Beach U19 World Championships 2022

Ukraine’s Serdiuk & Romaniuk complete impeccable run to U19 world title

USA’s Massey & Pater take silver, Canada’s Glagau & Sorra grab bronze

Published 04:52, 18 Sept 2022

BVBU192022 Main Draw - Women - UKRvsBRA_03

Yeva Serdiuk and Daria Romaniuk triumphed in the women’s competition at the FIVB Beach Volleyball U19 World Championship 2022 in Dikili, Türkiye without losing a single set on the way to the top of the podium. For the Ukrainian duo of 18-year-old players, it was the second international medal, after their 2021 CEV U18 European Championship silver. Ukraine had never won a medal in the history of the women’s U19 World Championships until last year, when Anhelina Khmil and Tetiana Lazarenko claimed bronze in Thailand.

FIVB Beach Volleyball U19 World Championship 2022: All results

USA’s Myriah Massey and Ashley Pater took the silver in Dikili, their country’s fifth medal in the 20-year history of the competition. It was also the first international podium for either 16-year-old Massey or 17-year-old Pater.

17-year-old Canadians Emma Glagau and Ruby Sorra completed the podium. The U19 World Championship bronze was the pair’s second international medal, after their NORCECA Continental Tour silver in Varadero back in May of this year. It was also Canada’s second podium in the competition, after Megan McNamara and Nicole McNamara’s 2014 bronze.

The U19 World Championship women’s podium in Dilikli

Serdiuk and Romaniuk were absolutely impeccable in their campaign in the Turkish sand this week and mastered seven straight-set wins in a row to rejoice with the world crown. After topping the standings in Pool C, they shut out Germany’s Annika Berndt and Janne Uhl in the round of 16 and Brazil’s Carol Sallaberry and Julhia Perandre in the quarterfinals.

In Sunday’s tournament culmination, the young Ukrainians cruised to yet another two speedy victories, both over two American duos. First, in the semifinals, they produced a 2-0 (21-15, 21-14) sweep of Sophie Kubiak and Bailey Showalter and then, in the gold medal match, Serdiuk and Romaniuk defeated Massey and Pater by 2-0 (21-17, 21-18).

Massey and Pater were also on a perfect run until Sunday. The Americans topped Pool B after three 2-0 wins and then shut out Austria’s Lia Berger and Emma Hohenauer in the round of 16 and Maren de Jong and Noa Sonneville of the Netherlands in the quarterfinals. In a very competitive semifinal battle, Massey and Pater dropped a set to Glagau and Sorra, but emerged with a 2-1 (27-25, 17-21, 17-15) victory to advance to the final.

Glagau and Sorra then beat Kubiak and Showalter in straight sets, 2-0 (21-10, 21-16), to celebrate with bronze. The Canadians’ journey to the final four included three wins in Pool D, with a single set lost along the way, a round of 16 victory over China’s Tong Yu and Kaiyue Jiang and a come-from-behind quarterfinal success against Poland’s Malgorzata Ciezkowska and Urszula Lunio.