Relief, joy and a lot of fun at NEVZA U17 Championships in Denmark

The teams of Denmark, Faroe Islands, Iceland and Norway joined the 2021 edition of the NEVZA U17 Volleyball Championships held earlier this week in Ikast, Denmark – the very first zonal event organised by NEVZA since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

Ikast, a small town in the middle of Jutland mostly known for its fashion industry, home to companies such as BestSeller and DK Company, is a major sports hub as well, with leading men’s volleyball and women’s handball teams plus the development centre and high schools for volleyball, handball and football - among other sports.

This past Sunday, October 17, young Volleyball players from Denmark, Faroe Islands, Iceland and Norway gathered in the students’ apartments at the sport centre for three days of competition. With all the facilities for food and lodging, a short walk to training and competition halls, and the special Danish “hygge” (conviviality), it gives the players and staff the best possible conditions.

The gathering in Ikast was not only for the under-age national teams, since two youth camps took place next to the U17 championships. The two camps were “Young Guns’ Camp”, addressing youth born in 2006 and 2007, and “Volleyball Kids and Teens”, specifically designed for players born in 2008 and later. The youngest are 10 years old. At present state, it is only Danish participants, but discussions are ongoing about the possibility to invite other NEVZA members as well. The camp could include meetings for coaches to share their experiences and methodologies.

In the pool play of the women’s competition, Norway and Denmark started their journey with rather easy victories against the Faroe Islands and Iceland respectively. As these two sides fought a tough battle, resulting in a tight five-set game and 18-16 win for Denmark, most people expected both teams to make it to the final. However, Iceland had other plans, since in the next match they beat Norway in straight sets. Denmark had a major challenge against the Faroe Islands in another five-set game. Eventually, they managed to win the fifth set and thereby the pool. The bronze medal match started with a nail-biting set, before Norway took it 29-27. After the loss, the Faroe Islands did not recover from the setback and Norway could win comfortably. In the final, Iceland caught a promising start with heavy spikes from their attackers, as they did not allow Denmark to find their way into the game. Denmark, however, raised their level in the second set, taking an early lead before Iceland came back strong and sealed a rather sensational victory.

The boys’ pool play started with a strong game from hosts Denmark, a level they kept all the way through to the end of the group stage. They lost only one set against Norway. It looked like Norway could challenge the hosts, but after taking the first set, the Danes dominated in the following two sets. In the fourth set, Norway had the lead but did not manage to finish it off as Denmark came back and won 28-26. Apart from this, Norway lost only one set to the Faroe Islands. The Faroese players impressed in their matches against Iceland, both in the pool and the bronze medal game. Denmark started the final at high tempo and never let Norway into the match. While both teams performed really well, with good reception and hard spikes on both sides, the determination of the hosts was impressive and Denmark eventually claimed the 2021 NEVZA U17 title.

Live streaming of all matches was available on YouTube. For the finals, the spectator figures raised to over 200 in the arena and 300 behind the screens.

Final standings

Girls

1. Iceland
2. Denmark
3. Norway
4. Faroe Islands

Boys

1. Denmark
2. Norway
3. Faroe Islands
4. Iceland

Dream Teams

Girls

Setter: Tota Buadottir (Faroe Islands)

Opposite: Lejla Sara Hadziredzepovic (Iceland)

Outside hitter: Soldis Björk Leifsdottir (Iceland)

Outside hitter: Sofia Milina Mol (Norway)

Middle blocker: Heba Sol Stefansdottir (Iceland)

Middle blocker: Selma Tryggestad Hodne (Norway)

Libero: Agnes Björk Augustsdottir (Iceland)

Most Valuable Player: Soldis Björk Leifsdottir (Iceland)

Boys

Setter: Kristoffer Nørager Bisgaard (Denmark)

Opposite: Espen Vik (Norway)

Outside hitter: Laurits Schultz Thynebjerg (Denmark)

Outside hitter: Bjarni Joensen (Faroe Islands)

Middle blocker: Felix Jarl Willemoes Behrend (Denmark)

Middle blocker: Johannes Lagesen Fagervold (Norway)

Libero: Emil Severin Olsen (Norway)

Most Valuable Player: Laurits Schultz Thynebjerg (Denmark)

For further information and more pics visit https://www.facebook.com/nevzau17 and www.nevza.org.