The annual European beach volleyball celebration is on the horizon. Next week, from Wednesday to Sunday, the continent`s elite teams will converge in Düsseldorf, Germany, to participate in the 33rd edition of the CEV EuroBeachVolley.
The tournament returns to Germany for the fourth time, marking its fourth distinct host city in the country`s successful history of hosting this event. Set to take place at the popular Rochus Club, this edition is anticipated to be one of the most competitive in recent years, with all top teams from across Europe confirming their participation.
The 32 women`s teams have been allocated into eight pools, each comprising four teams. They will compete twice within a modified pool play system. The eight pool winners will earn direct qualification to the Round of 16, while the 16 teams finishing second and third will first need to contend in the Round of 24.
Women`s pool play is scheduled from Wednesday to Thursday, with the Round of 24 matches also being held during this period. The Round of 16 and quarterfinals will follow on Friday, leading to the semifinals on Saturday, and the highly anticipated medal matches on Sunday.
An exhilarating week of high-level beach volleyball is expected in Düsseldorf. As the inaugural serve approaches, let`s continue our detailed examination of the eight pools for each gender, now focusing on Pools E, F, G, and H in the women`s tournament:
Pool E
Teams:
- Clémence Vieira/Aline Chamereau (France)
- Monika Paulikiene/Aine Raupelyte (Lithuania)
- Linda Bock/Louisa Lippmann (Germany)
- Katerina Pavelková/Anna Pavelková (Czechia)
Vieira/Chamereau and Paulikiene/Raupelyte, both having represented their countries at the Paris Olympics, stand out as the top contenders in this pool and are expected to vie for the leading position. The French duo is currently in superior form in 2025, having secured medals in consecutive Beach Pro Tour Challenge events, positioning them favorably for direct advancement to the Round of 16.
Linda Bock and Louisa Lippmann, a new pairing in 2025, have understandably shown some inconsistency in their initial months together but demonstrated their capabilities with a recent second-place finish at the Stare Jablonki Challenge in June. The reigning U22 European champions, the Pavelková twins, represent the future of Czech beach volleyball, but may not yet be prepared to contend at this elite level.
If the French team maintains their current strong performance, they are likely to finish at the top. The Lithuanians possess good chemistry and a formidable blocker; however, if they don`t perform at their peak, the Germans could pose a significant challenge.
Pool F
Teams:
- Claudia Scampoli/Giada Bianchi (Italy)
- Niina Ahtiainen/Taru Lahti (Finland)
- Daniela Álvarez/Tania Moreno (Spain)
- Hanna-Marie Schieder/Karla Borger (Germany)
Pool F is arguably the most balanced among all eight pools in Düsseldorf, with no clear favorite for first place. Álvarez and Moreno, silver medalists at EuroBeachVolley 2023 and Paris 2024 Olympians, stand a tier above the rest as a team, but have been hampered by injuries this season and have yet to find their rhythm.
Scampoli and Bianchi have achieved good results in their short time together but will arrive at EuroBeachVolley with only four tournaments as partners. Ahtiainen and Lahti have been Finland`s leading international team for several years, recently winning silver at a Beach Pro Tour Challenge event, but their performances have been inconsistent. Two-time Olympian Borger is one of the most experienced players, yet her new partnership with Schieder has not achieved significant success beyond Futures events and still needs to prove itself at a higher level.
If the Spanish pair can play anywhere near their usual standard, they should top this pool. The fight for the other two spots will be tough, but given the Italians` good form and the home-court advantage for the Germans, they appear to be the strongest contenders to advance.
Pool G
Teams:
- Maryna Hladun/Tetiana Lazarenko (Ukraine)
- Lézana Placette/Alexia Richard (France)
- Noa Sonneville/Brecht Piersma (the Netherlands)
- Janne Uhl/Paula Schürholz (Germany)
Hladun and Lazarenko have earned five medals on the Beach Pro Tour since partnering last year and continue to improve. They secured gold in two Challenge events within the last eight months and arrive in Düsseldorf with expectations of winning their pool.
Paris Olympians Placette and Richard possess the most experience in the pool and should have no difficulty advancing. However, they haven`t been performing at their usual standard in 2025 and have suffered some tough losses. This opens the door for Sonneville and Piersma, who nearly defeated them last month in Poland and are still developing their team identity, as well as for Uhl and Schürholz, who are young but will benefit from strong home crowd support during the event.
The Ukrainians are expected not only to win their pool but also to be strong contenders for a semifinal appearance if their excellent play continues. The French duo is superior to the Dutch and Germans, but appears to have lost some confidence and could be vulnerable to an upset.
Pool H
Teams:
- Svenja Müller/Cinja Tillmann (Germany)
- Malgorzata Ciezkowska/Urszula Lunio (Poland)
- Daniele Kvedaraite/Jekaterina Kovalskaja (Lithuania)
- Maria Carro/Marta Carro (Spain)
Reigning champions Müller and Tillmann will aim to defend their title won last year and should have no trouble topping their pool, as they are considerably more talented and experienced than all three opponents.
The 2023 U20 European champions, Ciezkowska and Lunio, have shown solid finishes on the Beach Pro Tour and have a good chance of advancing to the elimination rounds. Kvedaraite and Kovalskaja had a strong 2024 season but have cooled off slightly this year and will likely contend with the Carro sisters, who will play together for the first time in Düsseldorf, for a spot in the next round.
Only a major upset would prevent the Germans from finishing first in the pool. The Polish team is the most likely to secure second place and should advance without significant issues. The fight for the third spot promises to be engaging, as the Lithuanians possess better chemistry and more experience, while the Spanish sisters have individually reached a higher skill level.
Jasper Thornfield 
Finley Blackwood