German pair Linda Bock and Louisa Lippmann, alongside Ukrainian duo Maryna Hladun and Tetiana Lazarenko, have reached the final of the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Warmia Mazury Challenge. Both teams secured their spots in the gold medal match after winning their respective elimination matches on Saturday in Poland.
The championship title will be contested by the German and Ukrainian teams at Anders Hotel Beach on Sunday. Earlier in the day, Americans Julia Donlin and Lexy Denaburg will face off against French Olympians Clémence Vieira and Aline Chamereau in the bronze medal match.
Bock and Lippmann, a newly formed team for the 2025 season, are guaranteed their first medal together in Poland. Both players recently transitioned to beach volleyball after competing in indoor volleyball, with Lippmann being a Paris 2024 Olympian. Before this week`s event in Warmia Mazury, their best performance on the Beach Pro Tour Challenge circuit was a ninth-place finish in Xiamen.
Despite losing their initial pool match to Hladun and Lazarenko on Thursday, the German team has since achieved five consecutive victories to reach the final. Their path included overcoming Spanish Olympians Tania Moreno and Daniela Álvarez in a thrilling three-set quarterfinal (21-13, 11-21, 15-13), followed by a convincing straight-sets win (21-12, 21-19) against Vieira and Chamereau in the semifinals.
Reflecting on their semifinal performance, Bock commented, “The French team displayed incredible defense. We focused on executing our own game effectively, which allowed us to find solutions on the court.”
Ukraine Seeks Third Challenge Title
The other finalists, Hladun and Lazarenko, have been playing together on the Beach Pro Tour since 2023. As partners, the Ukrainian duo has earned five medals from 15 international tournaments, including gold medals at the Warsaw Futures in 2023 and the Chennai Challenge last year.
Hladun and Lazarenko remain undefeated in Warmia Mazury. They secured their spot in the final by defeating two American teams on Saturday: a straight-set victory (21-13, 21-14) against Kimberly Hildreth and Teegan Van Gunst in the quarterfinals, followed by another two-set win (21-14, 21-18) over Donlin and Denaburg in the semifinals.
Lazarenko shared her positive experience at the venue, stating, “This is a fantastic place to play. The atmosphere is amazing, and we`ve been enjoying it a lot.”
The gold medal match on Sunday will be the second meeting between the German and Ukrainian teams. Their only previous encounter was their pool play match earlier this week, which was won by Hladun and Lazarenko.
Oliver Wrenwick 
Jasper Thornfield