BEACH VOLLEYBALL – A week before the world championship in Rome, Katja Stam from Klijndijk and her teammate Raïsa Schoon finished fifth at the Beach Pro Tour tournament in Jurmala, Latvia†
In the Latvian seaside resort, the American duo Hughes/Kolinske proved too strong 2-0 in the quarterfinals. The first set went to the Americans 21-12, in the second set it was more exciting: 21-19.
Stam and Schoon had passed the group stage with flying colours. In the occasionally rainy Jurmala they defeated Pavan/Melissa from Canada and the Brazilian duos Andressa/Vitoria and Maria Antonelli/Fernanda. Last week, the quarterfinals in the Czech Ostrava were also the final station for the Dutch duo.
Robert Varenhorst also came into action on the Beach Pro Tour. Together with Steven van de Velde, the beach volleyball player from Nieuw-Buinen made it through the group effortlessly. Two teams from Italy and a Latvian duo were settled.
In the quarterfinals, Estonians Kusti Nõlvak and Mart Tiisaar turned out to be a size too big: 21-18 21-16. Varenhorst and Van de Velde thus finished fifth, their best result so far in a tournament of the Beach Pro Tour.
The Beach Volleyball World Championship kicks off next Friday in the Italian capital. Stam and Schoon will face the Argentinians Gallay/Pereya, Chileans Rivas Zapata/Chris and Costa Ricans Williams/Núñez in the group.
Stam and Schoon are the only Dutch women’s team in Rome, with the men three Dutch teams are in action, Varenhost and Van de Velde are not part of the orange team.