Novotel-Cup 2013 - Day 1

Quick Wins for Luxembourg

By Anne Hasdorf

TODAY LIVESTREAM LUX-NOR & LUX-ENG on www.simba.lu

Photos from first competition day online here

Videos from first competition day online on www.simba.lu

Our beloved first week in January, our beloved Novotel-Cup.

This year's edition represents a preview for the eventful forthcoming months, the lions started today with two doubtless 3:0 victories.

The competition started off with the first women's match England vs. Norway. The Scandinavian team around coach Martin Watne Frydnes dominated the 79 minutes lasting three-set match only from the second set on as England demanded a great deal of effort in the first set, leading almost until the end and missing the 1:0 advance by a whisker at the score of 24:26. In the second and third set Norway started off on a better foot and was able to quickly extend a small lead, winning at 19:25 and 22:25.

The second strike for Norway just two hours later - this time in the men's category. Beginning with a 6:0 lead Norway caught the selection from West Bohemia on the hop, leaving the team from the Czech Republic far behind and winning the first set at 25:6.

In the second and third run West Bohemia better coped with the dominance of its opponents from Northern Europe, coming into play and taking over the lead a couple of times during the sets. In the end, Norway convinced at the final scores of 25:18 and 25:19.

Similar to the previous year Luxembourg faced Scotland in the women's and England in the men's category on the first competition day.

The women's head coach Detlev Schönberg trusted his expected starting six, namely Nathalie Braas and Annalena Mach as outside hitters, Betty Hoffmann on the diagonal position, Martine Emeringer as setter, the middle blockers Corinne Steinbach and Fabienne Welsch as well as libero Maryse Welsch without substitutions during the match regardless of the evident score. Following a balanced beginning Hoffmann and Braas served eight times in a row in the middle of the set, providing Luxembourg an extensive lead with marginal resistance by its opponents and leading, following another six services in a row by Mach, to the final score at 25:18. In the beginning of the second set the host team pinioned the guests with a 4:0 lead directly against the wall, leading 16:6 at the second technical time-out and advancing 2:0 at 25:14 in front of 450 cheering spectators. In the final set Scotland still was not able to give Luxembourg a hard time, loosing finally at 25:15.

The Luxembourgish men than raised the ante. The starting six consisted of Gilles Braas as setter, Frantisek Vosahlo and Tim Laevaert as outside hitter, Arnaud Maroldt as diagonal, Ralf Lentz and Jan Lux as middle blocker and Dominik Husi as libero. Andy Koenig and Kamil Rychlicki substituted Laevaert and Vosahlo during the second and third set.

Without a time-out and a constant increase of the lead the lions dominated the first set until the final score at 25:20, much to the pleasure of the 500 people audience. Falling behind in the beginning the team around head coach Burkhard Disch than chased after the score in the second run, turning the tide when passing the ten points line. Winning the second set at 25:22 the host team had no difficulties to close the match at 25:19 in the third set.

Friday, 04/01/2013

Women

Men