Twenty-four teams in each gender are set to compete in the elimination rounds of the FIVB Beach Volleyball Under 18 World Championship on Friday.
Action from the FIVB Beach Volleyball Under 18 World Championship in Doha.
Five girls` and three boys` duos concluded the pool stage of the FIVB Beach Volleyball U18 World Championship in Doha with flawless records, securing direct berths in the Round of 16. A total of 24 teams per gender will participate in the knockout phase.
On Thursday, 48 matches were held at the Al Gharafa courts, marking the end of the pool phase with all 32 boys` and 32 girls` teams in action.
The top three teams from each of the eight pools qualified for the elimination rounds. The eight pool winners advanced directly to the Round of 16, while teams finishing second and third will compete in the Round of 24. Both the Round of 24, Round of 16, and quarterfinals are scheduled for Friday, with the semifinals and medal matches concluding the event on Saturday.
Canada was one of the five girls` teams to finish the pool phase without dropping a set.
Five girls` duos from the USA, Switzerland, Canada, and the Netherlands smoothly navigated the pool phase undefeated and without dropping a single set, earning direct qualification to Friday`s Round of 16.
The two American pairs, Jordyn Scribner & Ella Grimes and Avery Junk & Addison Junk, secured straight-set victories on Thursday, topping Pool A and Pool B respectively with six points each.
Esmee Radstake & Jara Both of The Netherlands finished top of Pool C unbeaten.
Three other duos—Switzerland’s Anja Gähwiler & Noemi Eugster (Pool E), the Netherlands’ Esmee Radstake & Jara Both (Pool C), and Canada’s Ruby Cochrane & Sophie Hancock (Pool H)—also showcased impeccable performance, advancing to the Round of 16 with a maximum six points from a 3-0 win-loss record.
“We played some tough games in the pool against European teams, which worked in our favor because we knew what to expect from them. We are happy to have qualified directly to the Round of 16. It gives us an opportunity to observe our opponents while they compete in the Round of 24,” said Radstake of The Netherlands.
“Our goal is to surpass our ninth-place finish at the European Championship. We are prepared to give our best and fight to advance past the quarterfinals at least,” added her partner, Both.
Other group leaders who earned direct spots in the Round of 16 included Italy’s Sofia Bruzzone & Micol Lafuenti (Pool D), Belgium’s Lente Thant & Simone Vervloet (Pool F), and Germany’s Anna-Chiara Reformat & Rika Dieckmann (Pool G).
In the boys` competition, only three teams maintained their perfect record: Germany’s Jonathan Bungert & Filo Wüst (Pool E), Ukraine’s Yehor Skrypnychenko & Andrii Lunkan (Pool B), and Brazil’s Thomas Mathias Endler & Felippe Prudencio Arruda Barbiero (Pool H).
All three duos won their Thursday pool matches in straight sets, finishing at the top of their respective groups with six points and progressing to the Round of 16 with a 100% success rate.
Italy`s Marco Di Felice in action.
Other group leaders also moving directly to the Round of 16 included Italy’s Riccardo Santomassimo & Marco Di Felice (Pool G), Chile’s José Tomas Brain Zirpel & George Hargreaves Arentsen (Pool F), Austria’s Martin Poinstingl & Paul Hohenauer (Pool D), Estonia’s Armin Kender & Patrik Parijõgi (Pool C), and Türkiye’s Barış Güldali & Polat Kemal Eser (Pool A).
“We played very challenging matches against strong teams today, and we are pleased with our two victories. Our fighting spirit was crucial today, and we hope to carry it into the knockout phase. We aim to improve on our third-place finish from the European Championship and win the gold medal here,” stated Marco Di Felice of Italy.
A total of 40 matches—16 in the Round of 24, 16 in the Round of 16, and 8 quarterfinals—will be played on Friday to determine the four semifinalists in each category. The semifinals and medal matches are slated for Saturday to crown the world champions.
Oliver Wrenwick