CEV European Championship Small Countries Division
· June 23-25
· Luxembourg
Iceland took the CEV European Small Countries Division title on Sunday, downing Cyprus 3-1. In other results, host Luxembourg and Scotland each topped Faroe Islands. With the finale victory, Luxembourg grabs the silver medal.
Final Standings
Iceland 3-1
Luxembourg 3-1
Cyprus 2-2
Scotland 2-2
Faroe Islands 0-4
Scotland 3, Faroe Islands 1 (19-25, 25-23, 25-13, 25-15)
Scotland bested the Faroe Islands in blocks (9-4) and aces (7-5) and rebounded after a first set loss in a four-set win on Sunday.
The Faroe Islands team managed 48 kills, while allowing just 42, but committed 36 errors in the loss.
The Faroe Islands led Set 1 throughout en route to a 25-19 win. Set 2 was a back and forth battle with neither side boasting more than a three-point edge. In the end, Scotland snapped a 23-all tie with the final two points for the win. The Scots led Set 3 from start to finish in a 25-13 drubbing. Scotland took the lead midway through Set 4 and cruised to the 10-point victory and the win with help from 13 Faroe Island errors.
Laura Mcready and Jennifer Thom led Scotland with 12 points apiece, while Catherine Smy chipped in 10. Mcready downed 11 kills, while Thom added 10. Smy added eight putaways and two stuffs.
Sofia Purkhus tallied a match-high 20 points, with 19 kills and an ace, for the Faroe Islands, while Anja Sonnedottir Daneilsen managed 16 points, including 13 kills and three aces.
Iceland 3, Cyprus 1 (25-20, 15-25, 25-19, 25-21)
Iceland captured the Small Countries Division title, defeating Cyprus in four sets on Sunday afternoon. The victors won all major statistical categories, outblocking their foes 12-6, outserving them 7-6 and hitting at a 44 percent clip (to 40 percent). Cyprus did manage on more kill in the match (45-44).
Iceland led throughout Set 1, boasting a nine-point edge at one point in the 25-20 win, with help from four blocks and 10 Cyprus miscues. Cyprus cruised to the 25-15 Set 2 win, downing 14 kills and adding three aces, to level the match. Iceland never trailed in Set 3, hitting at a 48 percent clip and putting up five blocks, and overcame an early deficit in Set 4 for the match win.
Four players posted double-digit point efforts for Iceland led by Jona Guolaug Vigfusdottir’s 15. Frida Sigurdardottir (14), Hjordis Eiriksdottir (11) and Fjola Rut Svavarsdottir (10) followed. Vigfusdottir managed a team-leading 14 kills, while Svavarsdottir tallied six blocks and Sigurdardottir added four stuffs.
Andrea Charalambous recorded a match-high 18 points, with 15 kills and three blocks, while Erika Zembyla (11) and Vasiliki Chatzikonstanta (10) also posted double-digit scoring efforts. Zembyla downed 11 kills, while Chatzikonstanta served up three aces.
Luxembourg 3, Faroe Islands 0 (25-17, 26-24, 25-9)
The host Red Lady Lions gave the home crowd something to cheer about, leading Faroe Islands nearly from start to finish in a sweep to claim the silver medal.
Faroe Islands grabbed a brief lead midway through Set 2 at 16-14, but saw it quickly evaporate into a 21-19 deficit in a 26-24 loss. The team recorded five aces in the second stanza.
Luxembourg did most of its damage from the service line, registering 13 aces, including six in the final stanza. The hosts also outblocked their foes 6-5 and limited Faroe Islands to a 28 percent hitting effort.
Annalena Mach led all scorers with 15 points, including 11 kills, three aces and a block. Betty Hoffman (12), Isabelle Frisch (11) and Corinne Steinbach (9) also aided the team. Steinbach tallied a team-best four blocks.
Anja Sonnedottir Danielsen paced the Faroe Islands with 10 points, including seven kills and two aces. Sofia Purkhus chipped in nine points, including eight kills.
Leave a Reply