Recap of Final Four matches at 2012 CEV Beach Volleyball Satellite in Aalsmeer
The 2012 CEV Men’s Beach Volleyball Satellite Tournament had a splendid run from January 11 to 15 in the Dutch City Aalsmeer.
Aspiring beach volleyball duos from around the world joined the international competition and showcased their game skills and tactics. Meanwhile, the beach volleyball lovers headed towards the city of Aalsmeer and enjoyed some extreme action on sand. The
competition covered its length in five days and put the teams through the Country Quota Playoffs, the Qualification Tournament, Main Draw and Final Four Round.
The low performance teams were sidelined in the early stages of the tournament, while only the top four teams survived until the Final Four Round. Following teams qualified for the last stage of the 2012 CEV Beach Volleyball Satellite:
Heuscher-Bellaguarda - Switzerland Kadziola-Szalankiewicz - Poland Nummerdor-Schuil – the Netherlands Brouwer-Meeuwsen – the Netherlands
The top-seeded duo of Nummerdor and Schuil performed exquisitely well during the Main Draw and clawed their way to semi-final match. They were joined by their country mates fifth-seeded Brouwer and Meeuwsen. Hence, the first semi-final of the CEV Beach Volleyball
Satellite was an all-Dutch affair.
A large number of local and international fans came to watch the interesting semi-final match on Sunday, January 15. Nummerdor-Schuil took a good start in the match and launched power on the rival side in first frame. They secured opening set by posting
21-17 before the pairing of Brouwer and Meeuwsen levelled the game by sending identical score of 21-17 on board in the following set.
The tie-breaker decisive third set was totally dominated by the top-seeded Dutch pair, whereas Brouwer/Meeuwsen had to accept defeat. Nummerdor/Schuil captured third set with margin of six points, 15-9. They pulled success in the semi-final and reserved
a berth in the final showdown of the tournament. The match lasted for 53 minutes.
The second semi-final match featured teams from Switzerland and Poland. One side of the court was occupied by Swiss duo of Heuscher and Bellaguarda, while Kadziola and Szalankiewicz of Poland took their positions on the other side of net.
The volleyball scrimmage between 2nd-seeded Swiss team and 10th-seeded Polish tandem proved to be a complete thriller. Victory graced the Poles as they staged better action on the net and clinched success, 2-1 (18-21, 21-16, 15-13).
The opening phase of the match portrayed a different picture as Swiss duo enjoyed dominance in the first frame. However, the Poles made a strong comeback in the game and pushed the opponent behind. They joined the Dutch Nummerdor/Schuil in the final match.
The winning duos of the two semi-finals crossed their ways in the final encounter on the same day. It was the final test of the skills for both teams. The home duo of Nummerdor and Schuil used the competitive edge of playing in front of local audience and
finished the match in straight sets. Poles put up a great effort but could not overcome the sturdy Dutch tandem. Nummerdor and Schuil settled for 2-0 (21-13, 21-17) and secured the title trophy.
The losers of the semi-finals clashed in the third-position match. Visiting Swiss pairing of Heuscher-Bellaguarda downed Brouwer-Meeuwsen of Netherlands in the bronze medal match. The final set scores were 2-1 (18-21, 21-16, 15-13).
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