Fejes and Milutinovic of Australia win women’s gold without dropping a set
- Leading the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment supported teams on the podium were Australia’s top seeds Fejes and Milutinovic who emerged as champions following a five-match unbeaten run
- In the men’s category, FIVB Volleyball Empowerment supported teams Thailand and Australia settled for silver and bronze respectively
- Iran claimed gold in the men’s competition to claim their first-ever gold in the AVC Beach Tour
FIVB Volleyball Empowerment supported teams continued to impress on the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Beach Tour as four teams reached the podium at the Nuvali Open. The competition was held at the Nuvali Sand Courts by Ayala Land in City of Santa Rosa, Philippines over the weekend.
Leading those teams on the podium were duo from Australia, Stefanie Fejes and Jana Milutinovic, who claimed gold without dropping a set. The FIVB Volleyball Empowerment programme has invested CHF 72,000 in coach support to women’s beach volleyball in Australia.
They beat Jasmine Fleming and Georgia Johnson, also of Australia, in straight sets (21-19, 25-23) in the final after dismissing Japan’s fourth seeds Suzuka Hashimoto and Reika Murakami 2-0 (21-12, 21-18) in the semi-finals.
In total, the champions played five matches without dropping a set to take home US$2,500 cash prize and 320 AVC points. Their resounding success in the Philippines comes on the back of their back-to-back gold medals at the Beach Pro Tour Futures stops in Coolangatta and Mollymook.
Australia’s gold medallists Stefanie Fejes and Jana Milutinovic pose with their medals and trophy after winning AVC Beach Tour Nuvali Open.
Hashimoto and Murakami picked themselves up in the third-place final to defeat Asami Shiba and Saki Maruyama of Japan in a 2-1 showdown (21-17, 16-21, 15-12) and claim bronze.
In the men’s category, FIVB Volleyball Empowerment supported teams, Thailand and Australia, settled for silver and bronze respectively as Iran took gold.
The FIVB has invested CHF 144,000 into coach support in Thailand with Adriana Bento taking charge of both men’s and women’s national teams. In addition, the FIVB has invested CHF 72,000 into men’s beach volleyball coach support in Australia, with Joey Yigit taking charge of the men’s national team.
Thailand’s top seeds Pithak Tipjan and Poravid Taovato had conjured up a four-match unbeaten run en route to the final that included a 2-1 (21-15,18-21,15-11) semi-final win over fourth seeds, Australia’s Ben Hood and D’Artagnan Potts.
However, their impressive run was stopped by the 11th seeds team from Iran, Abbas Pourasgari and Alireza Aghajanighasab who beat them 2-0 (21-15, 21-15) in the final to claim their first-ever gold in the AVC Beach Tour.
Thailand’s top seeds Pithak Tipjan and Poravid Taovato won silver at AVC Beach Tour Nuvali Open.
That win capped the gold medal winners’ perfect run in the tournament, having also defeated Thailand’s third seeds Surin Jongklang and Dunwinit Kaewsai and Australia’s second seeds Paul Burnett and Jack Pearse in straight sets in the semi-finals and quarter-finals respectively, after finishing top of Pool F.
In the bronze medal match, Australia’s Hood and Potts bounced back to beat Jongklang and Kaewsai 2-0 (21-15, 21-14).
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