03/04/2016 21:05
Cicolari/Toti finally on top of Europe
2016 CEV Snow Volleyball European Tour
Kronplatz / Plan de Corones, Italy, April 3, 2016. Greta Cicolari/Giulia Toti made the home crowd at Kronplatz / Plan de Corones ecstatic by finally winning a stop of the 2016 CEV Snow Volleyball European Tour on their third attempt. Having finished second at the first two stops in the Czech Republic and Austria, they also triumphed as the overall ‘Queens of the Snow’ for the entire Tour.
The Italian pair was merciless on the final day of competition and did not lose a single set in the four matches they played. In their toughest game of the round-robin final four pool, Cicolari/Toti took their revenge for yesterday’s loss to Germany’s Florentina Büttner/Valeriya Fedosova and squeezed out a tight 2-0 (11-9, 12-10) victory.
Joining them in the grand final was Czech duo Anna Dostálová/Michaela Knoblochová, who also mastered straight-set wins against the other two final four participants. Cicolari/Toti set their foot firmly on the slippery snow during the first set and won it by a convincing 11-6. After 10-7 in favour of the Italians in the second set, Dostálová/Knoblochová fought bravely to save the three consecutive match points and prompt an exciting ending. Cheered noisily by the fans of the two teams, the four snow volleyballers continued the spectacle until the home favourites finally closed it off at 17-15.
This made their victory all the more exhilarating. “It was a tough match!” Greta exclaimed right after their victory dance was finished. “And I think – a very nice match to watch for the people here. Playing on the snow is always beautiful, because you never know what the court will be like. This afternoon was really slippery and very difficult to play. We are very proud to be the first European champions! For me, this was a big goal that now has been achieved. I was already on top of Europe in Beach Volleyball in Kristiansand, but now I feel even higher, because we are on top of this beautiful mountain. Next year we will be here again for sure.”
The bronze medal match was even more spectacular than the final. Büttner/Fedosova dominated the first set and closed it at 11-6. Italy’s Valentina Favaglioni/Federica Bianchini gave the home fans a reason to cheer with an 11-9 win of the second set. In the tie-breaker, the performance of the two European Tour rookies brought real pleasure to the numerous spectators in attendance at the centre court. With so many ups and downs in the score and changes in the lead, the drama was overwhelming and finally ended when the German team triumphed with a 19-17 win.
For further information visit also the official website www.snowvolleyball.com and the Instagram account @snowvolleyball
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