Pool play into final phase at the U21 World Championships

Umag, Croatia, June 20, 2013 – After two rounds of pool play on the first day of main draw the women’s competition at the FIVB U21 World Champions in Umag is taking shape.



Reigning junior world champion Nina Betschart and her partner Nicole Eiholzer made no mistakes with two straight wins, but youth world champions Ieva Dumbauskaite and Monika Povilaityte lost in three sets to USA’s Laura Dykstra and Rebecca Strehlow.



In the men’s competition the odds are still open after only one round of pool play.



Reigning U21 world champion Betschart just wants to play



Reigning U21 world champion Nina Betschart and her partner Nicole Eiholzer just want to play their best at the FIVB U21 World Championships in Umag. Betschart can set a new record in Croatia becoming the first player to win three U21 titles in a row, but for the 17-year old this is not her main focus. 

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Late arrival costs St. Lucia the match


A last minute arrival and lack of sleep cost St. Lucia their first match at the U21 World Championships in Umag. Agustin Faulkner and Coen Caesar were no match for Edvarts Buivids and Pekmanis Reinis, in just 24 minutes they lost 21-4 21-13 to the Latvians.



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Benham and Kambiz want to make Iran proud



Behnam Tavakoli and Kalteh Kambiz have one major goal this week at the FIVB U21 World Championships in Umag: they are determined to make Iran proud.

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On Friday the men will play two rounds and the women one to finish pool play. The pool winners advance straight to the second elimination round. The numbers two and three meet in the first knockout round.

Matches at the Stella Maris Sports Complex start at 10 am on Friday, the last match of the day is scheduled for 10.30 pm.

An interesting match to watch will be the clash between Asian champions Mariafe Artacho and Jessyka Ngauamo from Australia and the 2011 youth world champion Katarzyna Kociolek and her partner Jagoda Gruszczynska from Poland. Both teams had two straight wins on Thursday and at 1.20 pm they will go head to head to decide who takes first place.

FIVB U21 World Championships Tournament Page 

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