The volleyball finals took place today in the Bojan Stranić Volleyball Hall. The teams played their final matches and they will be returning home more or less satisfied with the outcome. The best match of the men’s tournament was played between the University of Almeria and the Nice Sophia Antipolis University. The title of EUG volleyball champions went to the French team.
University of Niš wins bronze medal
Another victory for Serbia. The women’s team from the University of Niš won bronze today after a third place match against their German opponents. The men’s team from Niš also won bronze after beating the University of Northumbria. The fourth set was crucial in determining the winner, and the Serbian team managed to pull through with a 3-1 victory (25-20, 20-25, 25-20, 25-22).
“Had anyone told us we would finish fourth at the European Universities Games, we would have thought they were joking. But today, we made history, because Northumbria rose to a more prominent place on the European sports scene. We showed everyone that English volleyball can compete with the rest of Europe. We’re a bit disappointed because we think we could’ve finished third, but still, I’m proud of us for winning the fourth place. There are many more victories to come for the English volleyball,” said Darius Setsoafia, a player from the University of Northumbria.
Slobodan Jovanović, coach of the Serbian team, said he was satisfied with his team’s success.
“The match wasn’t easy, firstly because it was extremely hot, secondly because our opponents were very experienced. These guys have been playing together for a long time, and we had our ups and downs during the match. However, in the end, our team spirit prevailed. Bronze shines as bright as gold!”
David Goodchild, coach of the English team, said that his team was saddened by their defeat. He also admitted the players from the University of Niš were outstanding and that he was very proud of his team.
Gold medal for the Nice University
The final match of the volleyball competition was played between the University of Almeria and the Nice Sophia Antipolis University. Although they seemed even shorter on the court, the Spanish players caused a great deal of trouble for the French team. Ultimately, the Nice University managed to take gold after winning three sets (25-15, 25-22, 25-19). However, this match was not a one-way street. Almeria’s players might not be tall, but what they lack in height, they make up in their jumping skills. Although their opponents fought till the very end, the French team’s superior skills proved too difficult to overcome. Nevertheless, this intense game proves that height is not the only thing that matters in volleyball.
”This game showed that our opponents were simply better. We tried our hardest, but these players are on a whole another level. We did our best. Second place is still an amazing accomplishment. We are happy and sad at the same time. Congratulations to the French team. We will certainly be celebrating, too,” said Oscar Gonzales Sola from the University of Almeria.
In the fifth place match, the Technical University of Munich beat the University of Porto 3-1 (25-19, 25-17, 25-27, 25-18).
The hosts from the University of Zagreb will remember these Games by their eight place victory. They were defeated by the University of Würzburg in the seventh place match.
The University of Valencia finished ninth after beating the Dutch University of Groningen 3-1 (25-23, 20-25, 25-22, 25-22).
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