Novotel-Cup 2013 - Day 2

Quick Wins for Luxembourg

By Anne Hasdorf

Videos LUX-NOR & LUX-ENG on www.simba.lu

Photos from second competition day online

Second day, second chance, one step closer to THE cup.

West Bohemia vs. England took the lead. The selection from the Czech Republic fell behind the first couple of points in the first set, but could balance the score at 6:6, taking over the lead until England caught up on the verge of entering the second technical timeout. To the end of the set a neck-and-neck race arose, which England could win at the tight score of 23:25. In the second set the team from the British Island better kept West Bohemia at armth's length and could advance 2:0 at 17:25. In the final score, the young team from Eastern Europe again increased the pressure, but finally lost at the score of 25:22 also the third round.

The second women's match was rather a walkover for the Norwegian team, integrating some technically nice looking comibinations in its play. Starting with a 5:0 advance Norway could hold the distance until 25:13 in the first set. Second set, same procedure. Scotland's block was not able to stop the Norwegian attackers and finally lost the second set to 10. The following round the Scottish women found back into play, loosing however at 25:22 the second match 3:0.

For the lions the second competition day brought both joy and tears.

The men led off with a 3:1 defeat against Norway. With yesterday’s starting six the host team directly lost the first couple of points due to too many failures in service. Nevertheless, following each loss of points captain Lentz and co. were able to continuously balance the score until the second technical timeout at 15:16. Then Norway broke away by destabilising the Luxembourgish reception, gaining a small lead and finally winning the first round at 25:22.

In the second set the lions took revenge, leading 8:4 at the first technical timeout, extending then the distance to 10:4 and finally 12:4. Stopping the walkover at 12:5 Norway came back out of its shell, struggling with the big difference in points until 19:13 and finally coming closer until 21:18. In the end, the lions balanced the score to 1:1 at 25:22.

The third set started promising, but somehow Luxembourg went astray. The substitutions Koenig for Laevaert and Tomsicek for Braas could not avoid the defeat at 19:25. Fourth set, similar picture. Luxembourg dominated most of the time, leading with three to four points.  The set ball at 24:23 raised the spectator’s hope for a tiebreak, but all for naught. Norway scored three times in a row, winning the match at 26:24.

During the break between the men’s and the women’s last match on the second competition day the awards to honour former national players were given to Tania Karier (V80 Pétange), Lynn Elouardi and Martine Weber (both VC Mamer).

The following women’s match between Luxembourg - same starting six as yesterday - and England than was the height of tension that evening. Starting off with effective attacks above all by diagonal player Betty Hoffmann, who would become the key to success over the course of the match, the lions entered with a three-point lead into the first and a four-point lead into the second technical time-out, but could not hold it, loosing the first set at 22:25.

The breakdown of the Luxembourgish reception in the beginning of the second set resulted in a remarkable deficit at 4:10, which setter Emeringer and co. were able to make up, balancing at 12:12. A good block and service finally brought the home team the hoped success at 25:21. The crowd was cheering, supporting its team until the 2:1 lead at 25:18 in the third set. With the back to the wall the opponents from the British Island however did not give up and increased the pressure in the fourth set, forcing Luxembourg, substituting Dickhoff for Mach, into the tiebreak at 19:25. The drama began.

5:5, 8:7, 10:7, Hoffmann unstoppable, timeout for England, of no use. Hoffmann still unstoppable – victory and gangnam style at 15:12.

Saturday, 05/01/2013

Women

Men