Spanish teams go for gold at women’s Madrid Futures
News
After six days of intense competition for the men in Madrid, it’s time the women get on the sand in the Spanish capital on Thursday for the start of the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Futures tournament that will take place in the city for the next four days.
The Puerta de Hierro Beach Volleyball centre, which hosted a men-only Beach Pro Tour Futures event last weekend and Pool E of the 2023 CEV Beach Volleyball Nations Cup on Monday and Tuesday, will now be the stage of the first female Futures tournament held in Europe in 2023.
During the next four days, from Thursday to Sunday, as many as 28 teams will compete in Madrid – the 12 best-ranked ones begin the tournament directly in the main draw while the remaining 16 duos will need to battle in the qualifier.
As many as 16 nations will be represented in the event, with 15 European countries contending for the title – Americans Jessica McGuire and Logan Beitler are the only team from outside the continent entered in the tournament.
Hosts Spain have the most entries with six duos confirmed in the event, but Austria, Bulgaria, England (2), France (2), Greece, Italy (2), Latvia (2), Lithuania, the Netherlands (3), Norway, Portugal, Switzerland, Sweden (2) and Ukraine will also have teams fighting for medals this weekend in Madrid.
The host country is arguably the main favorite to take gold this week and follow up on the home victory achieved by the Huerta brothers Alejandro and Javier in the men’s event last weekend, having three of the four highest-seeded teams in the event.
One of the winners of last year’s Madrid Futures, 30-year-old Paula Soria sits at the top of the entry list with new partner, 36-year-old and three-time Olympian Liliana Fernández. The two started their partnership just two months ago and have a fifth-place finish on a Beach Pro Tour Challenge event in Saquarema, Brazil, as their best result so far.
Paula will actually be looking for a hat-trick in the Spanish capital as she also won the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour one-star event held in Madrid in 2021, playing with Belén Carro – who forms the second-seeded team this time with new teammate Angela Lobato.
Belén Carro"We are very excited to be here, especially myself to play at home once again. The goal is to reach Sunday's medal matches, and as we always say, to climb a bit in the world rankings but above all to enjoy the experience."
Spanish Beach Volleyball Player
Paula’s partner in her last year’s victory, 21-year-old Sofía González is seeded fourth with teammate Sol Guidarelli. Among the home teams at the top of the entry list are Ukrainians Tetiana Lazarenko, the reigning U20 European champion, and Diana Lunina, who just became partners this year and enter the event seeded third.
Following the qualifier on Thursday, the event in Madrid will continue with the main draw, in a modified pool play stage. In the elimination rounds, the four pool winners will advance directly to the quarterfinals while the second and third-placed duos will need to play in the Round of 12. The medal matches will be held on Sunday.
In 2023, there will be 15 Futures events in Europe, which will be run by the CEV in close cooperation with Volleyball World and will provide teams from the continent with several opportunities to compete and gain valuable ranking points during the Olympic qualification period for the Paris 2024 Games.
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