With the help of the home crowd Dutch team Sophie van Gestel and Jantine van der Vlist will try to do their utmost to knockout 4th seeded Katrin Holtwick and Ilka Semmler on Wednesday in the first elimination round of the World Championships. The Germans are the highest ranked women’s team in Rotterdam.
Jantine van der Vlist / Sophie van Gestel (NED), 3rd Place Pool B, Amsterdam
• Jantine van der Vlist and Sophie van Gestel are playing in their 4th FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour tournament together.
• Jantine has played in 1 FIVB World Tour final four with one 4th place finish.
• Sophie has played in 4 FIVB World Tour final fours with one gold medal, one silver medal and two 4th place finishes.
• Sophie finished 9th in the Olympic Games with Madelein Meppelink in 2012 (London).
• Jantine and Sophie are currently ranked 46th in FIVB World Tour points in 2015 with 600 points and 42nd in winnings with $7,000.
• Sophie won the silver medal at the U19 World Championships with Rimke Braakman in 2008 (The Hague, Netherlands).
• Sophie won the silver medal at the U21 World Championships with Michelle Stiekema in 2008 (Brighton, England) and the bronze medal with Rimke Braakman in 2011 (Halifax, Canada).
• Sophie was named the FIVB World Tour Most Improved Player in 2012.
• Katrin Holtwick / Ilka Semmler (GER), 1st Place Pool D, Rotterdam
• Katrin Holtwick and Ilka Semmler have been playing together since 2006. They are playing in their 94th FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour tournament together.
• Katrin has played in 17 FIVB World Tour final fours with two gold, five silver, six bronze medals and four 4th place finishes.
• Ilka has played in 17 FIVB World Tour final fours with two gold, five silver, six bronze medals and four 4th place finishes.
• Katrin’s and Ilka’s last Final Four was a Bronze at Stare Jablonki in August, 2014.
• Katrin and Ilka finished 9th in the Olympic Games in 2012 (London).
• Katrin and Ilka are currently ranked 15th in FIVB World Tour points in 2015 with 1,880 points and 15th in winnings with $46,000.
• Katrin and Ilka rank 8th on the all-time FIVB World Tour team tournament list with 94 and 8th on the all-time FIVB World Tour team winnings list with $845,700.
• Katrin (98) ranks 49th and Ilka (96) ranks 55th in all-time FIVB World Tour individual tournaments.
• Katrin ($422,850) ranks 27th and Ilka ($424,600) ranks 26th in all-time FIVB World Tour individual earnings.
• Katrin and Ilka won the silver medal at the European Championship Final in 2010 (Berlin, Germany).
• Katrin won the silver medal at the U21 World Championships with Maria Kleefisch in 2003 (Saint Quay Portrieux, France).
• Ilka won the bronze medal at the U18 World Championships with Ruth Flemig in 2002 (Xylokastro, Greece).
• Ilka won the silver medal at the U21 World Championships with Ruth Flemig in 2005 (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil).
• Ilka was named the FIVB World Tour Best Setter in 2013.
• First Meeting Between the Two Teams