Norway and Denmark triumph in Gothenburg

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Three spots on the podium for teams from hosts Sweden, but the winners come from Denmark and Norway at the last NEVZA Beach Volleyball event of year held from Friday to Sunday at the Beach Center, Göteborg. 16 teams per gende entered the sand Friday, when the 2023 edition of NEVZA Beach Sweden got underway. Fast forward two days, and we now have our winners!

Victoria Faye Kjølberg and Julie Varga (NOR) claimed the gold medal on the women’s side by winning in two straight sets (21-19, 21-18) in Sunday’s hard-fought final against Sara Malmström and Hulda Rudberg who were playing on their very home soil in Beach Center, Göteborg.

Kjølberg/Varga had a tough start to the tournament, winning the first game 2-1 against Danish side Rebecca Nøhr Kramer/Vanessa Richards, before fighting another battle against Felicia Granberg/Ellen Lindqvist (SWE) – where they eventually lost 1-2. From the Round of 12 and onwards, the Norwegian duo managed to improve their game, not losing any another match.

 Find out about the teams on the CEV Zonal event page, NEVZA Gothenburg 2023.
Photos courtesy of Kai Piluschewski

Women
Final
Malmström/Rudberg, SWE – Kjølberg/Varga, NOR 0 – 2 (19-21, 18-21)

3/4 place
Olsen/Schade, DEN– Saxne/Madestam, SWE 2 – 0 (21-8, 21-18)

Semifinals
Malmström/Rudberg, SWE – Olsen/Schade, DEN 2 – 1 (21-17, 12-21, 15-7)
Kjølberg/Varga, NOR – Saxne/Madestam, SWE 2 – 1 (19-21, 22-20, 15-10)

Ranking Women
 1. Kjølberg/Varga, NOR
2. Malmström/Rudberg, SWE
3. Olsen/Schade, DEN
4. Saxne/Madestam, SWE
5. Granberg F./Lindqvist, SWE
Mierzejewska/Sahlberg, SWE
Nirhamo/Hirvonen, FIN
Thurin, S./Jernbeck, SWE
9. Mäenpää/Mämmi, FIN
Månesköld/Bergholm, SWE
Metsäkoivu T./Pirttimäki, FIN
Skaug/Hobøl, NOR
13. Åhman/Ribom, SWE
Barkler/Berthou, DEN
Kramer/Richards, DEN
Väärälä/Järveläinen, FIN

Men
Final
Møllgaard/Houmann, DEN- Andreasson/Andersson, A., SWE 2 – 0 (24-22, 21-15)

3/4 place
Annerstedt/Appelgren, SWE – Piippo/Topio, V., FIN 2 – 0 (21-19, 21-15)

Semifinals
Annerstedt/Appelgren, SWE – Møllgaard/Houmann, DEN 1 – 2 (19-21, 21-17, 10-15)
Piippo/Topio, V., FIN- Andreasson/Andersson, A., SWE 0 – 2 (18-21, 17-21)

Ranking
1. Møllgaard/Houmann, DEN
2. Andreasson/Andersson, A., SWE
3. Annerstedt/Appelgren, SWE
4. Piippo/Topio, V., FIN
5. Alden-Joyce/Boström, SWE
Herrmann/Wijk Tegenrot, SWE
Pennanen/Viljamaa, FIN
Solheim/Thorkildsen, NOR
9. Isaksson/Grahn, SWE
Ofstaas/Solhaug, NOR
Opsahl/Nilsen, NOR
Quick/Sanders, ENG
13- Ask/Sjölund, SWE
Bialokoz/Batrane, ENG
Petersen/Engelbrecht, DEN,
Topio, P./Pennanen, FIN

Facts: Nevza Beach Sweden
Dates: 3-5 November
Venue: Beach Center, Gothenburg
Address: Krutvägen 6, 415 27 Göteborg
Local organizer: Göteborg Beachvolley Club, BVC
Number of teams: 16 Women’s, 16 Men’s
Price money: 1500 EUR per gender

About GBC & Beach Center
Beach Center is the world’s biggest indoor beach volleyball arena. It is owned by Göteborg Beachvolley Club, GBC, with most registered members in Swedish Volleyball. The arena holds 16 indoor courts and 12 outdoor, plus restaurant, beach bar and gym.

About NEVZA
NEVZA (The North European Volleyball Zonal Association) is a collection organization for eight North European  volleyball federations associated with the European Volleyball Confederation (CEV). The members are Denmark, England, Faroe Islands, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. Within  NEVZA the federations cooperate and organize competitions for youth and senior players in the three disciplines beach volleyball, volleyball and snow volleyball, for both national and club teams.

The tournament  was presented here.

Women
Pool A
Thurin S/Jernbeck, SWE – Olsen/Schade, DEN 2 – 0 (21-15. 21-19)
Nirhamo/Hirvonen, FIN – Åhman/Ribom, SWE 2 – 0 (21-15, 21-18)
Olsen/Schade, DEN– Åhman/Ribom, SWE 2 – 0 (21-19, 21-11)
Thurin S/Jernbeck, SWE – Nirhamo/Hirvonen, FIN 2 – 1 (14-21, 21-15, 15-8)

Pool B
Malmström/Rudberg, SWE- Skaug/Hobøl, NOR 2 – 0 (21-8, 21-17)
Väärälä/Järveläinen, FIN – Saxne/Madestam, SWE 0 – 2 (12-21, 13-21)
Skaug/Hobøl, NOR – Väärälä/Järveläinen, FIN 2 – 1 (21-15, 17-21, 15-8)
Malmström/Rudberg, SWE – Saxne/Madestam, SWE 2 – 1 (21-14, 14-21, 15-13)

Pool C
Månesköld/Bergholm, SWE – Barkler/Berthou, DEN 2 – 0 (23-21, 21-19)
Metsäkoivu T./Pirttimäki, FIN – Mierzejewska/Sahlberg, SWE 1 – 2 (18-21, 21-14, 9-15)
Barkler/Berthou, DEN- Metsäkoivu T./Pirttimäki, FIN 0 – 2 (12-21, 7-21)
Månesköld/Bergholm, SWE – Mierzejewska/Sahlberg, SWE 1 – 2 (21-14, 19-21, 14-16)

Pool D
Kjølberg/Varga, NOR – Kramer/Richards, DEN 2 – 1 (17-21, 21-10, 15-8)
Mäenpää/Mämmi, FIN – Granberg F./Lindqvist, SWE 0 – 2 (21-23, 15-21)
Kramer/Richards, DEN – Mäenpää/Mämmi, FIN 0 – 2 (15-21, 12-21)
Kjølberg/Varga, NOR – Granberg F./Lindqvist, SWE 1 – 2 (19-21, 21-15, 10-15)

Round of 12
Metsäkoivu T./Pirttimäki, FIN – Nirhamo/Hirvonen, FIN 0 – 2 (19-21, 13-21)
Olsen/Schade, DEN- Månesköld/Bergholm, SWE 2 – 0 (21-17, 21-16)
Kjølberg/Varga, NOR – Skaug/Hobøl, NOR 2 – 0 (21-16, 21-14)
Mäenpää/Mämmi, FIN – Saxne/Madestam, SWE 0 – 2 (10-21, 15-21)

Quarter finals
Malmström/Rudberg, SWE- Nirhamo/Hirvonen, FIN 2 – 0 (21-13, 21-15)
Olsen/Schade, DEN- Granberg F./Lindqvist, SWE 2 – 0 (21-10, 21-16)
Mierzejewska/Sahlberg, SWE – Kjølberg/Varga, NOR 1 – 2 (15-21, 21-15, 10-15)
Saxne/Madestam, SWE – Thurin, S./Jernbeck, SWE 2 – 0 (21-16, 31-29)

Men
Pool A
Annerstedt/Appelgren, SWE – Petersen/Engelbrecht, DEN 2 – 0 (21-18, 21-13)
Pennanen/Viljamaa, FIN – Ofstaas/Solhaug, NOR 2 – 0 (21-18, 21-14)
Petersen/Engelbrecht, DEN, SWE – Ofstaas/Solhaug, NOR 0 – 2 (18-21, 7-21)
Annerstedt/Appelgren, SWE – Pennanen/Viljamaa, FIN 2 – 0 (21-13, 21-14)

Pool B
Topio, P./Pennanen, FIN – Andreasson/Andersson, A., SWE 0 – 2 (16-21, 19-21)
Opsahl/Nilsen, NOR – Quick/Sanders, ENG 2 – 0 (21-13, 21-19)
Quick/Sanders, ENG – Topio, P./Pennanen, FIN 2 – 0 (21-19, 21-17)
Opsahl/Nilsen, NOR – Andreasson/Andersson, A., SWE 0 – 2 (15-21, 12-21)

Pool C
Solheim/Thorkildsen, NOR- Ask/Sjölund, SWE 2 – 0 (21-19, 21-17)
Piippo/Topio, V., FIN – Alden-Joyce/Boström, SWE 2 – 0 (21-12. 21-15)
Alden-Joyce/Boström, SWE – Ask/Sjölund, SWE 2 – 1 (15-21, 21-16-21, 15-11)
Piippo/Topio, V., FIN – Solheim/Thorkildsen, NOR 2 – 1 (21-15, 19-21, 15-9)

Pool D
Bialokoz/Batrane, ENG – Isaksson/Grahn, SWE 1 – 2 (23-25, 21-11, 13-15)
Møllgaard/Houmann, DEN – Herrmann/Wijk Tegenrot, SWE, SWE 2 – 1 (20-22, 21-14, 15-10)
Bialokoz/Batrane, ENG – Herrmann/Wijk Tegenrot, SWE 0 – 2 (12-21, 16-21)
Isaksson/Grahn, SWE – Møllgaard/Houmann, DEN 0 – 2 (11-21, 9-21)

Finals of 12
Opsahl/Nilsen, NOR– Herrmann/Wijk Tegenrot, SWE 1 – 2 (17-21, 21-19, 8-15)
Ofstaas/Solhaug, NOR- Solheim/Thorkildsen, NOR 1 – 2 (11-21, 21-18, 12-15)
Pennanen/Viljamaa, FIN – Quick/Sanders, ENG 2 – 1 (21-15, 19-21, 15-4)
Alden-Joyce/Boström, SWE – Isaksson/Grahn, SWE 2 – 0 (21-0, 21-0)

Quarter finals
Annerstedt/Appelgren, SWE – Herrmann/Wijk Tegenrot, SWE 2 – 1 (15-21, 21-9, 16-14)
Solheim/Thorkildsen, NOR – Møllgaard/Houmann, DEN 1 – 2 (10-21, 21-16, 10-15)
Piippo/Topio, V., FIN – Pennanen/Viljamaa, FIN 2 – 0 (21-15, 21-18)
Alden-Joyce/Boström, SWE – Andreasson/Andersson, A., SWE 0 – 2 (14-21, 12-21)