2008 WUC Beach Volleyball: Update
June 26th, 2008
The International Top Teams: a Preview
With hardly a week to go, the OC of the 2008 World University Beach Volleyball Championship in Hamburg, Germany, gives us a preview of the top teams which already registered for the event. Sebastian Dollinger (University of Kiel) from the German Team II will not get a revenge against Team Switzerland I for the finale of the 2006 WUBC in Cyprus, because the Swiss coach nominated four new athletes for the tournament in Hamburg: Michel Kertai (25) and Michael Bleiter (26) as well as Constantin Quadt (20) and Alexei Prawdzic (20). Both Swiss teams are nationally and internationally experienced. 2007 Michel Kertai/Michael Bleiter reached 3rd place at the FIVB-Satellite Tournament at Lausanne. Their team colleagues made 7th place. The American Team also nominated newcomers for the WUBC. Joey Dykstra and Mark van Zwieten are both 20 years old and are the youngest favourite team. In 2005 they won the silver medal at the U19 Beach Volleyball Championship in France. Their male team colleagues Duncan Budinger (23) and Clint Coe (26) successfully played on the AVP-Tour which can be compared to the smart beach tour in Germany. The competition from France nominated Brice Thesee (20) and Jaen Baptiste Daguerre (21), two athletes who reached 1st and 2nd place with their respective partners on the French Beachvolleyball Tour 2007. Team France II consists of Greggory Delabelle (26) and Jeremie Jambon (24). They already played together in Cyprus and won 7th place at the 2006 WUBC. The Brazilian coach nominated 23 year old Ian Borges, one of the most talented youngsters. Ian Borges won the gold medal in 2002 and the silver medal in 2003 at the U18/19 Beachvolleyball Championships. In Hamburg he plays with 23 year old Rhonney Ferramenta. Together they won the Brazilian Beach Games in 2008. Brazilian Team II are 28 year old Carlos Eduardo Da Silva and Itamar Neiva Bráulio. Concerning the women a final revenge will be missing too. Still the silver medal winning athlete of the 2006 WUBC, Ruth Flemig (Sport University Cologne) will face a well known rival along with her partner Stefanie Hüttermann (Sport University Cologne). Celine Gemise Fareau (23) reached 4th place on Cyprus. Her present team mate Laura Longuet (20) reached 3rd place at the French Beachvolleyball Tour in Ajaccio. Aurelie Goux (21) and Alexia Djilali (20) start for Team France II. Both athletes also participated very successfully in the French Beachvolleyball Tour. The American head coach Ali Wood nominated 26 year old Lauren Fendrick and 24 year old Keegan Featherstone as well as 24 year old Olivia Waldowski and 19 year old Kari Pestolesi after a 3 day long tryout. Both teams have not won an international title yet but participate in the AVP Tour. For Hongkong 22 year old Wing Hung Tse and 21 old Cheuk Yee Kong will come to Germany. At the 8th Asian Beach Volleyball Championships in April 2008 they reached 8th place and beat the favoured Thais in the opening match in 2 sets. Whereas the Asians are kind of underdogs, 22 year old Nathaly Nascimento and Elen Souza from Brazil are favourites.
