Ré Bach Club misses direct European Cup finals qualification
- The Ré Bach Club (RBC) women's beach volleyball teams missed direct qualification for the European Club Cup finals in Turkey after finishing second in their pool, losing the...
- The qualification process for the final phase in Turkey required teams to finish first in their respective pools.
- Because the RBC and Gran Canaria collectives each recorded two draws (1-1) against one another, officials applied a points ratio based on the total competition results.
The Ré Bach Club (RBC) women’s beach volleyball teams missed direct qualification for the European Club Cup finals in Turkey after finishing second in their pool, losing the top spot to Gran Canaria by a single point. According to reporting from Sud Ouest, the ranking was determined by a points ratio across the competition after both French and Spanish sides finished with identical 1-1 records in their head-to-head matchups.
Gran Canaria secures top seed via points ratio
The qualification process for the final phase in Turkey required teams to finish first in their respective pools. Following a forfeit by the Cardiff teams from Wales, the remaining matches were played as home-and-away fixtures. The RBC teams, featuring Marilu Pally, Romane Sobezaltz, Saofé Duval, Joséphine Canela, Pia Szewczyk, and Faustine Blondeau, faced off against Gran Canaria of Spain and Portrush of Northern Ireland.
Because the RBC and Gran Canaria collectives each recorded two draws (1-1) against one another, officials applied a points ratio based on the total competition results. Yann de Kergret, president of the Ré Bach Club, told Sud Ouest that the Spanish side was found to be ahead by one point over the course of eight matches.
Refereeing errors and match results
RBC management identified a specific window of failure during their matches against Portrush. To secure the top seed, the Charentaises-Maritimes side needed to concede no more than 13 points across two matches. However, the club allowed 14 points in the first encounter.
Yann de Kergret attributed this result to bad luck and officiating. He cited two points lost to balls hitting the cable and dropping on the RBC side, but specifically highlighted three enormous refereeing mistakes
as the primary cause for the deficit, according to Sud Ouest.
The second RBC team managed a more dominant performance against their Northern Irish opponents, winning 21-0, 21-0. While de Kergret described this result as anecdotally pleasing, he noted it was not enough to overcome the point deficit created in the earlier match.
Prospects for qualification as best runner-up
The tournament regulations allow for the best second-place team across six pools to qualify for the finals in Turkey. This leaves a narrow opening for the RBC teams to advance, though the president expressed skepticism regarding their chances.
De Kergret noted that France currently ranks sixth in the standings and that the upcoming matches for Eastern European pools are critical. He told Sud Ouest that the level of play in the East is significantly higher than in the West, which may result in other second-place teams posting stronger ratios.
Despite the qualification struggle, de Kergret praised the local mobilization of spectators and the weather conditions during the event, noting that the team only realized they had missed the top spot in the final 15 minutes of play.