Rotterdam, the Netherlands, July 1, 2015 – 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.
Matches 77-80, Rotterdam
• Monika Brzostek / Kinga Kolosinska (POL), 1st Place Pool E, Rotterdam• Monika Brzostek and Kinga Kolosinska have been playing together since 2010. They are playing in their 41st FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour tournament together.
• Monika and Kinga won the gold medal at the U21 World Championships in 2009 (Blackpool, England).
• Monika and Kinga won the silver medal at the 2012 CEV Beach Volleyball European Championship Varna Masters in 2012 (Varna, Bulgaria).
• Monika won the bronze medal at the U21 World Championships with Karolina Sowala in 2008 (Brighton, England).
• Lauren Fendrick / Brooke Sweat (USA), 3rd Place Pool J, Amsterdam
• Lauren Fendrick and Brooke Sweat have been playing together since 2014. They are playing in their 14th FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour tournament together.
• Lauren has played in 4 FIVB World Tour final fours with four 4th place finishes.
• Brooke has played in 1 FIVB World Tour final fours with one bronze medal.
• Lauren and Brooke are currently ranked 15th in FIVB World Tour points in 2015 with 1,880 points and 14th in winnings with $48,000.
• Lauren ($232,000) ranks 64th and Brooke ($102,275) ranks 151st in all-time FIVB World Tour individual earnings.
• Lauren won the gold medal at the Norceca Beach Volleyball Circuit Cayman Islands with Brooke Niles in 2011 (Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands).
• Brooke won gold medals at the Norceca Beach Volleyball Circuit Chiapas with Kristen Batt-Rohr in 2011 (Chiapas, Mexico) and Dominican Republic with Jennifer Fopma in 2013 (Boca Chica, Dominican Republic).
• First Meeting Between the Two Teams• Marta Menegatti / Viktoria Orsi Toth (ITA), 1st Place Pool L, Rotterdam• Marta Menegatti and Viktoria Orsi Toth have been playing together since 2013. They are playing in their 22nd FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour tournament together.
• Marta has played in 17 FIVB World Tour final fours with five silver medals, five bronze medals and seven 4th place finishes.
• Viktoria has played in 5 FIVB World Tour final fours with one silver medal, one bronze medal and three 4th place finishes.
• Marta and Viktoria have played in 1 Final Fours in 2015 (Bronze Moscow Grand Slam).
• Marta finished 5th in the Olympic Games with Greta Cicolari in 2012 (London).
• Marta and Viktoria are currently ranked 11th in FIVB World Tour points in 2015 with 2,160 points and 8th in winnings with $77,000.
• Marta ($349,387) ranks 40th and Viktoria ($138,712) ranks 119th in all-time FIVB World Tour individual earnings.
• Marta and Viktoria won the silver medal at the U21 World Championships in 2010 (Alanya, Turkey).
• Marta won the silver medal at the U19 World Championships with Gilda Lombardo in 2007 (Myslowice, Poland).
• Marta won the gold medal at the CEV European Championship Final with Greta Cicolari in 2011 (Kristiansand, Norway).
• Marta was named the FIVB World Tour Most Improved Player in 2011.
• Kristyna Kolocova / Marketa Slukova (CZE), 2nd Place Pool E, Rotterdam
• Kristyna Kolocova and Marketa Slukova have been playing together since 2009. They are playing in their 62nd FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour tournament together.
• Kristyna has played in 5 FIVB World Tour final fours with two gold medals, one bronze medal and two 4th place finishes.
• Marketa has played in 5 FIVB World Tour final fours with two gold medals, one bronze medal and two 4th place finishes.
• Kristyna’s and Marketa’s last Final Four was a 4th Place Finish at The Hague in July, 2014.
• Kristyna and Marketa finished 5th in the Olympic Games in 2012 (London).
• Kristyna and Marketa are currently ranked 20th in FIVB World Tour points in 2015 with 1,760 points and 22nd in winnings with $42,000.
• Kristyna ($278,325) ranks 51st and Marketa ($278,325) ranks 51st in all-time FIVB World Tour individual earnings.
• Kristyna and Marketa won the silver medal at the CEV Polish Masters in 2011 (Niechorze, Poland).
• Marketa was named the FIVB World Tour Top Rookie in 2010.
• Head to Head Tied 1-1
• Gstaad Grand Slam, 07/09/2014, Pool C , Kolocova/Slukova won 2-1 (21-19, 17-21, 15-8) (0:50)
• São Paulo Grand Slam, 10/11/2013, Winner 2, Menegatti/Orsi Toth won 2-1 (21-19, 19-21, 15-11) (0:53)
• Laura Ludwig / Kira Walkenhorst (GER), 2nd Place Pool K, Apeldoorn• Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst have been playing together since 2013. They are playing in their 20th FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour tournament together.
• Laura has played in 23 FIVB World Tour final fours with one gold, 10 silver, seven bronze medals and five 4th place finishes.
• Kira has played in 7 FIVB World Tour final fours with one gold, two silver, two bronze medals and two 4th place finishes.
• Laura and Kira have played in 1 Final Four in 2015 (4th Stavanger Major Series).
• Laura finished 9th in the Olympic Games in 2008 (Beijing), and 5th in 2012 (London), both with Sara Niedrig (Goller).
• Laura and Kira are currently ranked 14th in FIVB World Tour points in 2015 with 1,920 points and 11th in winnings with $62,000.
• Laura (113) ranks 26th in all-time FIVB World Tour individual tournaments.
• Laura ($570,450) ranks 19th and Kira ($140,500) ranks 118th in all-time FIVB World Tour individual earnings.
• Laura and Kira won bronze medals at the 2013 CEV Beach Volleyball European Championship Final in 2013 (Klagenfurt, Austria) and in 2014 (Cagliari, Italy).
• Laura won gold medals at the European Championship in 2008 (Hamburg, Germany) and 2010 (Berlin, Germany), silver medals in 2007 (Valencia, Spain) and 2009 (Sochi, Russia) and the bronze medal in 2011 (Kristiansand, Norway), all with Sara Niedrig.
• Laura won the gold medal at the U18 World Championships with Jana Kohler in 2003 (Pattaya, Thailand).
• Kira won the gold medal at the Chennai Challenger with Jana Kohler in 2010 (Chennai, India).
• Laura was named the FIVB World Tour Best Defensive Player in 2013, Best Offensive Player in 2011, Most Improved Player in 2007, and Most Inspirational in 2013.
• Kira was named the FIVB World Tour Most Improved Player in 2013 and Top Rookie in 2013.
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Ekaterina Birlova / Evgeniya Ukolova (RUS), 2nd Place Pool J, Amsterdam
• Ekaterina Birlova and Evgeniya Ukolova have been playing together since 2011. They are playing in their 34th FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour tournament together.
• Ekaterina has played in 5 FIVB World Tour final fours with two gold, one silver, one bronze medal and one 4th place finish.
• Evgeniya has played in 8 FIVB World Tour final fours with two gold, one silver, four bronze medals and one 4th place finish.
• Ekaterina’s and Evgeniya’s last Final Four was a Gold at Anapa in July, 2013.
• Ekaterina and Evgeniya finished 9th in the Olympic Games in 2012 (London).
• Ekaterina and Evgeniya are currently ranked 18th in FIVB World Tour points in 2015 with 1,780 points and 20th in winnings with $43,375.
• Evgeniya won the silver medal at the CEV Satellite Anapa with Ekaterina Syrtseva in 2011 (Anapa, Russia).
• Evgeniya won the bronze medal at the 2014 CEV Beach Volleyball European Baku Masters with Alexandra Moiseeva in 2014 (Baku, Azerbaijan).
• Ludwig/Walkenhorst lead the Head to Head 2-1• Porec Major Series, 06/03/2015, Pool E , Birlova/Ukolova won 2-0 (21-16, 21-17) (0:35)
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FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships, 07/05/2013, Winner 2, Ludwig/Walkenhorst won 2-0 (21-19, 21-16) (0:38)
• The Hague Grand Slam, 06/13/2013, Pool E , Ludwig/Walkenhorst won 2-0 (21-9, 21-16) (0:30)
• 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