05/09/2020 20:00
Spain back on track and in contention for EuroVolley ticket
CEV EuroVolley 2021
Nicosia, Cyprus, September 5, 2020. After suffering a surprising setback on Friday to hosts Cyprus, Spain got back on track to secure a 3-1 victory over Latvia (27-25, 18-25, 28-26, 25-22) and assert their intention to claim the direct ticket to EuroVolley 2021 at stake in Pool D in Nicosia.
Spain claimed their second victory in as many matches they have played against Latvia in the group, and this is a key victory in the fight for the top spot in the pool, with Spain and Latvia sharing now the same win-loss record at 3-1 and nine points each from five matches. The Red Lynxes, playing this time in predominantly yellow shirts, emerged as the eventual winners through their outstanding performance at the net and especially through their blocks.
On Sunday, Latvia will be playing hosts Cyprus and Spain will take on Moldova – the result of these matches will determine who eventually finishes on top of the charts in the pool and will qualify for EuroVolley.
“We started this match with the only goal of achieving a victory and nothing else,” said Spanish middle blocker Borja Ruiz. “Now we want to win Sunday’s match with Moldova as well in order to qualify for EuroVolley. There are no easy matches at this tournament and our only goal now is to secure another victory tomorrow with Moldova.”
Some 24 hours after their historic triumph against Spain, Cyprus added another milestone to their resume as they recorded a 3-2 come-from-behind victory over Moldova (25-20, 19-25, 19-25, 25-22, 15-10). This is a further confirmation of the high level achieved by Cyprus Volleyball and their ability to stand the opposition brought by more experienced opponents. The hosts did not lose composure when they trailed 1-2 and they played with all of their hearts to achieve a tiebreak victory. On Sunday, Cyprus will try to add another scalp to their collection when they face current pool leaders Latvia.
“This victory is the result of a team effort and especially the younger players on the team deserve much credit for it,” said Cyprus player Konstantinos Pafitis. “We will give everything in tomorrow’s match with Latvia.”
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