USA\u2019s title defence received a significant boost after their two girls\u2019 pairs qualified for the semifinals of the ongoing FIVB Beach Volleyball Under 18 World Championship in Doha, Qatar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The USA pair of Jordyn Scribner-Ella Grimes stretched their unbeaten run to seven matches without losing a set from the qualification phase to the quarterfinals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
They defeated Puerto Rico\u2019s Itzamar Arana Martinez-Anabella Isabelle Valentin Miranda 2-0 (21-13, 21-15) in the Round of 16 before sweeping aside Brazil\u2019s Isabela Sallaberry Cavalcanti-Ana Beatriz Sanches Francelino 2-0 (21-19, 21-12) in the quarterfinals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEvery game is important so we have to keep working, play hard and fight for every point. We are fired up and ready to bring it home,\u201d said USA\u2019s Ella Grimes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Their compatriots, the Junk twin sisters, Avery and Addison, had to dig deep to reach the last four. After beating Hungary\u2019s Emese Kiss-Bert\u00f3k-R\u00e9ka P\u00e1d\u00e1r in straight sets (21-15, 21-15) in the Round of 16, the Junk sisters faced their first real test of the competition in the quarterfinals against Germany\u2019s Anna-Chiara Reformat-Rika Dieckmann, rallying from a set down to edge them out by 2-1 (19-21, 24-22, 15-13).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the other two quarterfinals, both Belgium and the Netherlands battled from a set down to advance to the semifinals. While Belgium\u2019s Lente Thant-Simone Vervloet overcame Italy\u2019s Sofia Bruzzone-Micol Lafuenti 2-1 (18-21, 21-19, 15-09), the Netherlands\u2019 Esmee Radstake-Jara Both emerged 2-1 (20-22, 21-17, 15-10) winners over Canada to lose their first set of the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cItaly were better than us in the first set but after losing, we turned the pressure on them in the second and third sets. We also changed our setting by sending the ball closer to the net which made it easier for us to score through attack,\u201d said Belgium\u2019s Simone Vervloet. \u201cOur target was to reach the quarterfinals and now that we\u2019ve surpassed that, we\u2019ll just enjoy ourselves and see what comes out of it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Saturday\u2019s semifinals, the Junk sisters will take on Radstake & Both of the Netherlands while Belgium\u2019s Thant-Vervloet will face off with USA\u2019s Scribner-Grimes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the men\u2019s competition, the tournament\u2019s surprise package Bar\u0131\u015f G\u00fcldali-Polat Kemal Eser made history by becoming the first Turkish beach volleyball team, male or female, to reach the semifinal of any major senior or junior international competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
T\u00fcrkiye\u2019s run has been nothing short of remarkable. They lost 2-0 to Norway in the qualification phase but were handed the lucky loser slot after Nigeria, who were in the main draw failed to show up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bar\u0131\u015f G-Polat Kemal Eser went ahead to win all their Main Draw matches to finish top of Pool H and earn a direct ticket to the Round of 16. They defeated The Gambia\u2019s Bakary Ensa Kanyi-Abdallah Bah by 2-0 in the Round of 16 before registering a 2-0 (21-18, 21-19) win over Venezuela\u2019s Gerardo Andres Bordones Hernandez-Sebastian Alfredo Pereira Blanco in the quarterfinals to qualify for the semifinals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n