25/05/2016 21:59
Cyprus upset Faroese crowd, secure progression to World Champs second round
2018 FIVB Women's World Championship / 2017 CEV Volleyball European Championship - Small Countries Division
Tórshavn, Faroe Islands, May 25, 2016. On Wednesday night Cyprus upset a sell-out crowd of 600 fans in Tórshavn edging the Faroe Islands by 3-1 to claim the top spot in the final standing of the three-day tournament played in the Faroese capital. As a result, Cyprus also secured the only spot at stake to move on to the second stage of the 2018 FIVB Women’s World Championship qualification process scheduled for May 2017. On the other hand, by finishing the tournament in second place the Faroe Islands can be happy with their promotion – alongside Cyprus – to the final stage of the 2017 CEV Volleyball European Championship – Small Countries Division that will be taking place next year in Luxembourg.
Ireland vs. Liechtenstein 0-3 (8-25, 5-25, 5-25)
Liechtenstein finished their duties in Tórshavn with a comfortable victory over Ireland. Before today’s game both teams had lost their respective matches with Cyprus and the Faroe Islands, but it was expected that Liechtenstein would be too big a bit for the Irish to chew. And that’s exactly how it was in the end. Liechtenstein really never looked back after the first whistle comfortably winning the game 3-0 with an impressive score line (25-8, 25-5, 25-5). This result gives Liechtenstein third place in the group; Ireland end up fourth and last in the pool.
Cyprus vs. Faroe Islands 3-1 (25-21, 25-14, 19-25, 25-13)
The ‘final’ never became the match the hosts had hoped for. Even though both teams had won both their previous matches with Ireland and Liechtenstein pretty much with the same set score, Cyprus proved too strong for the Faroese team.
Compared to the two first games it looked like Cyprus just shifted to another gear when the opposition got stronger, and with consistent reception and effective attacking play, Cyprus cruised to a fairly commanding 3-1 win.
It was only in the third set that the Faroese players had something to bring to the final match of the tournament held on some soil in Tórshavn.
The match showed that the Faroese team still have a distance to cover before they can compete with the level of Cyprus, but also that with the current squad the Faroese coach, Mr Jóhan Petur á Stongum, has a lot to work with.
Click here for more info including detailed stats of the matches
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