Spain keeps semi-final hopes alive at 2011 Boys’ Youth Championship
The Boy’s Youth Volleyball Team of Spain created a major sensation by beating the defending champion France in the first preliminary round of the 2011 Boys’ Youth European Championship.
They claimed the amazing victory over France by sending 3-0 (25-23, 25-22, 25-22) on the board. The match was held at the Bestepe Sports Hall in Ankara, Turkey on Wednesday, April 20. The Spaniards did a great job in breaking the three-match winning streak
of France. The success in the fourth match greatly benefitted Spain and kept their chances alive for the semi-final slot. In order to qualify for the semis, Spain would be required to clinch a 3-0 victory in their next match.
The French Team had worked out a great success in the previous matches. They were successful in all three matches they played in the first preliminary round. Spain was not a big threat for them anyway. The Spaniards had won only one match until then.
Hence, it was generally believed that France was easily going to make it. The French Team started out well and built an early lead of 8-5. France had a very strong defence which apparently helped them to hinder Spaniards’ performance. However, the Spanish
team stay put in the game and did not lose heart. France was only one point ahead of Spain at the second technical break. Andres Jesus Villena of Spain displayed an incredible effort and put his team in lead at 21-19. Afterwards, they did not look behind and
dismissed French guys at 25-23.
The loss of opening set rang the bells of danger for French team, while Spanish team enjoyed a great form. The head coach of French Team, Jean-Manuel Leprovost was forced to make some necessary changes in the team line. Kevin Kaba was called off the court,
while John Wendt replaced him. French team was hopeful to cover the deficit in second set.
They opened the game in their usual style and put early points on the board. Spain lagged behind at the first technical timeout but remained close to the opponents’ score. The Spanish libero Victor Cabrera played a great role and helped his team with quick
tricky bump-passes. The ball perfectly landed in France’s court and Spain earned the advantage.
Once again, French lost energy and gave way to Spain to make a comeback. The Spaniards made their mark and extended their lead to 2-0 by winning second set (25-22).
Spain opened the third set with convincing shots and dragged France under pressure. The defending champions seemed totally distracted in the game. The Spaniards took full advantage of the nervousness of opponents and further tightened their screws. France
applied full force to overcome the power of rival side but failed to save third set. Spanish team locked victory by capturing third set by posting 25-22.
The mentor of French team, Jean-Manuel Leprovost regretted the loss of important match. He stated, “I know my players are a little bit tired, but they were not ready for today’s game. Now we will need to show a different game tomorrow versus Russia to secure
our semi-final spot.”
On the other hand, the Spanish coach Ricardo Maldonado was greatly pleased with his team’s performance. He appreciated the combined effort of boys and congratulated them for putting up such a wonderful show of volleyball.
He said, “Since four days we try to play at this level; today we finally made it. It’s nice to still be in the race for the semi-final spots.”
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