27/08/2015 22:38
2014 gold medallists Gruszczynska/Baran continue quest for second U22 crown
2015 CEV U22 Beach Volleyball European Championship
Macedo de Cavaleiros, Portugal, August 27, 2015. The women’s competition at the 2015 CEV U22 Beach Volleyball European Championship in Macedo de Cavaleiros is set to continue on Friday with the first and second round of the elimination stage and with a set of matches that are supposed to be electrifying, judging by the commitment shown by the teams still in contention for continental honours. They indeed all look eager to go for more victories and are determined to get their own share of glory on the international stage.
As they recorded three straight victories in their pool, the reigning champions Jagoda Gruszczynska and Karolina Baran of Poland (pictured) will by-pass the first round of elimination and will be waiting to play the winners of the match between Austria’s Julia Radl/Nadine Strauss, who finished second in Pool F, and the bronze medallists from last year’s U18 European Championship, Finland’s Ida Sinisalo/Niina Ahtiainen.
Russia’s Ksenia Dabizha/Nadezhda Makroguzova haven’t dropped a single set so far in the competition and are also waiting for their next opponent in Round 2, which could be their well-known countrywomen Svetlana Kholomina/Ekaterina Makroguzova or Romania’s Adriana Melniciuc/Adelina Budai-Ungureanu.
Germany’s Lisa Arnholdt/Nadja Glenzke imposed their rule in Pool F and will be playing in the next round the eventual winners of the Iberian derby starring Portugal’s Vanessa Paquete/Margarida Vasques and Spain’s Aida Etxebarría/Nerea Izagirre. These teams know each other very well from previous WEVZA tournaments so their matchup promises to be an interesting and exciting tie.
Last year’s U20 European champions Nina Betschart and Nicole Eiholzer of Switzerland also look in excellent form and full of confidence. The gold medallists from the Baku 2015 European Games are now waiting for the result of the match between Czech Republic’s Katerina Valkova/Nicole Dostalova and Italy’s Monica Lestini/Agata Zuccarelli to know the name of their next opponent in Round 2 of the elimination phase.
2014 U22 European silver medallists Katarzyna Kociolek and Dorota Strag of Poland also extended their winning streak to three matches in a row on Thursday even though they lost the first set in their clash with Switzerland’s Dunja Gerson/Laura Caluori (18-21, 21-14, 15-8). They now wait for the game starring France’s Aline Chamereau/Ophélie Lusson versus Czech Republic’s Marketa Bendikova/Magdalena Dostalova to know the name of their next rival on the road to the final stages of the competition.
Germany’s Sandra Ittlinger/Lena Ottens also topped the charts of their Pool and will be crossing the ways of the eventual winners of another interesting matchup between Spela Morgan/Pija Stegel of Slovenia and Belarus’s Viktoryia Shalayeuskaya/Viktoryia Siakretava.
As for Lithuania’s ‘golden girls’, Monika Povilaityte and Ieva Dumbauskaite, they also got a bye in the first elimination round after finishing first in their pool and now wait to see the result of the game between Julia Wouters/Lauri Luijken of The Netherlands and Iceland’s Elisabet Einarsdottir/Berglind Gigja Jonsdottir, who earlier this season claimed gold at the Games of the Small States of Europe (GSSE) in Reykjavik.
Latvia’s Alise Lece/Marta Ozolina have already turned into one of the main sensations of the tournament with their three straight wins in Pool A. On Thursday they upset the local fans edging Portugal’s Vanessa Paquete/Margarida Vasques (21-16, 21-15) to claim first place in the pool and move on straight to Round 2 where they will lock horns with Switzerland’s Gerson/Caluori or Turkey’s Merve Nezir/Esra Betul Cetin.
All matches of the 2015 CEV U22 Beach Volleyball European Championship are streamed live and for free at LAOLA1.tv
You can follow the competition also on social media with the official hashtag #EuroBeachVolleyU22
Click here for more info including entry lists, results, pictures and much more
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