Swedish Beach Volleyball elite ready challenge for top spots at NEVZA Beach Sweden

Friday, November 3, the event will get going with a grand total of 32 men’s and women’s teams from Denmark, England, Finland, Norway, and hosts Sweden. As many as twelve Swedish teams will participate, several of them playing on their very own home soil in Göteborg and the Beach Center.

Experienced duo Martin Appelgren/Alexander Annerstedt will be representing host Göteborg Beachvolley Club and will enter the sand as the top-seeded team, followed by Stian Opsahl/Jørgen Nylund Nilsen (NOR) and Pekka Piippo/Vili Topio (FIN).

Even though they have had little time to prepare together, their sights are set on top spots: “It will be very challenging, of course, but our target is to reach the podium. There are a lot of tough opponents, also when looking at the teams lower in the seeding. To be able to get far in an indoor competition like this, you will have to perform well in serving and reception, so that is where we will put our focus,” Appelgren continued.

Looking at the women’s side, all three top-seeded teams are Swedish. Team Sanna Thurin/Helene Jernbeck is first on the list, followed by Sara Malmström/Hulda Rudberg and Louise Månesköld/Malin Bergholm.

Blue and yellow ‘young guns’ Emilia Saxne and Sanna Madestam could also be in the mix for top spots. The duo will enter the competition filled with confidence after last weekend’s successful Volleyball campaign with the Swedish U19 Women’s National team – which won the NEVZA U19 Championship in Rovaniemi, Finland, and therefore qualified for the 2024 Volleyball U20 European Championship, a feat Sweden has achieved for the first time since 1984.

“It probably has not sunk in yet, what we accomplished in Finland. Now we will play Beach Volleyball instead and it may take some time to adapt, but we are really looking forward to getting going,” said Saxne/Madestam. “We would say that we are quite strong in serve and attacking the ball when we get the chance. We are both indoor players from the beginning and can take a lot with us and make use of that in the sand. If we can play our game, we know that there is no team that we cannot win against in this competition. Our goal this weekend is to play as good as we can so that when we are finished playing, we can be satisfied with what we have accomplished. We need to keep on preparing in the best way possible to give ourselves the chance to perform at our standards,” they continued.

NEVZA Beach Sweden will take place side by side with a mass participation Beach Volleyball event called Halloween Cup, where some 400 players will take to the sand. Therefore, both elite and amateur players will get to inspire each other and at the same time exemplify how Beach Volleyball as a sport is both lifelong and for everyone.

Beach Center is a non-profit organisation owned and run by Göteborg Beachvolley Club, which is the biggest Volleyball club in Sweden. The centre offers great event and training opportunities all year round and has 16 warmed up indoor courts and another 12 outdoor courts.

Ranking, match schedule and results are found on CEV Zonal Events page.

All matches are streamed by Sportway, in Sweden VolleyTV.se, and in Denmark DanskVolley.tv. The producer is Magnus Gripenhammar, Volleykanalen.  Contact your national federation for information regarding access in your territory.

Photos courtesy of Jakob Birgersson