10/12/2019 12:30
Austrians look forward to home #EuroVolleyU20M qualifier
News from the National Federations
Vienna, Austria, December 10, 2019. The Austrian U20 men’s national team will start their #EuroVolleyU20M journey with a home qualifier in early January. The team coached by Roland Schwab will be playing Cyprus and Croatia at the VIVA National Sports Centre in Steinbrunn from January 9 to 11, 2020. The group winners will progress to the second round in late April - early May. The runners-up may achieve the same feat as well depending on the results from the other 1st round qualifier featuring Kosovo, Estonia, and Switzerland.
“The goal is crystal clear: we want to make it to the second round! Of course, a good start against Cyprus is important, before we watch the Croats on the second day and have the chance to prepare in the best way for the third and final day of competition. I am confident that my team can win both games. Some players already have Bundesliga experience and overall, the group has a very decent level,” said Schwab about a week before the start of the preparation in Steinbrunn.
Between Christmas and New Year, the Austrians will be competing in the MEVZA Junior Championship in Maribor, where they will meet the national teams of Hungary, Slovakia, Israel, hosts Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Croatia - an ideal opportunity to test their skills and improve. On January 2, the players will come together again in Steinbrunn to finalise their preparations for the home qualifier.
That same weekend, the U18 boys play in Maribor and the U17 girls in Zadar, Croatia for the first round of qualifiers to their respective European Championships. The winners qualify straight to the Final Round, while teams finishing second to fifth will move on to the second stage of the qualifying process. “We want to make it to the second round with both teams, that must be the goal,” says Florian Sedlacek, who is responsible for youth and junior national teams at the Austrian Volleyball Federation (OeVV).
The U19 women’s national team will start their journey from the second round scheduled for the end of April / beginning of May. From December 28 to 30, they will compete in the MEVZA Junior Championship due to take place in Dunaújváros, Hungary.
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