US pair snaps the winning streak of Brazilian counterparts – Volleyball News

Day-2 matches of the Mazury Orlen Grand Slam Main Draw just took place on Thursday, August 16. US pairing of Jennifer Kessy and April Ross became the highlight of the day as they successfully improved to 3-0 in the tournament.

They were challenged by Brazil’s Liliane Maestrini and Maria Clara Salgado in the third match of Main Draw. Both teams had similar 2-0 record in their previous two matches of the tournament. However, the Americans snapped the winning streak of Brazilian by defeating them in a three-set affair on Thursday. The match ended with final score of 2-1 (21-14, 17-21, 15-10).

Top-seeded Kessy and Ross came up with great plan to beat the opponents. They started out on a good note and managed to take lead in early few minutes. Maria Clara/Lili took some time to settle down in their positions and played defensively. In the meanwhile, the American duo continued with hard hitting and added a flurry of points. The spectators witnessed an incredible show of beach volleyball in Stare Jablonki and applauded the US pair. Brazilian team trailed behind, while the pressure kept building on them. Eventually, the first set slipped from their hands as Kessy/Ross sent achieved the set points at 21-14.

In the second set, raged-up Brazilian duo followed a different approach and struggled to come out of the blues. It was not easy to break the rhythm of charged-up Americans, but spirited effort of Maria Clara-Lili allowed them to push the opponents behind. The hard work paid off and Team Brazil captured the second set of the match with four-point lead, 21-17.

The game-score tied at the end of set-2 and the match entered a 15-point golden set. Third decisive set put both sides to a real test of skills and temperament. The early half of the set featured a balanced action from both sides. However, the American duo paced things in the latter half and forced the Brazilians to stay behind. Kessy/Ross closed third set at 15-10 and pulled off success in the match.
Kessy/Ross will return to action in the next stage of the Main Draw, where top-16 pairs will come into stride. They have bright prospects to reach the final four of the competition.

 

Slovakian pair misses the chance to qualify for Round 2 of Main Draw – Volleyball News

Dubovcova-Nestarcova of Slovakia was one of the duos that entered the Main Draw of Mazury Orlen with high hopes to play in the final stage of the tournament. However, the Slovak pair ended up with 2-2 record in Round 1 and got disqualified from the competition.
Let’s have a little rundown on their overall performance in the tournament.

Slovakian 17^th-seeded pair of Dubovcova and Nestarcova jumped to a good start in the competition. They played their first match against Maria Clara-Lili of Brazil on Wednesday, August 15. Brazilian team was ranked higher than the Slovaks and used a tactful play to down the Slovaks. Dubovcova-Nestarcova had a firm ambition of victory and did not allow the counterparts to win the match. Slovakian pair sent 21-13, 17-21, 11-15 on board and clinched 2-1 success in the opening match. It took them 33 minutes to dismantle the power of Brazilian duo.

Following a good start in the campaign, the Slovak pair went against top team of the competition in the second fixture of the day. Top-ranked American Jennifer Kessy and April Ross proved to be too strong for Dubovcova-Nestarcova and won the match in straight sets, 2-0 (21-11, 21-13). It was the first loss for Slovak pair in Stare Jablonki, which moved the team to 1-1 in the competition.
Dubovcova-Nestarcova returned to action on the next day and faced off Poland’s Pregowska-Bekier, 2-0 (21-11, 21-9). The home duo failed to profit from the familiar conditions and easily gave out the match to visiting Slovakian pair.

Nestarcova produced powerful serves and influenced the opponents in the first frame. Likewise, Dubovcova enjoyed a great form and put more pressure on the rival side. They claimed the opening set with good margin of 10 points. Polish ladies remained in the cold waters and suffered the loss of another set in row, which led Slovakia to 2-0 victory in the match.

Success in the third match created ray of hope for Slovakian pair to advance to the next round. Nonetheless, the team was challenged by powerhouse Brazilian duo of Talita and Antonelli. The two teams crossed their ways on Thursday in Stare Jablonki, Poland. Brazilian duo opened the match on a high note and came strong on the Slovaks. Powerful cross court shots and tricky bump passes of Brazilian players allowed them to win the first set at 21-13. Second set also came successful for Talita-Antonelli as they sent 21-11 on board. Slovaks lost the match and dropped the chances to move to the next round of the competition.