09/09/2017 21:00
Everything set for epic final day of #EuroBeachVolleyU20
2017 CEV U20 Beach Volleyball European Championship
Vulcano, Italy, September 9, 2017. Teams from five countries remain in contention for the women’s and men’s crowns at the #EuroBeachVolleyU20 as Italian women’s teams proved they know how to surprise.
That is what Beach Volleyball fans experienced at the black beaches of Vulcano on Day 3 of the tournament. Europe’s rising Beach Volleyball stars knew they had to go all in if they wanted to stay in the race for the continental throne. On top of this, local Beach Volleyball fans could celebrate some very special moments too.
Italian top seeds Chiara They and Reka Orsi Toth did not disappoint the high expectations of their fans, as they were the first women’s team to secure a spot in the #EuroBeachVolleyU20 semis. The Italian youngsters outplayed Tereza Kotlasova/Daniela Resova from the Czech Republic to make their first-ever semi-final appearance at an international tournament.
However, the first of the two matchups in the women’s semis is going to be a heartbreaker for Italian Beach Volleyball fans as They and Orsi Toth are going to face compatriots Dalila Varrassi/Carolina Ferraris.
The big surprise of the women’s competition stunned everybody. In the quarterfinals, the 27th-seeded Italians playing their first-ever tournament as a team edged compatriots Claudia Scampoli/Anna Piccoli 21-14, 24-26, 15-10. Now Dalila Varrassi and Carolina Ferraris want to repeat their feat versus Orsi Toth/They in the semis to crown their debut tournament as a team with gold or at least silver.
In the second women’s semi-final, Mexime van Driel/Katja Stam from the Netherlands are going to face Russian youngsters Maria Voronina/Mariia Bocharova. Reigning #EuroBeachVolleyU18 champions Voronina/Bocharova booked their ticket to the #EuroBeachVolleyU20 semis after outclassing all their opponents in three single elimination matchups on Saturday and are only two wins away from their second European crown within two weeks.
In the men’s competition, on the other hand, France’s Timothée Platre/Théo Faure, who are celebrating their big debut as a team at the #EuroBeachVolleyU20, stopped crowd pleasers Manuel Alfieri/Mauro Sacripanti in the quarterfinals to secure their spot in the semis.
Timothée Platre, who has already one #EuroBeachVolleyU18 gold as well as one bronze medal on his impressive resume, and his new teammate Théo Faure are going to face Swiss dark horses and last year’s bronze medallists Yves Haussener and Florian Breer.
In the second men’s semi, Russia’s Vasilii Ivanov and Sergey Gorbenko are going to cross swords with Mees Blom and Yorick de Groot from the Netherlands. The Russians claimed a silver medal at the #EuroBeachVolleyU18 last year in Brno and want to go for gold at the #EuroBeachVolleyU20 this year. The Dutch, on the other hand, want to feel the taste of their first-ever international medal.
Consequently, Beach Volleyball fans from all over Europe can look forward to Beach Volleyball at its finest. The women launch the crowning day of the #EuroBeachVolleyU20 at 8:30 (local time) with the first clash in the semis. The women’s gold medal game will played at 14:50 (local time), while the men’s teams are going to fight for gold at 15:30 (local time).
All games will be broadcasted live on LAOLA1.tv
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