Apia, Samoa, May 28, 2011 – New Zealand completed a clean sweep over Samoa and Tonga to win the FIVB Continental Beach Volleyball Continental Cup AVC sub-zonal zone on Saturday in Apia, Samoa to progress to the next round of the London 2012 Olympic Games qualification tournament.

Samoa started the day well by defeating Tonga in both women’s matches easily to win the series 4-0. The Samoa men were under a little bit of pressure after Tonga 1 beat Samoa 2 yesterday. Samoa 2 responded well early in the morning to convincingly beat Tonga 2, leaving the match between Samoa 1 and Tonga 1 to decide the series, or send it into a ‘golden set’.

In the best and closest set of the tournament, Samoa 1, Afa Lauvai and Toetu Toetu survived five set points to win the first set 29-27. In the second set they played with confidence to take the second set 21-18, the match 2-0. This win completed the series win for Samoa 3-1 over Tonga, and qualification through to the Asian Continental Cup, Zonal event early in 2012.

The New Zealand Teams completed their domination of the tournament by seeing off the challenge from Samoa convincingly.

The New Zealand Women’s teams skills were to consistent for the Samoan women’s teams. Samoa 1 showed good fight and some great hustle in the back court but they could not keep pace with the consistent Kiwis. New Zealand Women’s Team won the series 4-0, and the Tournament without dropping a set.

The New Zealand Men’s Team led by Kirk Pitman and Jason Lochhead and well supported by the youthful brothers Sam and Ben O’Dea, were to dominant for a valiant Samoan Team. The Kiwis were never threatened as their experience and skill from the Swatch FIVB World Tour and Asian Tour was too much for the athletic Samoans. New Zealand won the series 4-0, and completed the tournament undefeated.  

New Zealand and Samoa will move through to the next Oceania Round of the Olympic Qualification, the Asian Continental Cup Zonal event to be held in February 2012.

Mens Ranking

Position	Players
1 Qualified Zonal Event	NZL 1       Kirk Pitman/ Jason Lochhead NZL 2       Sam O'Dea/ Ben O’Dea	New Zealand
2 Qualified Zonal Event	SAM 1     Afa Lauvai/ Toetu Toetu SAM 2     Sapati Aiono/ Oliva Vati	Samoa
3	TGA 1      Tio Fonohema/ Samuela Fotu TGA 2      Tevila Fotu/ Esafe Latu	Tonga

 

 

Womens Ranking

Position	Players
1 Qualified Zonal Event	NZL 1       Hannah Croad/ Micah Lindsay-Brown NZL 2       Hill/ Ruru                Debbie Hill/ Melissa	New Zealand
2 Qualified Zonal Event	SAM 1     Leule Tu'ugamusu/ Vaitu'utu'u Taua SAM 2 Uluiva Fouvaa/ Jackie Nuuvali	Samoa
3	TGA 1      TGA 1 Middlemore Fotu/ Mele Fifita TGA 2      Latai Vaka/ Sisifa Taufa	Tonga

 

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