Qualifications for the European Championship 2011

Wow all these teams are stupid, how lame are they... they have to play qualifying tournaments psssh. I guess not everyone can be in the final of the european championships like Holland.. wow, we're such and amazing team Kidding, you guys are amazing.

I hope Belgium qualifies anyway.. even after their bad defeat at the hands of Romania. Also Great Britain and Azerbaijan I hope will do good, they're great.

Quote from HeeelMooi

Wow all these teams are stupid, how lame are they... they have to play qualifying tournaments psssh. I guess not everyone can be in the final of the european championships like Holland.. wow, we're such and amazing team Kidding, you guys are amazing.

I hope Belgium qualifies anyway.. even after their bad defeat at the hands of Romania. Also Great Britain and Azerbaijan I hope will do good, they're great.

I think Belgium is missing a lot the players missing, Dirickx, Rousseaux...and always De Carne. I know De Carne is out, but you think for next weekend Rousseaux and Dirickx can come back?

Helene Rousseaux has problems with coach, so she will not play for Belgium NT until he is coach. That guy succeed to destroy in one year what previous coaches were building for years, Belgium is on sure road to not qualifying for European championship.

and why van hecke liese or jolien wittock did not play? they are one of the best opposites of their generations

Quote from serdar

and why van hecke liese or jolien wittock did not play? they are one of the best opposites of their generations

Liese Van Hecke is injured, in match against Panathinaikos she injured her knee and will be out for 6 months, just had surgery month ago. Do I need to mentioned that coach of NT is coaching her in club (good physical preparation if 17 years old rupture complete her ligaments).

Jolin Wittock is in NT but he (coach (Gert Vande Broek)) has issues with her because she left his club (Kieldrecht) and chose to play abroad not in Belgium, on her place was player Sarah De Smith (170 cm tall) off course she is player of Kieldrecht.

Yes, unfortunately Belgium national team became from most promising team to make excellent results in future to the team who will not qualify on European championship, EGO from some coaches is to high.

this is so sad, belgium has great results both junior and youth level. But for Senior NT, they are under average.
playing abroad is a good idea i guess, for example vasileva show great performance at perugia in italy. maybe your promising talented players have to do that like wittock does.

but about EGO there is unfortunately nothing to do we have the same issue; gulden and chiappini

link for bulgary-greece please............

http://www.ntvonline.ro/ntv-live.html

Romania vs Sweden

Bulgaria beat Greece 3:0 no matter of our anti-coach

Raylight i don' t know what do you have against Dragan Nesic . I think that he is very good and qualty coach . Also he leads a team in the italian league . This shows his qualities .

Quote from dido1302

Raylight i don' t know what do you have against Dragan Nesic . I think that he is very good and qualty coach . Also he leads a team in the italian league . This shows his qualities .

I am may be subjective, but the way he was leading our team in the WCH qualifications and in the ECH showed that he does not give everything if I can express myself that way. He was the main reason for us to loose the game with Poland with his lack of reaction to turnovers and lack of team strategy on the block. With the players we have, we should have qualified and get medals from ECH. We underperformed too much.

Anna Velikiy in good form 34 points, Paula Pereira 29 pts. After qualifications I must add it to Ranking

Six pool leaders are still unbeaten, some spots for final round may be allotted on Saturday

Luxembourg, May 28, 2010. Azerbaijan, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Croatia, Romania and Bulgaria are all still unbeaten after the fourth round of play in the qualifiers for the 2011 CEV Women’s European Championship. Some berths may be allotted already on Saturday if these teams can continue their flawless run in the competition. However, many eyes will be turned to Agde where the hosts of France (with Christina Bauer pictured on the left) will try to exploit the home advantage to have a shot at the qualification in the decisive match against the provisional leaders of the Czech Republic.

Pool A in Baku (AZE)

Belarus vs. Bosnia & Herzegovina 3:0 (25-12, 25-14, 26-16)
Georgia vs. Azerbaijan 0:3 (10-25, 7-25, 8-25)

Belarus opened the second round robin tournament in Baku with a convincing 3:0 victory on Bosnia & Herzegovina. The girls from Sarajevo opened the match in a very good fashion and as they provisionally led 3:0, Belarusian legendary coach Nikolay Karpol asked for an immediate time-out. Right after that, Belarus displayed a consistent performance to claim the first set 25-12. The tone did not change in the second set that ended at 25-14 for Belarus with Aksenova and Shevchenko on fire. Belarus enjoyed a reassuring margin in the third set (19:9) before Bosnia could score 7 points and extend a little bit the duration of the game that nevertheless ended in a clear 3:0 for the girls of Karpol. In today’s second match the hosts of Azerbaijan totally outclassed neighboring Georgia in three quick sets.

Pool B in Agde (FRA)

France vs. Austria 3:0 (25-8, 25-12, 25-13)
Czech Republic vs. Hungary 3:1 (19-25, 25-16, 25-18, 25-21)

France and the Czech Republic have a sort of “rendez-vous” on Saturday afternoon that looks like a final match in their battle to qualify directly for the final round of the 2011 CEV Women’s European Championship. In case of victory, the team of coach Jiri Siller would book the ticket for the competition to be organized in Italy and Serbia. On the other hand, France would grasp additional chances to make it among Europe’s elite. Both teams showed their real strength this afternoon in the first competition day of the second round robin tournament being currently played in Agde. France opened the home campaign with an easy game against Austria which is the first team officially eliminated from the run for the final round having scored no victories at all so far. The French girls needed just one hour to cruise past their opponents who suffered severe problems in reception and whose attack was hence not effective at all (33% of efficiency). There was much more appeal in the second game starring the Czech Republic and Hungary. As it was the case last week in Karlovy Vary, Hungary entered the match very aggressively and clipped the first set 25-19. However, step by step, the Czech Republic displayed some powerful attacks to take control of the operations, with a very good quality of play especially in serving. That was enough for the Czechs to score the final 3:1 and maintain the provisional leadership in this Pool.

Source : CEV

Pool C in Sheffield (GBR)

Slovakia vs. Great Britain 3:2 (27-25, 26-28, 17-25, 28-26, 15-9)
Ukraine vs. Israel 3:2 (26-24, 25-18, 27-29, 13-25, 15-10)

Ukraine put themselves in a commanding position to qualify for the European Championship finals as they outlasted Israel in a five-set thriller at Ponds Forge, Sheffield. Israel clawed back from two sets down but Ukraine proved mentally stronger when it mattered as they came through 3:2 in the end. It maintained their 100 per cent record in the group but head coach Volodymyr Buzaiev is not taking anything for granted with matches to come against Slovakia and Great Britain to come.
“Having had experience of 40 years of women’s Volleyball, I know only one thing - today you can have a great team and tomorrow you can fall down. It was a good match but very nervous for me. In women’s Volleyball, you have to push the players and that’s what I had to do after the fourth set” he said. Ukraine looked in control of the first set but Israel refused to give up any points easily at the death. Ukraine led 23:20 but Israel came back with Tatiana Artmenko blocking well and then powering over two successive points on set point to level the scores at 24:24. But Inna Molodtsova found a gap through the middle to give Ukraine their third set point and a block by captain Iryna Komisarova on Artmenko closed out the set 26-24. Ukraine heeded the warning and dominated the second set as Israel struggled to cope with the variety of their attack. Israel did not help themselves with some inconsistent serving and a number of hitting errors and Ukraine moved to set point when Tetyana Kozlova wiped one off the block to take it to 24-13.
Belatedly, Israel offered some resistance and put together their best Volleyball of the set as they saved five set points before Nataliya Chernetska fired the final point on the short set from Komisarova to take it 25-18. But Israel came back in the third set with Anna Velikiy consistently finding gaps in the Ukrainian defense. They led 7:3 early on but Ukraine did not give up any point easily and edged back in front 16:14 at the second technical time-out. Arie Selinger gave some court time to back-up setter Ron Ponte as Israel edged back in front and Velikiy produced another important point at a critical stage after an unbelievable pick-up from Khrystyna Diezhkina had somehow kept the rally alive. Israel struggled to put away the set as Ukraine showed how stubborn they could be and saved four set points and it was left to Velikiy to give Israel their fifth set point and then also contribute the decisive final point to clinch the set 29:27. The early part of the fourth set was evenly balanced with Ukraine leading 8:7 at the first technical time-out but Israel pulled away with Yuliya Volivach finding success through the middle and some strong serving from Aliona Cherkez swung the set 18:11. Ukraine did not find the floor as they had with consistency earlier in the match and Israel did not let it slip. A hitting error from Anna Dovgopoliuk brought up set point and Volivach delivered - 25-13. Israel looked to have the upper hand but it was Ukraine who pulled away in the final set with Tetyana Kozlova coming up big when it mattered most and firing three of Ukraine’s final four points as they won the match 3:2 .“It was the difference of two points and was a pitiful call. If we had won the first set, we could have won the match. There was a big dip after that but we came back in the third and fourth sets. I don’t expect Slovakia or Great Britain to help us and it looks as if we will need to now try for second place” added coach Selinger at the end of the match.
Captain Tatjana Frage-Berger added: “Ukraine’s blocking was excellent throughout the match. There were two or three important points in the final set that they won and it made the difference. But it was a mental match and, over five sets, it was equal”.
Remarkably, the individual points were equal 106-106 as was the case in the earlier match as Slovakia edged out Great Britain 3:2 (27-25 26-28 17-25 28-26 15-9) [113-113]. GB won the first point through the power of Rachel Bragg but Slovakia hit back to build up an early 4:1 lead under the serving of Martina Nosekova as she put immediate pressure on the GB passing. But the home team came back to lead 8:4 - Lucy Wicks turning the tide with a reverse set to create the opening for Janine Sandell and Grace Carter also coming up with a big block. GB looked in control of the set but the introduction of Daniela Rojkova gave them a new set of problems and she contributed four of the next five points for Slovakia as they closed the gap. GB coach Audrey Cooper was forced into her first time-out with the lead cut to just one point 13:12 and GB moved up another gear under the serving of Stacey O’Connor. But Slovakia did not wilt and libero Dominika Valachova made a couple of outstanding pick-ups as they pulled back from 18:22 to 22:22. Solange Soares brought up their first set point with a hit off the block and GB introduced Rachel Laybourne for Bragg in an attempt to save it.
The teams traded point for point in the second set with an explosive smash from Beattie drawing GB level at 9:9 before a service error put Slovakia back in front. Beattie responded again, wiping one off the block. Beattie was enjoying more success with her hitting, GB led 20:17 but Slovakia fought back to lead 23:21 and set up another thrilling climax to the set. Sandell and Bragg produced four big points between them as GB saved three set points and it was left to captain Beattie to pick out the far corner of the court on their first set point to give GB the set 28-26.
Taking the set, gave GB a new belief and they sped to a 10:5 lead in the third - Sandell again prominent - and never lost their focus. It was 16:9 at the second technical time-out after Jana Gogolova served long. Beattie stretched it to 23:17 on another reverse set from Wicks and the captain contributed the final point through the middle as GB took the set 25-17. Some slack serving from Slovakia enabled GB to take an 8:4 lead in the fourth but they came back to lead 13:12 after Beattie was blocked through the middle. But there was little to choose between the teams and it set up another nail-biting climax. GB never managed to get in front but saved four match points through some terrific defensive play, most notably from Maria Bertelli, and some power hitting from Sandell and Bragg. Beattie also penetrated the Slovak block in emphatic fashion to take it to 25:25 but Slovakia closed the set out 28-26 when Bertelli misjudged Nosekova.
Slovakia took control of the final set and led 8:4 at the first technical time-out. The closest GB came was within two points. Soares showed great awareness to produce a tip over the block and stretch Slovakia’s strength at the net. GB came back from 4:9 to 7:9 and forced Miroslav Cada into a time-out to steady the ship. A handling error from Wicks brought up their first match point and, although GB managed to save one, it was left to Soares to produce the final point. “There was no difference between the teams,” said Slovakia captain Monika Smak, “Great Britain showed great enthusiasm and good defense.” Coach Miroslav Cada added: “We had problems with our block for the complete match and there was some good defense by the British team. They played better than they did in Ukraine but we expected them to be tougher at home”.
GB captain Lynne Beattie said: “We’re obviously disappointed but it’s a performance we can be proud of as we’ve shown we can compete at this level. We can take from this match and compete for the rest of the weekend. Last year, we were struggling to win sets at this level but we came out today and played a frantic match which we could have won. We’ve come on leaps and bounds and there’s so much more to come this summer”.
Coach Audrey Cooper added: “This was a GB performance to be proud of. The girls executed the game plan excellently right from the first point. The Slovakians kept coming at us but we held our ground and blocked and defended particularly well. The difference was just our execution at the end of the fourth set.”

Source : CEV

Pool D in Tres Cantos (ESP)

Croatia vs. Montenegro 3:1 (25-16, 23-25, 25-23, 25-12)
Spain vs. Switzerland 3:0 (25-14, 25-21, 25-14)

Spain and Croatia solved the first day of the European Qualification tournament held in Tres Cantos (Madrid) with victories and remain the main favorites to reach the ticket for Euro 2011. In the first match of the day, Croatia beat Montenegro 3:1 (25-16, 23-25, 25-23, 25-12). After a first set controlled from beginning to end by the Croatian squad, Montenegro produced a shock winning the second set, by taking use of a certain relaxation of the Croatian players. Tatiana Bokan led Montenegro to a set that equalized the match and brought some more uncertainty to the game. This suspense continued during the third set; and it even appeared that Montenegro could produce a bigger surprise, but Croatia recovered its form and came back through the attacks of Maja Poljak to win the set 25-23. The history of the match ended after this set, since Montenegro lost its grip and Croatia imposed a pattern of playing that its rivals could not follow. The 25-12 in the fourth set meant the final 3:1 victory for Croatia.
In the second match, Spain beat Switzerland 3:0 (25-14, 25-21, 25-14). The Spaniards controlled the match and gave little options to the enthusiast Swiss team. The visiting squad created problems in the onset of the game, but once the locals settled and established their rhythm, the opposition of the Swiss players was reduced to a minimum. The attacks of Milagros Collar and the blocks of Marisa Fernandez were the tools used by the Spaniards to beat Switzerland. “I am very satisfied with the game; we played at a constant level, with a good serve and block that allowed us to have a big difference of points in our favor”, said the Spanish head coach, Gido Vermeulen. “We also had the opportunity to give minutes to the younger players, such as Mireya Delgado; our goal is to go point by point and I think that we are in the good way to achieve our success”.
Spanish captain Amaranta Fernandez pointed out the 3:1 of the previous match, a set against Croatia that gives wings to the Spaniards. “That set could be a present for us, but we need to keep on doing our job. We need to keep on working and playing as we did today”, said the middle blocker. Croatia still leads the standings of the group. The second day of competition will feature the matches Croatia vs. Switzerland and Spain vs. Montenegro.

Pool E in Constanta (ROU)

Belgium vs. Slovenia 3:1 (25-14, 22-25, 25-20, 25-17)
Sweden vs. Romania 1:3 (11-25, 25-20, 14-25, 12-25)

The home team of Romania started in great style the second round robin scheduled for Pool E. In front the home crowd in Constanta, Romania claimed the fourth victory in this Pool, this time against Sweden - 3:1. After a striking debut (8:4, 16:8) Romania set the tempo pretty comfortably up to the end of the set, winning this section of the game easily (25-11). The tone changed a little in the second set, with Sweden leading the way 8:3 at the first technical time-out and 16:12 at the second and then closing dramatically for the second set with an unpredictable 25-20. The third set was balanced in the initial moments, but with Romania always in front - 8:5 and 16:8. After that, the Romanian girls were keeping a comfortable lead by 8-9 points up to the final 25-14. The fourth set was not such a complicated affair, with intermediate stops - 8:3 and 16:4 (!) in Romania's favor. The victory was sealed at a stunning 25-12. The two teams showed no major difference in spirit and play. The Romanians were more combative, the Swedish team - more courageous. Romanian coach, Mr. Darko Zakoc was really satisfied after the game: “We played good enough today; the players did everything they can, especially for the Romanian audience. They have shown everyone what potential lies in this young team, but there are still some things to do in the future, speaking not only about what we did wrong in the second set”. Best players of the game were Nneka Onyejekewe, Daiana Muresan (with 16 points), Iuliana Nucu and Mirela Corjeutanu (Romania), Anna Ronnbäck and Sara Pettersson stood out for Sweden.
Belgium defeated this afternoon Slovenia 3:1 in a very emotional match that opened the second round robin tournament for Pool D in Constanta. The Belgians had a safe run through the first set that ended 25-14, but Slovenia tied the count after a very balanced and close second set. The Belgians profited of a lack of consistency among their opponents to clip the third set 25-20; Slovenia played with all their hearts in the opening of the fourth, leading the way at the first technical time-out. However, the Belgians found back the right tempo to claim set nr 4 25-17 and celebrate their first victory in front of the Romanian audience. Céline Laforge and Charlotte Leys (with 25 points) stood out as the best players of that game for Belgium whereas libero Katja Medved put up a very good performance for Slovenia.

Pool F in Samokov (BUL)

Finland vs. Portugal 3:0 (25-8, 25-16, 25-15)
Bulgaria vs. Greece 3:0 (25-18, 25-19, 25-18)

The current leaders of Pool F, Bulgaria and Finland, both managed 3:0 victories on the first day of the second-leg tournament that started this afternoon in Samokov. The hosts and pre-tournament favorites of Bulgaria succeeded in shutting Greece out with a 3:0 (25-18, 25-19, 25-18) and staying unbeaten on top of the current standings. With top performances by returning veteran star Antonina Zetova (15 points) and young talent Elitsa Vasileva (14 points), the “Lionesses” did not leave their opponents many chances to compete successfully. Head coach Dragan Nesic was happy mostly with the fact that the team’s performance has been improving. “I congratulate both sides for putting up a serious battle. I am glad that my team demonstrated a better reception than last week in Portugal and the counterattacks of Zetova, Vasileva and Yaneva were really high-level”, a smiling Nesic said. On the Greek side Bulgarian expat Evgenia Vasileva Tsima topped the scoring chart with 10 points.
In the earlier match of the day, second-ranked Finland did not encounter any problems against Portugal and managed a straight-set victory (25-8, 25-16, 25-15). The girls in blue came out on court way more self-confident than their Portuguese counterparts. The mostly teenage selection from the Western end of Europe started gaining more and more confidence as the game progressed but the more experienced Nordic team did not allow any upsets. Finland’s Norwegian head coach Tore Aleksandersen was pleased with the fast win, but not so much with his team’s performance. “We played very well only in the first set, but after that our motivation went down,” he stated after the match. “It is important that we did not lose any sets, but what matters most is how we do in the end” he added. Finland’s Hanna-Mari Arminen and Sini Hakkinen became the match’s top scorers with 11 points each.

Source: CEV

Bulgaria goes to the ECH 2011 after 3:0 over Finland:
http://www.cev.lu/mmp-cgi/show…ate=p_prj_game_stat&key=0
Yaneva is in very good shape, her attack is not that bad against the block, at least in these matches

Sometimes he is mystery for himself...