Argentina, Belgium, Czechia, Kenya, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Sweden and Vietnam to vie for promotion to VNL 2025
After an exciting European Golden League semifinal, Sweden and Belgium will meet once more in an intriguing Challenger Cup quarterfinal (supply: cev.eu)
Simply two weeks after welcoming eight of the world’s greatest males’s nationwide groups for per week of Volleyball Nations League motion, Manila and its improbable sports activities followers will set the stage for some extra huge volleyball as eight girls’s nationwide groups from all over the world take to the Ninoy Aquino Stadium for the fifth and last version of the ladies’s Volleyball Challenger Cup happening from Thursday to Sunday of this week. The Philippines will host Argentina, Belgium, Czechia, Kenya, Puerto Rico, Sweden and Vietnam within the single-elimination four-day match that may decide the final winner within the historical past of the competitors and concern a ticket to VNL 2025.
- Watch Volleyball Challenger Cup 2024 dwell on VBTV
In Thursday’s match opener, Puerto Rico will tackle Kenya at 15:00 native time (07:00 UTC). The Caribbean group, at present quantity 15 within the FIVB Volleyball World Rating, have been the primary to qualify for the Challenger Cup by profitable the NORCECA Closing 4 final yr. They’ve participated twice throughout the earlier 4 editions of the competitors and earned the bronze medals in each 2018 and 2022. For Kenya, the world’s quantity 20 group, the match in Manila can be an essential check forward of their journey to Paris for the 2024 Olympic Video games. They booked their spot within the Challenger Cup as the very best ranked African group for the second consecutive time. Upon their debut in 2023, they have been eradicated by Colombia within the quarterfinals. Puerto Rico have received all six encounters with Kenya in world-level competitions since 2002, most lately claiming a 3-1 victory on the 2022 FIVB Volleyball Girls’s World Championship.
Thursday’s second quarterfinal, at 18:30 (10:30) will function an thrilling all-European conflict between Belgium and Sweden. Belgium took up the final out there emptiness within the Challenger Cup line-up as the very best ranked eligible group (quantity 13) not but certified. They are going to make their second look on the competitors. In 2022, they settled for silver after shedding to hosts Croatia within the last. The world’s quantity 24 group Sweden certified for Manila because the 2024 CEV Volleyball European Golden League champions and also will play within the Challenger Cup for the second time, after shedding the 2023 last to hosts France. Belgium and Sweden met as many as six instances within the European League during the last two editions of the continental competitors and the Scandinavians received 4 of these matches, together with a five-set thriller in one in every of final month’s semifinals.
“We’re going to the Challenger Cup with an open thoughts and can go for the win 110% in each match. The Yellow Tigers have proven previously that they’re decided and resilient, and that can be no completely different on this match. Sweden now not maintain any secrets and techniques for us. We hope to shock them with some new faces in our beginning line-up.”
Kris Vansnick, head coach of Belgium
The second day of quarterfinals in Manila will begin on the identical time with a duel between Czechia and Argentina. The European facet reserved their Challenger Cup berth by ending European Golden League runners-up to Sweden after a dramatic five-set last. At present ranked quantity 16 on the earth, they are going to seem within the competitors for the third time. Their greatest consequence to this point was the silver medal in 2019, once they misplaced to Canada in one other five-set last. Argentina, the world’s quantity 17, however, certified as the very best ranked eligible South American group. Of their solely earlier look in 2019, they took bronze. Actually it was Czechia that shut out Argentina in one of many 2019 Challenger Cup semifinals to observe up on profitable the earlier two encounters with this opponent within the FIVB Volleyball World Grand Prix. Argentina, nevertheless, celebrated a 3-1 victory over Czechia of their newest encounter on the 2022 World Championship.
Within the final of 4 quarterfinals, the Philippines will attempt to take inspiration from the house followers on the stands to beat Vietnam in an all-Asian battle. Competing because the host nation, the Philippines are set to make their debut within the Challenger Cup. They’re at present quantity 55 within the World Rating. Quantity 34 Vietnam certified for the Challenger Cup by profitable the 2024 AVC Problem Cup, which befell in late May in Manila, the place the house group took bronze reaching their first-ever podium end in any senior-level AVC competitors. The Philippines and Vietnam didn’t meet at that continental match. Within the eight most up-to-date encounters between the 2 groups in official competitors, Vietnam received seven instances, whereas the Philippines’ most up-to-date victory over this opponent dates again to the 2017 Asian Championship.
Vietnam have fun through the 2024 AVC Problem Cup last (supply: vfv.org.vn)
In Saturday’s semifinals, the winner of the Puerto Rico v Kenya quarterfinal will meet the winner of the Belgium v Sweden match-up, and the winner of the Philippines v Vietnam sport will tackle the winner of the Czechia v Argentina encounter. Sunday’s bronze medal match is ready to begin at 15:00 native time (07:00 UTC). The ultimate is scheduled three and a half hours later, at 18:30 (10:30).
Volleyball Challenger Cup 2024: full schedule
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The publish BIG VOLLEYBALL BACK TO MANILA FOR VOLLEYBALL CHALLENGER CUP’S LAST EDITION appeared first on Asian Volleyball Confederation.
