Long-time participant and fan of Oddane Sand, Martin Appelgren, finally reached the top of the podium at this year`s NEVZA event. After finishing as runner-up last year, he delivered a superb performance to reach the final for the second consecutive year, this time alongside Fabian Ramén.
They comfortably won the first set against Norwegians Marius Pande and Magnus Helgerud, but the Swedish pair lost their rhythm in the second set, which the Norwegians dominated. It appeared history might repeat itself for Appelgren as they trailed 8-13 in the deciding third set. However, the Norwegians learned a valuable lesson: don`t celebrate victory until the very last point.
A series of Norwegian errors and some timely aces by the Swedes in the challenging wind shifted the momentum. At 15-14, Fabian Ramén sealed the victory with a massive block. Appelgren expressed his joy, saying, “10 years of trying here in Oddanesand, so nice to finally get to the top of the podium!” He also vowed to return next year.
In the women`s competition, Danish players Clara Windeleff and Astrid Elisabeth Mellmølle performed strongly throughout the tournament. Danish pairs are accustomed to windy conditions, and Windeleff/Mellmølle showed no mercy on their path to the final. They faced the promising young Norwegian duo of Frida Berntsen and her excellent blocking partner, Oda Løvø Steinsvåg.
This young Norwegian team has recently displayed great skill and achieved many positive results, continuing that trend in this event. While the Danes played well, they couldn`t overcome the Norwegians, with Frida and Oda securing the gold medal by winning the final 2-0.
Oddane Sand once again provided beautiful weather for the tournament. The NEVZA event concluded on Thursday afternoon, marking nearly 40 years since the first beach volleyball tournament was ever held here. We are proud that this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, the courts will host close to 300 children and families participating in beach camps run by Camps R`us, followed by a Norwegian tour event.
Hundreds of both new and experienced players are involved in this multi-day activity, and we eagerly anticipate welcoming everyone back next year! Congratulations to the champions from Sweden (men) and Norway (women)!
Torin Vale