A few top 10 finishes for MEVZA teams as Russia heavily represented on the final day of #EuroBeachVolleyU22 in Izmir

Izmir, Turkey. On Saturday, after completion of the third competition day at Pamucak Beach, the semi-finalists of #EuroBeachVolleyU22 eventually emerged – with two teams from Germany and one apiece from Poland and Russia reaching the final stages of the men’s tournament. Two teams from Russia, plus one from Switzerland and Ukraine will contest the women’s semis and medal matches on Sunday.

The stormy and windy weather and its effects provided the players competing at the U22 continental event with challenging conditions on Saturday. The third competition day started with the Round of 16 matches. In the morning session, all of the pre-favourite teams lived up to their status and eventually reached the quarterfinals. The most anticipated duel of the day featured reigning U22 European champions Maria Voronina and Mariia Bocharova of Russia and last year’s bronze medal winners Daniela Alvarez and Maria Belen Carro of Spain. The match was a repeat of the semi-final from the 2019 event held in Antalya. Russian rising stars Voronina and Bocharova showed no mercy to celebrate a 2-0 (21-17, 21-13) victory. Swiss duo Esmee Böbner and Mara Betschart managed to beat the recently crowned U20 European champions Varvara Brailko and Anete Namike of Latvia in straight sets (21-19, 21-18) to play Voronina and Bocharova in the semis.

Reigning U22 European champions Maria Voronina/Mariia Bocharova of Russia remain in contention for another continental title

The second semi-final features Ukraine’s Sofiia Rylova/Yeva Serdiuk, bronze medallists at the U20 event in Brno two weeks ago, and Russia’s Anastasiia Frolova/Aleksandra Ganenko.

Teams from Germany were the standout performers in the men’s competition. Lukas Pfretzschner and Robin Sowa secured their spot in the semis with a 2-0 (21-15, 21-14) victory over Switzerland’s Nathan Broch and Jonathan Jordan while Mio Wüst and Rudy Schneider defeated Latvia’s Artus Rinkevics and Rudolfs Stankevics 2-0 (21-19, 21-18) to reach the top four as well. Wüst and Schneider will play Poland’s Milosz Kruk/Mikolaj Miszczuk in the semis, with Pfretzschner and Sowa taking on Alexey Gusev/Pavel Shustrov of Russia.

The 2020 edition of #EuroVolleyBeachU22 will be reaching its climax with the gold medal matchestoday, starting at 4:15 pm and 5:15 pm local time (CEST +1) for women and men, respectively. You can follow live streaming of these matches on EuroVolleyTV as well as on the CEV’s YouTube channel and Beach Volleyball Facebook page.

MEVZA Teams

WOMEN
ROUND OF 16
Brinkova/Neuschaeferova CZE vs. Carro/Álvarez M ESP 1-2 (15-21, 21-18, 12-15)
Voronina/Bocharova RUS vs. Zuzek/Spoljaric SLO 2-0 (21-15, 21-12)

ROUND OF 24
Christ/Grüne GER vs. Honzovicova/Zolnercikova CZE 2-0 (21-18, 21-19)
Briede/Paegle LAT vs. Divényi/Réthelyi HUN 2-0 (21-16, 21-18)
Carro/Álvarez M ESP vs. Maor/Ashush ISR 2-0 (21-18, 21-13)
Zuzek/Spoljaric SLO vs. Freitas Schoffel/Huggins ENG 2-0 (21-11, 21-17)

POOL H
Brinkova/Neuschaeferova CZE vs. Schoffel/Huggins ENG 2-0 (21-15, 21-8)
Brinkova/Neuschaeferova CZE vs. Briede/Paegle LAT 2-0 (21-19, 21-13)
POOL G
Honzovicova/Zolnercikova CZE vs. Pinheiro/Castro POR 2-0 (21-8, 21-15)
Szewczyk/Vieira FRA vs. Zuzek/Spoljaric SLO 2-1 (21-14, 19-21, 15-10)
Zuzek/Spoljaric SLO vs. Pinheiro/Castro POR 2-0 (21-15, 21-17)
Szewczyk/Vieira FRA vs. Honzovicova/Zolnercikova CZE 2-0 (21-13, 21-10)
Zuzek/Spoljaric SLO vs. Honzovicova/Zolnercikova CZE 2-1 (21-13, 14-21, 15-7)
POOL B
Müller/Schulz GER vs. Divényi/Réthelyi HUN 2-0 (21-13, 21-16)
Divényi/Réthelyi HUN vs. Frolova/Ganenko RUS 0-2 (12-21, 8-21)
POOL A
Maor/Ashush ISR vs. Rylova/Serdiuk UKR 0-2 (10-21, 11-21)
Voronina/Bocharova RUS vs. Maor/Ashush ISR 2-0 (21-14, 21-18)

MEN
ROUND OF 16
Marchetto/Dal Corso ITA vs. Semerad/Manas CZE 2-1 (19-21, 21-8, 15-9)
Kruk/Miszczuk POL vs. Kopschar/Pascariuc P. AUT 2-0 (21-19, 25-23)
Rinkevics/Stankevics LAT vs. Elazar/Masuri, O. ISR 2-1 (11-21, 22-20, 15-12)
Wüst/Schneider GER vs. Hajós/Stréli HUN 2-0 (22-20, 21-14)

ROUND OF 24
Melmuka/Knobloch CZE vs. Aispurs/Bedritis LAT 1-2 (21-17, 9-21, 9-15)
Semerad/Manas CZE vs. Lesiecki/Kurowski POL 2-1 (21-13, 17-21, 15-10)
Kopschar/Pascariuc P. AUT vs. Makaric/Nikolic SRB 2-0 (21-7, 21-13)
Elazar/Masuri, O. ISR vs. Pedrosa/Campos POR 2-0 (21-19, 21-14)
Hajós/Stréli HUN vs. Stankevicius/Donela LTU 2-1 (21-11, 13-21, 15-13)

POOL H
Stankevicius/Donela LTU vs. Semerad/Manas CZE 1-2 (21-17, 18-21, 9-15)
Semerad/Manas CZE vs. Zürcher/Dillier SUI 1-2 (21-16, 10-21, 11-15)
Semerad/Manas CZEvs. Rinkevics/Stankevics LAT 2-0 (21-18, 21-19)
POOL F
Gusev/Shustrov RUS vs. Melmuka/Knobloch CZE 2-1 (21-13, 17-21, 15-12)
Bello, Ja./Bialokoz ENG vs. Melmuka/Knobloch CZE 0-2 (14-21, 15-21)
Windisch/Di Silvestre A ITA vs. Melmuka/Knobloch CZE 1-2 (21-17, 21-23, 16-18)
POOL D
Kopschar/Pascariuc P. AUT vs. Maier/Rodina ROU 2-0 (21-16, 21-16)
Kopschar/Pascariuc P. AUT vs. Marchetto/Dal Corso ITA 0-2 (18-21, 14-21)
POOL C
Duque/Pérez ESP vs. Hajós/Stréli HUN 0-2 (18-21, 19-21)
Hajós/Stréli HUN vs. Chukhnenkov/Evert RUS 1-2 (18-21, 21-18, 12-15)
Hajós/Stréli HUN vs. Pedrosa/Campos POR 2-0 (21-18, 21-17)
POOL B
Elazar/Masuri, O. ISR vs. Oláh/Ghazal HUN 2-0 (21-16, 21-19)
Pavliuk/Plotnik UKR vs. Oláh/Ghazal HUN 2-0 (21-12, 21-13)
Arkhipov/Veretiuk RUSvs. Elazar/Masuri, O. ISR 2-0 (21-12, 21-17)
Pavliuk/Plotnik UKR [15] vs. Elazar/Masuri, O. ISR 1-2 (15-21, 24-22, 9-15)
Arkhipov/Veretiuk RUSvs. Oláh/Ghazal HUN 2-0 (21-14, 21-11)