Swiss stop Spanish Sochi streak

Sochi, Russia, May 8, 2016 – Entering the women’s Sochi Open women’s gold medal match here Sunday, Spain’s Elsa Baquerizo and Liliana Fernandez were rolling along with six-straight wins highlighted by an upset of the top team on the 2015-2016 FIVB World Tour ranking list.

But the Spanish streak ended when fourth-seeded Joana Heidrich and Nadine Zumkehr of Switzerland posted a 2-1 (21-11, 19-21, 15-7) win in 45 minutes Sunday evening in the women’s final of the US$150,000 Sochi Open over the sixth-seeded Elsa and Liliana to capture the $11,000 first-place prize money.  The Spaniards split $8,000 for placing second.

The win was the second in six matches against Elsa and Liliana, who won the first four matches between the two teams.  Heidrich and Zumkehr snapped the Spaniards’ head-to-head streak posting a three-set win in mid-March at the Rio Grand Slam on Copacabana where the 2016 Olympic Games will be staged.

With the Sochi Open being the 302nd FIVB World Tour stop for women, Heidrich and Zumkehr were competing together for the 36th time on the international circuit with now four podium placements and four “final four” finishes to their credit along with $271,100 in earnings and 95 wins in 171 matches for a 55 percent winning percentage.

“The Spanish girls were on fire, especially with their semi-final win Saturday over the Italian girls (Marta Menegatti and Viktoria Orsi Toth),” said Zumkehr as her team won their second FIVB World Tour gold medal in 36 international circuit starts together.  “We also had a streak of six wins entering the finale with big victories over teams from China, Argentina and Germany.”

With the second set in the match a “nip-and-tuck” affair, the Swiss used quick starts in the first and deciding set to secure the win.  Heidrich and Zumkehr roared to a 7-1 lead in the …

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