Switzerland and Germany clinched the top honors in beach volleyball at the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games, which recently concluded in Duisburg. The women’s gold medal went to the formidable Swiss duo of Menia Bentele and Annique Niederhauser. In the men’s competition, home favorites Philipp Huster and Maximilian Just brought joy to German fans by securing the men’s title. The women`s podium was rounded out by Floor Hogenhout and Nigella Negenman of the Netherlands, claiming silver, and Alexis Durish and Audrey Koenig from the United States, who earned bronze. For the men’s event, Quinten Groenewold and Tom Sonneville of the Netherlands took silver, while Elouan Chouikh-Barbez and Joadel Gardoque of France secured the bronze.
The third-seeded Swiss pair, Menia Bentele and Annique Niederhauser, demonstrated an impeccable performance throughout the women’s tournament, achieving an undefeated record of seven consecutive victories to claim the gold medal. Their journey to the top included a thrilling 2-1 (16-21, 21-18, 15-11) comeback victory in the semifinals against Poland`s second-seeded duo, Malgorzata Ciezkowska and Urszula Lunio. In the climactic final showdown, Bentele and Niederhauser ultimately triumphed over the 12th-seeded Dutch team of Hogenhout and Negenman with a decisive 2-1 (21-18, 19-21, 15-5) score.
The Dutch silver medalists, Hogenhout and Negenman, also showcased a strong run, reaching the gold medal match unbeaten in their six preceding games. They secured their spot in the final by defeating the fourth-seeded American pair, Durish and Koenig, in a close 2-1 (21-15, 14-21, 16-14) semifinal contest. The American duo, however, rebounded magnificently to claim the bronze medal, sweeping their match against Ciezkowska and Lunio with a convincing 2-0 (21-16, 21-10) victory.
On the men’s side, the top-seeded German pair of Philipp Huster and Maximilian Just replicated the Swiss women’s success, completing their campaign with an impressive undefeated streak of seven wins. They faced one of their toughest challenges in the semifinals, dropping one of only two sets throughout the entire tournament, but still managed a 2-1 (19-21, 21-18, 15-12) comeback victory against the 14th-seeded Italians, Riccardo Iervolino and Filippo Mancini. In a dominant display during the gold medal match, Huster and Just delivered a commanding 2-0 (21-13, 21-12) shutout over the Dutch team of Groenewold and Sonneville.
The seventh-seeded Dutchmen, Groenewold and Sonneville, earned their silver medal by securing a strong 2-0 (21-17, 21-18) sweep against the third-seeded French pair Chouikh and Gardoque in their semifinal match. Chouikh and Gardoque, in turn, rallied impressively in the bronze medal match, defeating Iervolino and Mancini 2-0 (22-20, 21-18) to secure their well-deserved spot on the podium.
The beach volleyball events at the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games in Duisburg saw the participation of 24 women’s and 24 men’s teams, representing a total of 30 different countries. This robust international representation underscored the global appeal and high competitive spirit of the tournament.
Finley Blackwood