Dutch and Lithuanians take final main draw spots in Luxembourg

The final three women’s teams that will compete in the main draw of the Queen & King of the Court European Finals 2023 in Luxembourg were known on Tuesday, when the second edition of the tournament started at the d’Coque, in Luxembourg City.

With eight teams in contention, the Netherlands’ Desy Poiesz/Wies Bekhuis and Leanne Van Vegten/Kirsten Bröring and Lithuania’s Gerda Grudzinskaite/Rugile Grudzinskaite won their series to claim the three berths in play in the opening day of the event.

Coming from a victory at the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Ios Futures last Saturday, the 20-year-old Poiesz and the 21-year-old Bekhuis carried the good momentum into the Queen & King of the Court European Finals to finish first in Pool A in the qualifier.

The Dutch were second in the first round of the pool, but go to 15 points in the second and decisive one, overcoming compatriots Noa Sonneville and Mila Konink, who registered nine points, and Norwegians Victoria Kjølberg and Julie Varga, who went scoreless.

Pool B saw a dominant performance from the Grudzinskaite sisters, who outscored their opponents in both rounds. In the second round, the two had a tight victory, getting to 11 points and overcoming Italians Maria Mancinelli and Giada Bianchi, who scored ten, and Van Vegten and Bröring, who registered nine.

The third and final spot in the main draw was determined in a Phase 2 playoff round, which saw Van Vegten and Bröring make the most of their second-chance opportunity to move forward in the tournament. The Dutch won both rounds, getting to 14 points and overcoming Kjølberg/Varga, who scored 12, and Mancinelli/Bianchi, who tallied five, in the second and decisive one.

The Queen & King of the Court European Finals 2023 main draw begins on Wednesday, with 20 teams in each gender. The men will start competing at 13:00 local time, while the women will get on the court at 14:15 local time. All matches will be streamed live on EuroVolleyTV.