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Baku, January 19, AZERTAC
The teams of the two host countries, Azerbaijan and Georgia, will open the programme of the 2017 women’s EuroVolley on September 22 when they take on Hungary and Italy before a partisan home crowd in Baku and Tbilisi, respectively. The competition – which coincides with the most high-profile Volleyball event ever organised in these countries – will continue through to October 1 when the new European champions are set to be crowned at the iconic National Gymnastics Arena in the capital city of Azerbaijan.
More matches will be played on September 22 with Germany taking on Poland and Belarus playing Croatia in Pool A and B, respectively. Action in Pool C and D will get underway on September 22 as well with defending champions Russia playing their neighbours from Ukraine early in the afternoon at Baku’s National Gymnastics Arena. Rio 2016 Olympic silver medallists Serbia take on the Czech Republic and 2015 European silver medal winners the Netherlands go for a ‘derby’ with Belgium in Ganja/Göygöl on the opening day of Pool D.
The group stage of the competition will last for four days before action resumes on September 26 and 27 with the Playoffs followed by the quarterfinals scheduled for September 28 and 29. The semi-finals will take place on Saturday, September 30 before the competition reaches its climax on October 1 with the medal matches.
Russia have won the last two editions of the women’s European Championship in 2013 and 2015, beating hosts Germany and the Netherlands in the respective gold medal matches. Olympic silver medal winners Serbia won bronze in 2015 after finishing fourth in 2013 and claiming gold on home soil in 2011. Co-hosts Georgia are making their first appearance in the Final Round of the women’s EuroVolley whereas Azerbaijan’s best result to date is the fourth place they claimed in the 2005 edition of the tournament held in Croatia.
AZERTAG.AZ :Women’s EuroVolley match programme published