Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, August 9, 2016 - After starting the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Beach Volleyball competition with a defeat, Germans Karla Borger and Britta Buthe rebounded with a Pool E win here Tuesday evening against Jantine van der Vlist and Sophie van Gestel of The Netherlands.
Entering the Rio quadrennial as the second-ranked team in their pool, Borger and Buthe posted a 2-0 (21-19, 21-14) win in 38 minutes over van der Vlist and van Gestel. The Dutch women, who led only four times in the match, earned their Copacabana berth via the European confederations Continental Cup competition.
Borger and Buthe, who dropped a 2-0 (21-12, 21-16) decision Sunday to Joana Heidrich and Nadine Zumkehr of Switzerland, have now defeated van der Vlist and van Gestel three times this season. The setback to the Swiss was the second in five matches with Heidrich and Zumkehr.
Borger and Buthe close out Pool E play late Thursday in the final women’s match in the preliminary rounds against Heather Bansley and Sarah Pavan of Canada. The international series between the two teams is tied 2-2 with the last match being at the 2015 FIVB World Championships in The Netherlands where Bansley and Pavan posted an elimination win over the BBs.
Van der Vlist and van Gestel also conclude group action Thursday against Heidrich and Zumkehr with the Swiss looking for their third win in as many meetings with the Dutch pair.
