HODGES AND SCHUBERT GOING FOR GOLD SATURDAY IN ELITE 16 FINAL

Credit history: volleyball.org.au

Australians Thomas Hodges and Zachery Schubert stormed into Saturday’s men’s finals of the Beach Pro Tour Elite 16 in Torquay, while Olympic silver medalists Taliqua Clancy & Mariafe Artacho del Photo voltaic will be taking part in for bronze in the women’s event.

Thomas Hodges celebrates

Hodges and Schubert achieved heights they had by no means witnessed prior to as they defeated the Italian staff of Alex Ranghieri and Adrian Carambula in an epic a few-setter to qualify for their initial at any time Seashore Pro Tour Elite 16 gold medal match.

The decider was a thriller that kept the Torquay crowd on the edge of their seats as the two teams retained exchanging blow for blow in overtime, right until the Aussies shut out the established 21-19.

“It’s unbelievable and to do it in entrance of friends and relatives it is a at the time in a life span expertise,” explained Hodges, a Victorian area who feels correct at dwelling in Torquay.

“All 12 months I’ve been energized for this celebration. I appear down to Torquay and Jan Juc all the time, when I get time off in Melbourne. To get to enjoy an celebration listed here and then to make it a ultimate, I’m speechless,” he claimed.

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Qualification to the semifinal experienced been to some degree bittersweet for Schubert, who was intended to be the very best man at just one of his ideal friends’ wedding on Saturday. Now the younger Aussie will play for gold instead.

“I was in a totally different frame of mind right after our previous match, it was a pretty satisfied, but disappointing sensation.

“I known as my mate straight after [the quarter final] and every person was tremendous upset, but at the same time every person recognized. It is just this kind of a weird time. I’m just pleased we executed, did effectively and manufactured the most of it.

“Everyone [the crowd] is coming out and finding into it. Seashore Volleyball is this sort of a wonderful recreation, that is why we perform it, so it’s truly good to see the crowd get behind us.”

Earlier in the working day, Hodges and Schubert manufactured the largest upset of the working day successful in straight sets in the all-Australian quarter ultimate that noticed them just take on Commonwealth Games champions and top seeded side Chris McHugh and Paul Burnett.

Zachery Schubert in reception

On Saturday, in the men’s Remaining, Hodges and Schubert will confront the French duo of Youssef Krou and Arnaud Gauthier-Rat, whom the Aussie duo presently defeated this yr at the Seaside Professional Tour Dubai Obstacle celebration.

“It was a shut three setter that we gained and so they will be on the lookout for vengeance. But we are all set to convey it again,” Hodges mentioned.

In the women’s semifinals, No.1 seed Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho del Photo voltaic fought valiantly against the motivated American pair of Betsi Flint and Julia Scoles.

The Individuals set pressure on the Aussies proper from the start, confidently having the initially established. In spite of battling tooth and nail to occur back into the match until eventually the extremely previous issue of a nail-biting next established, Clancy and Artacho del Photo voltaic had been defeated in straight sets (15-21, 25-27).

In the Saturday afternoon, the two Aussies will participate in one more American partnership, Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth to consider and declare a bronze medal in front of a dwelling crowd.

Later on in the evening, Flint and Scoles will go against No. 2 seed Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes in an all-American gold medal showdown for the crown of the women’s Torquay Elite 16 title.