Qualifications for the European Championship 2011

Any tv will show the Croatia's group matches?

Quote from elchicha

Any tv will show the Croatia's group matches?

http://raspored.hrt.hr/?raspored=1&mreza=3&datum=2010-05-22
you can watch match between Spain and Croatia on HRT2.

Quote from Rainmaker

http://raspored.hrt.hr/?raspored=1&mreza=3&datum=2010-05-22
you can watch match between Spain and Croatia on HRT2.

Is possible to watch on internet? link? Thank u

Quote from elchicha

Is possible to watch on internet? link? Thank u

unfortunately it isn't possible, i am suprised that they will broadcast match, usually they don't.

You can watch Czech Republic X Austria on this link

http://www.ceskatelevize.cz/iv…210471291660001-volejbal/

...

Azerbaijan 3-0 Bosnia&Herzegovina

Rahimova 17 points, Mammadova 9 points

Quote from Nati

Azerbaijan 3-0 Bosnia&Herzegovina

Rahimova 17 points, Mammadova 9 points

Wow,Polina Rahimova 6 aces 1 block 10 attack points and 56%! Cool! Twice more than Mamma! Another leader!

Bulgaria beat Greece 3;1 with Zetova, S.Filipova and Elitsa Vasileva as the big guns -
http://www.cev.lu/mmp-cgi/show…ate=p_prj_game_stat&key=0

Oksana Parkhomenko is injuried!
Another cool setter Natavan Gasimova will play which makes me forget about Oksi`s injury.I love both of them and feel very sorry for my Oksi!

Quote from SHABOVTA

Wow,Polina Rahimova 6 aces 1 block 10 attack points and 56%! Cool! Twice more than Mamma! Another leader!

Also Mamadova plays 29 % attack and 30 % reception for excellent 0 % what is the problem with her? injured?

Quote from SHABOVTA

Oksana Parkhomenko is injuried!
Another cool setter Natavan Gasimova will play which makes me forget about Oksi`s injury.I love both of them and feel very sorry for my Oksi!

I hope it is not serious, we'll need her against Belarus!
Also, Polina used to play with Gasimova.

Quote from serdar

Also Mamadova plays 29 % attack and 30 % reception for excellent 0 % what is the problem with her? injured?

I thought Mammadova didn't play receiving...

Link for Croatia-Spain? HRT2!

Why Croatia played so different yesterday? Isnt Miletic libero????

European qualifiers start without major upsets

2011 CEV European Championship - Women

Luxembourg, May 22, 2010. A series of second round qualifiers started on Friday afternoon with a total of 24 teams battling for a ticket to directly advance to the final round of the 2011 CEV Women’s European Championships to be jointly organized in Italy and Serbia. No major surprises were registered in the first competition day, even though France had to go through a real battle in Karlovy Vary (CZE) to clip the opening match against Hungary. A detailed wrap-up with comprehensive results per Pool is available hereafter.

Pool A in Mogilev (BLR)

Bosnia & Herzegovina vs. Azerbaijan 0:3 (16-25, 14-25, 22-25)
Belarus vs. Georgia 3:0 (25-8, 25-7, 25-7)

The opening matches of Pool A ended with clear victories for the favorite teams. Azerbaijan cruised past Bosnia & Herzegovina and Belarus did not leave any real hope to a young Georgian team. In the first match, the girls of coach Faig Garayev totally controlled the operations and the game was over in about one hour. Polina Rahimova stood out as Azerbaijan’s MVP with her aces and perfect attacks. Only in the third set the team of Bosnia & Herzegovina put up some resistance. A weak reception on the Azerbaijani side of the court helped the Bosnians very much in reducing their gap, but on the other hand the many unforced errors committed by the girls from the Balkan area were certainly one of the main reasons for the final 0:3 defeat. Belarus needed only fifty minutes to outclass Georgia. The guests had resumed to Mogilev with a very young team. Head coach Nino Mgebrishvili admitted that in the second round of the European Championship the young Georgia wishes to receive and gain the necessary experience to be able to compete in the near future against some strong contenders. Belarus is one of such teams. The superiority in the physical data was reflected in the game. The team of legendary coach Nikolay Karpol benefited of a classy performance for Shevchenko (11 points) and Makarevchuk (10 points) to book its first victory in the tournament.

Pool B in Karlovy Vary (CZE)

Czech Republic vs. Austria 3:0 (25-7, 25-15, 25-16)
Hungary vs. France 2:3 (25-22, 26-24, 16-25, 12-25, 9-15)

The Czech ladies did simply enjoy a classy start in the European qualifier being currently played in Karlovy Vary. They literally stormed away and clipped the first set with a huge gap (25-7). The Austrians, after a break, got back some confidence and managed to keep up with the Czechs until the score stood at 8:7 in the second set. Massively cheered up by the local crowd, the hosts played with real motivation and completed their mission in only 58 minutes. Czech coach Jiří Šiller commented after the match: “For me and such a young Czech team, it was the first important match. We had a good start. Then we substituted a few players and the team’s performance went a bit down. To summarize, it was a good game. Personally I am happy we won here in this huge hall”. Czech captain Ivana Plchotová added: “I am happy we started so well. We were quite nervous. After four or five balls we got rid of this tension and got into our usual game. We are glad we won”. Austrian assistant coach Christoph Kutmon: “It was the very first match and with the local team. Step by step we were improving. During the 2nd and 3rd set we couldn’t stand the Czech pressure. In general I am satisfied with the team’s performance. We shall build on it in the matches to come”. Austrian captain Lihua Ma concluded: “In the first set we didn’t play well. Our defense was weak. We had good starts in the second and third sets. It is a pity we didn’t carry on with this performance. We can play better and we will see that in the next matches”.
The teams from Hungary and France put up a dramatic fight in the second match scheduled for the opening day in Karlovy Vary. The first two sets went to the Hungarian ladies and that forced France to completely change their way of playing. It paid off since the girls around coach Fabrice Vial took the third set 25-16. In the fourth set the French “bulldozer” went ahead all the way through (8:3, 16:9) for the final 25-12. The “Bleus” could cope with a fierce comeback of the Hungarians in the tie-break and ended the five-set drama with a 15-9. With a short time for recovery, the losers will meet the Czech team at 5 p.m. tomorrow. Three hours later France will play Austria for its second match in this European campaign. French coach Fabrice Vial commented after the game: “The start was difficult. We did not know our opponents before this match. I am proud of my team and their good response after the 2nd set. It’s a good signal for the next matches. In my opinion the most important one is coming up tomorrow against the Czech Republic”. French captain Anna Rybaczewski added: “The competition start is always demanding. We didn’t serve well and didn’t stick together when we attempted our blocking. But we wanted to show off. We don’t like to lose or give up”. Hungarian mentor Mihály Farkas: “During the 1st and 2nd sets my players were fully concentrated. Then they seemed to be tired in their minds”. Hungary’s captain Beatrix Meléndez-Pál concluded: “I am a new captain. We have a new team playing together since last Tuesday. After the provisional 2:0 we thought we could win. I think it was our thinking that was a key to the tie-break. However, I am proud of my team”.

Source: CEV

Pool C in Severodonetsk (UKR)

Israel vs. Slovakia 3:2 (25-27, 15-25, 25-17, 25-16, 15-8)
Ukraine vs. Great Britain 3:0 (25-22, 25-9, 25-18)

In Severodonetsk Ukraine stamped a clear 3:0 in the opening match against Great Britain. The British team actually enjoyed a mighty start with a provisional lead at 7:1. That was nevertheless the sole and only time during the match. After the first technical time-out, Ukraine showed their fighting spirit and performed strong in attack to contain the British resistance and finish the set 25-22. Ukraine performed with real self-confidence in the second set. The British girls were well organized in defense, but the Ukrainian hitters did a great job at the net. Ukraine displayed some brilliant play and easily controlled the game for an impressive 25-9. In the third set Great Britain worked hard, but with a solid reception and impressive attacks Ukraine closed the game 3:0. The second match starring Israel and Slovakia was a real thriller. Slovakia clipped the first two sets but Israel did not surrender and tied the count. Both teams played great Volleyball but Israel maintained strong nerves in the tie-break for the final 3:2.

Pool D in Osijek (CRO)

Croatia vs. Switzerland 3:0 (25-21, 25-21, 25-18)
Spain vs. Montenegro 3:0 (25-8, 25-15, 25-17)

The first competition day in Osijek did not feature any major surprise. The pre-favorite teams, i.e. Croatia and Spain, won their respective matches against Switzerland and Montenegro with a 3:0 and made clear that their match on Saturday will decide who's going to leave Croatia with maximum points. In the first match on day one, Croatia did struggle a bit against Switzerland, but finally won the game in three sets (25-21, 25-21 and 25-18). The hosts entered the game rather nervous, allowing the Swiss team to get some easy points and stay close in the score. Croatia held the lead by two points most of the time, but nearing the end of the set the Swiss managed to equalize the score at 19 and 20. Then, with the help of some good serving performed by Ilijana Dugandzic, Croatia managed to get four points in a row and finally won the set 25-21. The home team was somewhat stronger in the second set in which they had a constant lead by four to six points. The Swiss team couldn't parry in that part of the game, so Croatia won second set again with a comfortable 25-21. The third set offered some suspense until the second technical time-out. Croatia had an early lead by four points, but the Swiss were fast to get back on track and start chasing the result. They managed to equalize at 15, but after that Croatia again showed a better play and won the final set 25-18. Marina Miletic (Croatia) was the best player of the game totaling 16 points.
Swiss coach Severin Granvorka commented: “I'm mostly satisfied with the play my team showed against Croatia. However, our lack of experience cost us some easy points. I wish we had some chance to take at least one set, but it wasn't possible today”.
Croatian captain and home star Maja Poljak added: “We played o.k. The most important thing is that we didn't waste too much energy, because we have a really important game against Spain tomorrow”. Her coach Miroslav Aksentijevic added: “I hope that this was only a bad day for my team. We didn't play well and we have to play much better tomorrow if we want to grab important points against Spain”.
It took exactly one hour for the Spanish team to beat Montenegro (25-8, 25-15, 25-17) in the second game on Friday. Spain opened the first set with an 8:0 lead on team captain Amaranta Fernandez serving turn. At the second technical time-out Spain had 12 points of margin, so the favored team finished the first set with a quick 25-8. Montenegro started much better in the second set, but Spain was yet again leading all the way. In the third set Spain started with a 5:0 lead and very early took full control of the final set. Milagros Collar topped the charts of the best scorers with 19 points. Spain’s coach Gido Vermeulen said: “We played well tonight, and I’m satisfied by the fact that they took this game seriously. Tomorrow we have a big and important match against Croatia and I expect it to be tight”. Montenegrin coach Vladimir Rackovic added: “We weren’t able to defend well against the excellent Spanish attacks. We expect a much better result on Saturday against Switzerland”.

Source: CEV

Pool E in Hasselt (BEL)

Romania vs. Slovenia 3:1 (18-25, 25-21, 25-15, 25-19)
Belgium vs. Sweden 3:0 (25-14, 25-13, 25-15)

The first game of the European qualifier in Hasselt featured a couple of ambitious teams, with the more solid international experience of the Romanian girls proving to be decisive for the final 3:1 against Slovenia. With the strong serving of captain Karmen Kocar Slovenia sailed away for a 0:4 break in the opening of the match; the Slovenians led all the way through, causing much pressure on the Romanian reception with their solid attacks. A block of Valentina Zaloznik finished the set 18-25 for Slovenia. In the second set Romania bounced back with the help of their star Iuliana Nucu – who plays in the Italian national league – and that section of the game was over as the Slovenians could not control a serving of Florentina Nedelcu. The Slovenians looked a little bit confused after the loss of the second set and were quickly trailing down 6:1. Even a time-out of coach Kozamernik couldn’t resolve the problems in reception against a clever and tactically better Romania that easily won the third set with the powerful smashes of Corjeutanu and the tactical play of Neaga. The Slovenian girls found back their enthusiastic play and with their fighting spirit they came back from 6:3 to tie at 8 in the fourth set, but the more experienced team of Romania took advantage of too many individual faults hampering the overall performance of their opponents. “We didn’t have enough information about the Slovenian team, so we were a bit surprised in the first set. From the beginning of the second set our reception was more under control and we blocked better” admitted the Romanian coach Darko Zakoc. “We started so well and we blocked much better in the first set. But I can’t explain why our motivation looked as if it were gone away after the second set. We are not disappointed, because we knew Romania was good” concluded Slovenia’s mentor Kozamernik.
The Belgian girls enjoyed a splendid start in front of their home fans outclassing Sweden in three straight sets (25-14, 25-13, 25-15). The experience of Charlotte Leys and Liesbet Vindevoghel was an important factor, but young setter Elies Goos also played with real confidence to compensate for the absence of Frauke Dirickx and Yana De Leeuw. At 12:6 the Swedish coach took her first time-out and it helped briefly, but Leys and Aelbrecht didn’t leave any hope to the Swedes to eventually clip the set. The same pattern was to be seen in the second set; the great attacks of Aelbrecht and De Schrijver paved the way for the 15:7 and an easy win against the inexperienced Swedish girls. The third set did not feature any real problems for the powerful Belgian girls as well. Only Anna Rönnbäck and Andrea Jacobsson could surprise the local defenders, but the Swedish team didn’t come closer than at 9:6. “Of course, Belgium was the favourite, but we didn’t play bad. Even if the result should say so” argued Swedish coach Tine Nygren. “Last year we didn’t qualify for the second round, this year we did. Belgium had too much power for our team and sometimes we missed consistency, but it was a good experience for our team”. “I knew that if my players had followed the instructions, we would have controlled the game. And that was what happened in defence, in attack and in serve” concluded Belgian ‘coach of the year’ Gert Vande Broek.

Pool F in Guarda (POR)

Bulgaria vs. Greece 3:1 ((25-15, 25-20, 16-25, 25-20)
Finland vs. Portugal 3:0 (25-14, 25-17, 25-15)

Bulgaria scored today a 3:1 victory against Greece and confirmed being the favorite of Pool F being currently played in Portugal. This match was considered by many as an anticipated final and the truth is that the first moments were faithful to these considerations. Greece entered strongly in the first set blocking the Bulgarians with some “easiness”. The players of coach Dragan Nesic regrouped and their excellent offensive game started to produce earnings; with Eva Yaneva serving and Elitsa Vasileva in blocking Bulgaria went fast to the end of the set (25-15). The beginning of the 2nd set was balanced, with Bulgaria then gaining some advantage that was recovered by their opponents. Greece stopped at 17 and Bulgaria took the chance to score 4 consecutive points and eventually won the set 25-20. In the following set, the players of Giovanni Caprara easily gained a 4-point advantage that shortly increased to 7, through a spike from Evangelia Chantava. Greece dominated completely their opponents that, nervously, accumulated errors (7:16), giving up their fight. In the fourth and final set, Greece continued to play joyfully and effectively, still taking advantage of Bulgaria’s errors (3:0, 8:6). But this time the Bulgarians reacted (8:8) and were able to impose their superiority. The final result, 25-20, was a clear expression of the difference in the game presented by both teams in this set. Nikoleta Koutouxidou, Greece’s captain, said that the team is still trying to improve their game, since they had a short training time, while her coach, Giovanni Caprara, revealed his happiness with the result of the match, recognizing that the team started badly but improved during the match and will try to do better in tomorrow’s match against Portugal. On the other side, Eva Yaneva thought that her team didn’t play a good Volleyball, due to the lack of some automatisms, but they will try to improve during the tournament. Bulgaria’s coach, Dragan Nesic congratulated Greece that was able to take advantage of his team “blackout” in the 3rd set, but added that “we played very well in the remaining sets, and tomorrow against Finland we will have to think about our mistakes and try to improve even more our game”.
In today’s second match Finland was able to surprise a very young Portuguese national team (the majority of players are 16 years old and the oldest players 22) that still lacks of experience, in spite of the effort undertaken in this first competition day. Finland entered very well in the first set, demonstrating confidence. The team of coach Tore Aleksandersen gained a slight advantage but that was increased shortly after by taking advantage of the weakness of Portugal’s reception and block. Portugal still tried to react, but the Nordics weren’t caught by surprise and closed the set, 25-14, with two serves from Sini Hakkinen. In the following set the history was different and balance was the key note in the first moments, even tough with an ascendant from Finland that went ahead in the score. Portugal, with Joana Polido serving, dangerously approached (15:18), but it wasn’t enough to stop Finland to win the set 25-17. In the third set, the hosts tried to recover the lost ground, but Finland arrived at the first technical break in advantage by 4-pts. At the second mandatory stop, the advantage was almost decisive (16:8) and the situation was even more complicated for the home team, when Riikka Lehtonen, Finnish captain, scored the 19:9. The winning team was found and Finland closed with a 25-15. Tore Aleksandersen stated the importance of winning and the team concentration, and the fact that “today it was the first time the team trained with all the players”, and that “tomorrow will be more complicated since Bulgaria is the best team is this Pool”. The Portuguese coach, Gilda Harris, said: “This team is training very hard, but, nevertheless, everyone saw how young they are, and despite the fact that I can not be happy with defeats, I am very satisfied with the answer that they sometimes presented”, expressing also the hope that “tomorrow all may be different and we may be able to fight for all the points and present a good exhibition”. Daniela Loureiro, the Portuguese captain mentioned also the fact that “the team is very young so this result doesn’t surprise me”, adding the fact that “the team could be more effective, but we were nervous. We are training with the goal to play more and better in order to improve”.

Source: CEV

Live stream in very good quality for Czech Rep - Hungary: http://www.ceskatelevize.cz/iv…210471291660002-volejbal/