Plan de Corones / Kronplatz, Italy, March 16, 2018. Eventually 23 men’s and 11 women’s teams started their fights today for the last spot at the 2018 CEV Snow Volleyball European Championship. The weather throughout the whole day was snowy and foggy with occasional sunbeams resulting in really snowy and cool conditions for the athletes, crew members, fans and those spectators who braved the weather.
With 36 matches in the men´s competition the schedule was busy and the match results defined the eight teams privileged to compete on Sunday in what is the last tour stop of 2018. Germany, Italy and Russia each see two teams through, along with one team from Slovenia and Lithuania. Besides those from Russia, all other teams have the chance to fight for the last spot of the #EuroSnowVolley – due to already being qualified or Russia having already reached their maximum country quota.
Tomorrows early morning matches will see a Russian derby where top seeds Ivan Golovin / Valeriy Durnin face 4th seeded Yury Bogatov / Pavel Rakusov and an Italian / Lithuanian fight with the 11th seeds Alessandro Carucci / Diego Fallace against the 10th seeds Artur Vasiljev / Marius Malinauskas. The winners of those two matches will go directly to the semi-finals scheduled for early afternoon. The other two spots in the semi-finals will be taken by the winners of two rounds featuring: Felix Glücklederer / Florian Schweikart (GER), Dennis Kliche / Danny Richter-Darge (GER), Jernej Potocnik / Tomislav Smuc (SLO), Massimo Di Risio / Benito Marinucci (ITA).
Eight women´s teams qualified through for Sunday´s conclusion from seven countries. The reigning ´Queens of the Snow´ from the Czech Republic, Anna Dostalova and Michaela Knoblochova, will face the 4th seeds from Germany Florentina Büttner / Tiana Nicolaus in a direct fight for a ticket to the semi-finals. The same prize awaits the winners of the battle between 2nd seeds Elisabeth Klopf / Viktoria Mair of Austria and the Swiss pair of Tatjana Greber / Kim Huber.
As with the men´s competition, two out of four remaining teams will also secure their presence in the semi-finals by winning two winning rounds, these are Catherine Marino / Francesca Fabbian of Italy, the Austrian team of Marilena Preiml / Maria Obernosterer, Eszter Lutter / Panna Györi from Hungary and the Swedish side of Josefine Tivefält / Talar Kirkor.
Four women´s teams are in a direct fight for the last spot of #EuroSnowVolley next weekend. While Switzerland, Germany and Italy can have a second female team representing their country should their side top the podium in Kronplatz, Sweden would have their first team present at the inaugural event in Wagrain-Kleinarl and Flachau on 23-25 March 2018 should they run out winners here.
Click here for more information on this weekends competition.
Something else coming off the mountain today was a new game called "Spikeball", learm more about it here: