Hosts advance to semi finals after Day 1

Iceland beat Northern Ireland in the opening match of the SCA Women’s Championships.

Iceland was the better team on the court against Northern Ireland, winning the match in straight 3 sets, 25-18, 25-19 and 25-15. In the third set Northern Ireland took the lead 11-7, but after that it was like the game had shifted and Iceland turned the match around, levelling 14-14 and there was no return for the Northern Irish team.

Scotland won in a five-set thriller

In the second match of pool B, the defending champions of Scotland defeated Iceland in a five-set thriller. Scotland claimed the first 2 sets, 27-25 and 25-22. Iceland won with strong third and fourth sets, winning 25-15 and 25-10. It was like Iceland took the match over completely as the Scottish team seemed out of place and effortless. As with the entire match, these teams delivered an excellent golden set. Scotland led the golden set with 2 to 3 points until Iceland leveled 14-14 and after that both teams had a chance to finish the match which was equal 7 times and a nerve racking battle taking place on both sides of the net. The Scottish team stayed calm until the very end. They won 22-20 and most likely made it possible for them to advance all the way as defending SCA champions.

Luxembourg swept Malta in 3 sets in pool A

Malta faced a tough team in their first pool A match. Luxembourg dominated the first 2 sets, winning 25-5 and 25-7. In the third set, the young Maltese team managed to challenge the home team, which won 25-23.

Luxembourg showed their dominance over a stubborn Ireland

In their second match of the day Luxembourg advanced to the top of pool A winning Ireland in straight 3 sets, 25-13, 25-5, and 30-28. Ireland had 2 match points in the third set but luck didn’t flow. On home soil Luxembourg will be difficult to beat and most likely play Iceland in the semi-finals. Scotland will meet Northern Ireland to fight for the top of pool B, while Malta and Ireland will battle for second place in pool A and a ticket to the semifinals..

You can subscribe to the new SCA YouTube Channel and watch all matches from the competition once they have been completed via this link.