The CEV Snow Volleyball European Tour landed in Prato Nevoso, Italy, bringing fierce competition to the slopes. The event culminated on Sunday, March 31st, with intense finals that saw Italy`s women and Poland`s men emerge victorious, showcasing skill, resilience, and tactical depth on the snow court.
Men`s Tournament: Polish Precision Overcomes French Flair
The men`s competition featured a demanding bracket, with quarterfinals kicking off the final day. Polish grit was immediately evident, bouncing back from a set down against Italy 10 to claim a hard-fought 2-1 victory (10-15, 19-17, 15-13). Elsewhere, Italy 2 efficiently dispatched Uruguay, France prevailed over Switzerland, and Italy 1 won the local derby against Italy 6.
The semifinals presented formidable challenges. Poland continued their impressive run by stopping the strong Italian champions team (Italy 1). In the other semi-final, a solid and cohesive French team proved too strong for Italy 2. This set up a bronze medal match between the two Italian sides, with Italy 1 securing third place.
The gold medal match featured Poland against France. France started aggressively in both sets, taking early leads (9-6 in the first, 7-4 in the second). However, the Polish team, notably led by key plays from Piotr Groszek, demonstrated remarkable composure and tactical adjustments. They systematically chipped away at the French advantage, executing their game plan effectively. The second set saw another Polish comeback, fueled by strong team performance, culminating in an error from France that sealed the 2-0 victory (15-12, 15-xx – the score for the second set is not explicitly provided in full in the source, implying a standard win, the text says “An error from France gave the golden point to the Poles”). Poland`s squad of Piotr Groszek, Michal Matyja, Karol Szczepanik, and Mikolaj Kaczmarek earned their triumph through strategic play and mental fortitude.
Women`s Tournament: Italian `Queens` Stage a Royal Comeback
On the women`s side, the Italian champions, Anna Dalmazzo, Sara Breidenbach, and Sofia Arcaini, showed their pedigree. They smoothly navigated their semi-final against Hungary 2 with a decisive 2-0 win (15-8, 15-9), showcasing effective offense with contributions from both Breidenbach and Dalmazzo. In the other semi-final, the Turkish team overcame a promising start by the Czech Republic to secure their place in the final with a 2-0 victory, highlighting their individual talent and growing team synergy.
The final promised a compelling clash between Italy and Turkey, and it delivered. Turkey came out firing, establishing an early 4-0 lead in the first set, with Sencel particularly impactful. They extended their advantage to 13-9 and, despite attempts by Breidenbach to spark an Italian revival with blocks and aces, Turkey clinched the first set 15-12. The narrative shifted dramatically in the second set. Two timely aces from Sofia Arcaini provided the initial spark for Italy. Turkey, perhaps unnerved, began to accumulate errors. Italy capitalized, finding their rhythm and reclaiming their characteristic solidity. Arcaini`s “poisonous” serves (15-6) decisively leveled the match at 1-1.
With momentum firmly on their side and Dalmazzo becoming virtually unstoppable at the net, Italy took control of the deciding third set. They executed their plays with precision, leaving little room for Turkey to respond. The Italian `queens` completed their comeback, securing the set and the match with a 15-x win (the exact final point is not specified, but the text implies a comfortable closing), much to the delight of the home crowd. Anna Dalmazzo, Sara Breidenbach, and Sofia Arcaini were crowned champions, marking a successful return to the top.
The CEV Snow Volleyball European Tour stop in Prato Nevoso proved to be a memorable event, featuring high-level competition and exciting comebacks. Congratulations to the winning teams from Italy and Poland for their outstanding performances.