30/09/2017 09:00
Four elite teams still in contention for the crown at #EuroVolleyW
2017 CEV Volleyball European Championship - Women
Baku, Azerbaijan, September 30, 2017. We are down to four at the 2017 women’s EuroVolley – including three of the semi-finalists from the 2015 edition, i.e. The Netherlands, Serbia and Turkey. The Netherlands are trying to improve on the silver medal they won on home soil two years ago but before they can vie for gold, they will first have to edge past hosts Azerbaijan in the semis – with the players from the ‘Land of Fire’ making their second-ever appearance in a #EuroVolleyW semi-final, the first since 2005. Serbia and Turkey will cross swords in the second semi-final in a repeat of the bronze medal match from the 2015 edition – which Serbia won 3-0.
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The Netherlands vs. Azerbaijan
Head-to-head
• The Netherlands won their only previous encounter with Azerbaijan at the European Championship, a 3-1 win in the Playoff round in 2011.
• The Azeri won the last meeting between these teams at a major competition, clinching a 3-0 victory at the 2015 European Games in Baku.
• Azerbaijan claimed a 3-0 victory over the Netherlands this past June 3 at a World Championship qualifier held in Baku.
• Holland won their other two encounters at major events, twice at the World Championship - 3-1 in 1994 and 3-0 in 2006.
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 85 and lost 84 matches in the history of the European Championship.
• Holland can win three matches in a row in straight sets at the European Championship for the first time since 2009, when they had a run of five.
• They have not claimed three successive straight-sets wins in competitive matches in 2017.
• Lonneke Slöetjes is the Netherlands’ top scorer on 79 points this campaign.
Azerbaijan
• Azerbaijan will finish in the top four of a European Championship tournament for the second time, after a fourth place on their debut in 2005.
• They lost their semi-final 3-0 against Italy in 2005, before a straight-sets defeat versus Russia in the match for third and fourth place.
• Azerbaijan could win five successive European Championship matches for the first time.
• Three of their four victories this tournament came in straight sets, including over Germany in the quarterfinals.
• When Azerbaijan hosted the European Games in 2015, they lost their semi-final to Turkey and then lost the bronze medal match versus Serbia.
• Since the victory for the Netherlands on home soil in 1995, only one host country managed to lift the trophy - Serbia in Belgrade in 2011, when they co-hosted the event together with Italy.
• Polina Rahimova has scored a team high 94 points at this tournament, including 21 in the quarterfinals, most of all players on the field against Germany.
Serbia vs. Turkey
Head-to-head
• Serbia have won four and lost two encounters with Turkey at the European Championship.
• After 3-0 wins in 1981 and 1989 (as Yugoslavia), Serbia lost 3-0 (as Serbia and Montenegro) and 3-1 in 2003 and 2009 respectively before claiming a 3-2 win in 2011 and a 3-0 victory in 2015.
• That 3-0 win in 2015 gave Serbia their second bronze medal at the European Championship, after 1951 (as Yugoslavia).
• Serbia have won their last five encounters with Turkey at major competitions, including straight-sets wins in their last three.
• They last met at the 2017 World Grand Prix, where Serbia won 3-0. Turkey gifted Serbia 19 points by unforced errors in this match.
• Serbia’s Brankica Mihajlovic scored 18 points in that 3-0 win at the World Grand Prix, more than Turkey's two highest scoring players combined - Polen Uslupehlivan (7) and Meryem Boz (6).
Serbia
• Serbia are hoping to repeat their success of 2011, when they beat Germany in the final to win their first and to date only European title.
• They also finished on the podium in 2015 (third), 2007 (second) and 1951 (third as Yugoslavia).
• Serbia have won five matches in a row at the European Championship for the first time.
• Serbia have reached the semi-finals at each of their last three major tournaments - the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (won v United States), 2017 World Grand Prix (lost v Brazil) and the 2017 European Championship.
• They won their first two semi-final matches at European Championships (2007, 2011) but have lost their last two (2013, 2015), both against Russia.
• Tijana Boskovic leads her team in scoring at these championships, on 78 points.
Turkey
• Turkey have claimed two podium finishes at the European Championship: second in 2003 and third in 2011. They just missed out on the medals at the last edition in 2015 (fourth) when they lost against Serbia.
• Turkey have lost their two most recent semi-finals at the European Championship, in 2015 against the Netherlands and in 2011 versus Serbia. They won their other semi-final, against the Netherlands in 2003.
• Turkey started the 2017 European Championship with two defeats and they could become the first team to win the European title despite losing their first two matches.
• The Turkish team reached the semi-finals by eliminating reigning European champions Russia in straight sets. They were already the last side to beat Russia in a knockout match at the European Championship as they also eliminated them in the quarterfinals in 2011.
• Meryem Boz scored a match high 23 points in that fixture against Russia.
• Neriman Ozsoy remains Turkey’s top scorer at the tournament with 76 points.
• Eda Erdem Dündar has scored a competition high 23 points from blocks.
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