11/09/2015 19:31
Poland’s women secure ticket to Continental Cup Finals, Israeli teams still chasing Olympic dream
2014-2016 CEV Beach Volleyball Continental Cup - Men & Women
Ashdod, Israel, September 11, 2015. The fourth and last tournament on schedule for Round 4 of the 2014-2016 CEV Beach Volleyball Continental Cup got underway on Friday morning in Ashdod under ideal weather conditions and with more than 300 fans in attendance. Poland’s women lived up to their status of pre-favourites in Pool D and with four wins in as many matches they contested they secured their qualification to the Continental Cup Finals coming up next year. In the men’s competition the fight for first place is still wide open and will be decided on Saturday morning by a ‘golden match’ starring Israel’s and Belgium’s top duos.
The women opened the programme of the first competition day and Israel’s pairs were up to what many would have called a ‘mission impossible’ as they got to play Poland in the semis. Aliona Cherkez and Einav Muharer crossed the ways of 2015 European bronze medallists Kinga Kolosinska and Monika Brzostek. Poland’s Beach Volleyball stars – who also have a bronze medal from this year’s FIVB Olsztyn Grand Slam on their resume – easily claimed the opening set by 21-7. However, the second stanza was a lot closer and the Israelis even got to the front before Brzostek and Kolosinska changed gear and brought the match to an end at 21-19, thus securing Poland’s first win in this clash. The story repeated itself in the second match where 2014 U22 European champions Jagoda Gruszczynska and Karolina Baran claimed by 21-16 the first set of their clash with Yael Yellin and Jennifer Guz. Though the Israeli women came back strong to win the second one (21-19), their much more experienced opponents had the upper hand at the tie-break (16-14).
Yael Yellin said she was disappointed for losing such close game but on the other hand she was also satisfied with her and partner Guz’s performance. “We played against last year’s U22 European champions. If we had stayed a little more focussed, we would have been able to cause a sensation,” she said.
In the other semi-final Slovakia’s stars Natalia Dubovcova and Dominika Nestarcova made the difference as they first claimed their match with Cindy Treland/Janne Pedersen in straight sets (21-17, 21-12) and after that they emerged victorious also from the ‘golden match’ with Janne Kongshavn and Victoria Faye Kjølberg (21-17, 22-20).
The women’s ‘big final’ was some kind of a derby between Poland and Slovakia. Kolosinska and Brzostek easily edged past Lubica Siposova/Lucia Behunova (21-10, 21-14) and after that Gruszczynska and Baran came back from behind and had the upper hand in a close match with Slovakia’s top duo Dubovcova/Nestarcova (13-21, 21-19, 15-10) to secure their country’s qualification to the CEV Continental Cup Finals next year.
On Saturday Israel will be playing Norway to get the right to challenge Slovakia in the match for second place whose eventual winners will also move on to the Continental Cup Finals.
In the men’s competition, following the withdrawal of Azerbaijan, hosts Israel got to play Portugal in the semis. Home stars Ariel Hilman and Sean Faiga (pictured above) opened the programme with a close match against Rui Moreira and Joao Simoes. Actually the Israelis lost a close first set (20-22) but after that they imposed their rule in the second (21-11) and kept momentum also in the tie-break where they were passionately pushed by the local crowd (15-12). “It was a tough game and luckily we got the upper hand in the third, decisive set,” Ariel Hilman said. Netanel Amiram Ohana and Alon Sanderovich lost in three sets (21-18, 18-21, 8-15) to Portugal’s top duo Fabricio Barros and Januario Silva but Faiga/Hilman provided the home crowd with something more to cheer about following their 21-14, 21-16 win over Barros/Silva in the ‘golden match’.
The campaign of the home guys continued later in the afternoon in the ‘big final’ with Belgium. Ohana and Sanderovich lost in straight sets to Dries Koekelkoren and Tom van Walle (10-21, 10-21) but Faiga/Hilman restored the balance edging Bob Douwen/Robin Adriaensen (17-21, 21-15, 15-11) to keep Israel in contention for first place in the pool. The ‘golden match’ is now set to follow on Saturday morning starting at 9:00 am local time.
Click here for further information on the 2014-2016 CEV Beach Volleyball Continental Cup
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