12 June, 2024
The Vanuatu National Women’s Beach Volleyball team has headed to China this week to face their final hurdles in the challenge that is Olympic Qualification.
The Continental Cup Semi Final – Phase 2 of the 3-phase qualification process – will take place next week (16-18 June) at the Ningbo Banbianshan Beach Volleyball Centre. Vanuatu successfully moved into the semis after finishing second behind New Zealand in the Continental Cup – Oceania Phase 1 event, hosted in Port Vila last September.
Team Vanuatu will need to finish in the top 2 at this tournament to progress into the Final qualifier, which will be held the following week (21-23 June), at the same venue in Ningbo Xiangshan. The other teams competing in the CC Phase 2 Semi-final are Hong Kong, Indonesia and Kyrgyzstan. Vanuatu is seeded #1 for this event, and will most likely be facing Kyrgyzstan in the opening round on Sunday. The winners from the two initial rounds will play each other in the final on Tuesday. No matter the result, both these teams will progress through to the Contintental Cup (Phase 3) Final, and the possibility of winning the sole spot to Paris 2024.
Gym training at Athletix in Brisbane
The players have been based in Queensland, on the Gold Coast, training hard in preparation for their return to China, where they competed in two FIVB Futures events last month.
Led by coach Shanon Zunker, the squad arrived in China late on Wednesday, and hit the courts in Ningbo for their first training session on Thursday.
SQUAD:
Sherysyn Toko
Majabelle Lawac
Linline Matauatu
Loti Joe
Luduine Tebeim (Reserve)
Shanon Zunker (Coach)
Myles Burfield (Physio)
All match schedules and results will be posted on the Vanuatu Beach Facebook page across the 3-day semi-final event.
ENDS
