21/04/2019 19:00
Dutch youngsters stun at Sweden’s first ever World Tour event
2019 CEV Beach Volleyball Satellite - Göteborg
Göteborg, Sweden, April 21, 2019. Emi van Driel/Raisa Schoon of the Netherlands struck gold in Sweden on Sunday in one of their first World Tour tournaments ever. The young Dutch duo beat the Ukrainian twins, Inna and Iryna Makhno, in two straight sets (21-17, 21-18).
Van Driel and Schoon were the lowest ranked team to win their pool on Friday and make it directly to the quarterfinals. In the quarterfinals on Saturday, they played against their compatriots Emma Piersma/Pleun Ypma, securing a 2-0 victory.
Next up were the semi-finals, the furthest the young duo had ever made it in a World Tour event, and Norwegians Victoria Faye Kjølberg/Ane Guro Tveit Hjortland were standing on the other side of the net. The Dutch duo started the strongest and claimed the first set at a canter (21-13). The Norwegians were however able to bounce back in the second set which they won 21-18. In the tiebreak, the Dutch duo proved to be the stronger team as they had the upper hand 15-8, thus reaching their first ever World Tour final.
Ukraine’s Inna Makhno/Iryna Makhno defeated the other Dutch duo Katja Stam/Julia Wouters in the second semi, thus preventing an all-Dutch final. The gold medal match ended in two straight sets as Van Driel/Schoon managed to impose their side-out game.
A shot taken during the gold medal match between the Makhno twins (UKR) and Van Driel/Schoon (NED).
“Well, our side-out worked very well, so we had time to think about their side-out and how we could stop them. Moreover, our side-out just kept going good throughout the game, so it was a somewhat easy match for us when we played like this,” said Van Driel after the final.
The young duo were without any doubt very happy with their first World Tour win. “It feels awesome, we are so happy and the whole tournament has been good and the organisation around has been great, and the location was beautiful and now the gold medal. It just feels great and it is a great start to our season and I cannot wait for the rest of the summer and all the other tournaments to get to play again,” Van Driel continued.
The young Dutch players were especially happy about the way they played together throughout the tournament. “I think we played very well together and helped each other, if she made a mistake I could help her and the other way around. Moreover, our pass and set were very good, so both first and second touch, and I think we did our own thing and kept smiling,” Van Driel concluded.
The full podium of the 1-Star event in Göteborg with teams from the Netherlands, Ukraine and Norway claiming gold, silver and bronze, respectively.
Their first time in Sweden, for Sweden’s first ever World Tour event ended in a win for the Dutch duo that will remember Göteborg for a long time. “We will always have good memories about Sweden now,” said Van Driel.
In the bronze medal match, the Dutch duo Stam/Wouters lost to Kjølberg/Hjortland of Norway, who won their first medal in a World Tour event after a tiebreaker (21-14, 18-21, 17-15).
Click here for further information.
|