18/08/2013 18:00
Varna brings another European title for Switzerland
2013 CEV U22 Beach Volleyball European Championship
Varna, Bulgaria, August 18, 2013. Nina Betschart/Anouk Vergé-Dépré are the first U22 Beach Volleyball champions of Europe! The Swiss duo won the inaugural 2013 CEV U22 Beach Volleyball European Championship presented by Mtel (formerly U23) without losing a single set throughout the tournament and triumphed with the historical title. The medal podium was completed by Spain’s Angela Lobato Herrero/Paula Soria Gutiérrez and Czech Republic’s Hana Tresnáková/Eliška Gálová.
Click here for a comprehensive photo gallery.
In front of the completely-packed stands on Yuzhen beach in Varna, Betschart/Vergé-Dépré defeated Spain’s Angela Lobato Herrero/Paula Soria Gutiérrez by 2:0 (21-17, 21-15) in the grand final that took 35 minutes to complete. The Swiss managed to take a substantial early lead in the first set, but then the Spanish team fought back to tie the score at 14-14. They were able to stay in contention for a while longer, but in the end a couple of unforced errors cost them the set. Once again, Betschart/Vergé-Dépré broke away early in the second set but once more Lobato/Soria found the strength to narrow the gap and get as close as 1 point behind Switzerland. However Nina and Anouk were way too strong in the conclusive moments and in the end a successful spike by Betschart finished it off at 21-15.
”We like it so much to play in this stadium and it is almost unbelievable to make it happen again. Last year we became world champions and this year we knew that it was possible to be first, but we had to fight for it”, the European champions stated upon their success. ”We were a bit nervous in the final now and did not always play our best, but we are very happy that it worked. What is the secret of victory? We think it is a cool head – to stay calm and believe in ourselves.”
For 17-year-old Nina this is the second European title within only 8 days after she and her partner Nicole Eiholzer won gold at the 2013 CEV U20 Beach Volleyball European Championship held last week in Vilnius.
The bronze medal match was also a two-set affair. Tresnakova/Galova had 39 minutes of tough time against Ukraine’s Maryna Samoday/Elizaveta Sulima, but emerged victorious with 2:0 (21-17, 21-17).
In what was the longest and most exciting match of the day Lobato/Soria claimed a semi final win against Samoday/Sulima by 2:1 (21-19, 19-21, 15-11) shaped up after 51 minutes of play time. In the other women’s semi final, Betschart/Vergé-Dépré defeated Tresnakova/Galova by 2:0 (21-16, 21-19).
Click here for more detailed information on the championship.
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