Umag, Croatia, June 26, 2014.  Umag, center of Croatian beach volley for the past few years, will host the battles in Pool C of the first round of the 2014-2016 CEV Beach Volleyball Continental Cup.  The double-gender tournament takes place on Saturday and Sunday, June 28 and 29.  During the two days four men’s and four women’s national teams will start their campaigns for earning tickets to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Thanks to the good organization of the FIVB U19 World Championship in 2011, the CEV Beach Volleyball Satellite Umag - Men in 2012 and the FIVB U21 World Championship in 2013, Umag was trusted to host this tournament of the Continental Cup’s first round that takes place during in eight cities across Europe during the month of June.

National teams from five different countries will compete in Umag.  In the men’s category, the Czech Republic, Denmark and Luxembourg and the home guys from Croatia will do their best to win one of the top two spots in the tournament and qualify directly to the third round.  Croatia has the youngest team.  The oldest player Filip Silic is 24, Ivan Zeljkovic is still a teenager at 19, while Niksa Dellorco and Mate Glaurdic are 22 and 21, respectively.  The Croatians picked up their players through a qualification tournament. Interestingly, three out of four players come from Split, so they may find playing in Umag to their advantage as both cities are situated on the Adriatic coast. The Czech Republic will be presented by two experienced brothers, Robert and David Kufa, playing with different teammates, Jan Dumek and David Lenc, respectively. The two duos from Denmark combine youth and experience, so 27-year-old Martin Olesen plays with Peter Dilling Kildegaard Andersen, aged 23, while 30-year-old Anders Lunds Hoyer couples with Mads Rosager, also at 23.  Luxembourg will be represented by Ben Angelsberg / Tom Meres and Gil Nizard / Andy Koenig.

In the women’s category, Denmark, Luxembourg, Poland and hosts Croatia will try to find their way directly into the third round of the competition.  Poland left nothing to chance as it will presented by two players who became world champions in Umag, Karolina Baran, U19 world champion in 2011, and Jagoda Gruszczynska, U21 world champion in 2013.  In Poland’s national team, these 19-year-olds are joined by Monika Brzostek and Kinga Kolosinska, who will play in Umag for the first time.  Croatia will be represented by Martina Matic / Dina Becic and one of the most experienced players in the tournament, 35-year-old Dalida Vernier, who plays with young Maja Rosko, aged 22.  Luxembourg also brings a young team of two 20-year-old players - Laura Weber and Eline Delcourt, paired up with 19-year-old Rebekka Klerf and 28-year-old Corinne Steinbach, respectively.  Denmark will seek for its chance to see Rio with Eva Mielskov Bang / Cecilie Kollner Olsen and Line Trans Hansen / Helle Sondergard.

Photo:  Poland’s Jagoda Gruszczynska celebrating the victory in the final match of the FIVB U21 World Championship 2013 in Umag

Click here and here for more detailed information on the competition.