Team Lochhead Pitman make semi finals on World Tour…. For second time!
-Following on from their top 4 finish in Klagenfurt, Austria For the second successive World Tour tournament Jason Lochhead and Kirk Pitman have secured a second top four finish.
Kristiansand Norway.
30-8-08
On day two of the tournament they defeated home town heroes Svien Horrem and Bjorn Maaseide in front of a parochial Norwegian crowd and then went on to take down the in-form Georgian team who finished 4th at the Beijing Olympics.
Day 3 saw Pitman and Lochhead defeat the 3rd seeded and one of the most decorated Brazilian teams of Franco and Benjamin in a thrilling 3 set match. The Kiwis remained cool under pressure to win the match 2-1, 21-18, 21-23, 15-13. Pitman then defeated the Danish team of Soderburg and Hoyer in a tight two set match, 2-0, 21-19, 25-23. In the final match of the day they faced the Austrian team of Doppler-Gartmeyer seeded 8th for the tournament. In another tight three set match the Kiwis came through convincingly in the 3rd set, winning the match 2-1, 25-23, 19-21, 15-10.
Pitman and Lochhead now face the Brazilian Teams of Bruno and Maciel whom they defeated earlier in the World Tour in Barcelona, to make their, and New Zealand’s first ever Gold Medal match on the Swatch FIVB World Tour!
Lochhead and Pitman’s performance comes on the back of an excellent week for Volleyball New Zealand with Susan Blundell and Anna Scarlett signally their ability to “go to London 2012” with a very outstanding 13th placing on the World Tour in Kristiansand Norway. This is the teams’ first trip first trip to the main draw and first year full time on the world tour.
Results
Lochhead-Pitman NZL [10] Defeated Doppler-Gartmayer AUT [8] 2-1 (25-23, 19-21, 15-10) 0:55
Soderberg-Hoyer DEN [22] Lost to Lochhead-Pitman NZL [10] 0-2 (19-21, 23-25) 0:48
Lochhead-Pitman NZL [10] Defeated Franco-Benjamin BRA [3] 2-1 (21-18, 21-23, 15-13) 1:06
Lochhead-Pitman NZL [10] Defeated Geor-Gia GEO [2] 2-0 (25-23, 24-22) 0:53
Lochhead-Pitman NZL [10] Defeated Maaseide-Horrem NOR [9] 2-0 (23-21, 21-16) 0:45
Ingeborgrud-Hordvik NOR [26] lost to Lochhead-Pitman NZL [10] 0-2 (14-21, 14-21) 0:32
Giontella-Nicolai ITA [23] Defeated Lochhead-Pitman NZL [10] 2-1 (22-20, 15-21, 15-12) 0:57
For further information on the event go to:
http://www.fivb.org/EN/BeachVolleyball/index.asp
ENDS
For further comment please contact:
Pamela Brodie, Operations Manager Volleyball New Zealand 04 473 9763
