26/09/2017 09:00
Two exciting Playoff matches open knockout phase at women’s EuroVolley
2017 CEV Volleyball European Championship - Women
Baku, Azerbaijan, September 26, 2017. After completion of the pool stage on Monday, the 2017 women’s EuroVolley continues with the Playoffs – with two matches due to take place on Tuesday and another two following on Wednesday to complete the names of the top eight teams in Europe. Pool winners Azerbaijan, Italy, Russia and Serbia lived up to the expectations and are waiting to know the name of their next opponent, as they will resume their quest for gold in the quarterfinals. On Tuesday Belarus and Czech Republic open the programme of the Playoffs at the iconic National Gymnastics Arena in Baku, with the Netherlands and Croatia following next at 20:30 local time. Live streaming of these matches will be available on the CEV’s YouTube channel as well as on Facebook in those countries where no broadcaster is transmitting the 2017 women’s EuroVolley.
Click here for a comprehensive TV schedule.
Click here for a list of the countries where live streaming will be available.
Belarus vs. Czech Republic
Head-to-Head
• Belarus and Czech Republic will meet for the first time at the European Championship.
• This will also be the first encounter between these teams at a major tournament.
Belarus
• Belarus hope to win the playoff match for the quarterfinals for the first time after defeats at the two previous tournaments.
• They lost 3-0 to Turkey in 2013 and suffered a 3-2 defeat against Poland in 2015.
• Belarus finished in ninth place in 2015, one rank lower than their best finish, an eighth place in both 1993 and 1995.
• Belarus have won two matches at the 2017 European Championship and another win would mean they claim three victories at a single edition for the first time.
• Anzhelika Barysevich is their team's top scorer at this European Championship on 38 points.
Czech Republic
• Czech Republic were ranked 11th at the 2015 European Championship. The last time they finished on the podium was in 1997 (bronze medal) and they hope to finish among the last eight for the second time since, after an eighth place in 2011.
• The Czech women won the playoff match for the quarterfinals in 2011, 3-1 versus France, but they lost in this round in both 2013 and 2015.
• Czech Republic have lost four of their last five competitive matches, at the European Championship and the World Grand Prix.
• In the nine matches before this run, they won seven and lost only two, all at the 2017 World Grand Prix.
• Andrea Kossanyiova has a 40% success rate as receiver. She also leads her team in serving aces (5).
The Netherlands vs. Croatia
Head-to-Head
• The Netherlands and Croatia have met six times before at the European Championships and both teams has won three matches.
• Holland's biggest win versus Croatia was the gold medal match in 1995, when they claimed their only European title thanks to a 3-0 win on home soil.
• Croatia won the most recent encounter at the European Championship in 2013, 3-2 in the playoff match for the quarterfinals.
• In all competitive matches, Netherlands have won their last three encounters with Croatia, at the 2015 European Games, the 2015 World Grand Prix and at the 2016 European Olympic Qualification Tournament.
The Netherlands
• The Netherlands hope to repeat their success of 1995 when they won their first and so far only gold medal at the European Championship.
• The Dutch came close to a second gold medal in 2015, only to lose the final against Russia.
• The Netherlands have won 83 and lost 84 matches in the history of the European Championship.
• The Netherlands finished fourth at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and they reached the final group phase of the 2017 World Grand Prix.
• Femke Stoltenborg has a 47% efficiency as setter at the 2017 European Championship, while Lonneke Slöetjes is Holland's top scorer on 45 points.
Croatia
• Croatia have collected three silver medals at the European Championship, in 1995, 1997 and 1999. In 2015 they finished 10th.
• They have reached the quarterfinals at only one of the last five European Championships as they finished in fifth place in 2013.
• Croatia have a W30-L29 record in the history of the European Championship.
• Croatia have claimed two wins in competitive matches in 2017, against Argentina at the World Grand Prix and versus Georgia at this European Championship.
• Katarina Barun Susnjar and Samanta Fabris are Croatia's leading scorers on 67 and 64 points respectively at the 2017 tournament.
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