt any man´s heart. Inside the court, she was a looker and an athlete at the same time. As one of the best scorers of the Italian team, she showed an assortment of powerful strikes that sent the jampacked crowd shrieking in excitement. During her free time, she enjoys music, books, and other sports aside from volleyball. Like Maurizia, she spends some time in reading books. She also finds pleasure in taking long walks and riding horses. No wonder, she´s got such a terrific figure.