Last week, several national teams supported by the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment program, including those from Andorra, Austria, Czechia, Germany, Iceland, and Switzerland, secured medal finishes at various European zonal beach volleyball tournaments. Additionally, with the program`s assistance, Cape Verde`s U16 boys` beach volleyball team achieved a significant milestone at the CPLP Games.
MEVZA Beach Volleyball Tour in Kranj (Slovenia)
At the MEVZA Tour event in Kranj, Slovenia, two teams benefiting from the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment initiative earned silver medals: Veronika Kleiblova & Miroslava Dunarova of Czechia (women) and Thomas Kunert & Lorenz Petutschnig of Austria (men). Gold went to Slovakia`s Barbora Tokosova & Martina Terenova and Martin Melmuka & Matyas Jezek. The bronze medals were secured by Slovenia`s Tjasa Kotnik & Maja Marolt (women) and Czechia`s Krystof Jan Oliva & Vaclav Kurka (men).
The Czech Volleyball Federation has significantly benefited from FIVB Volleyball Empowerment, receiving $168,000 for women`s beach volleyball coach support and an additional $24,000 for national team coach development. Argentinean coach Sebastian Menegozzo provides his expertise to the Czech women`s teams. Among them, Veronika Kleiblova and Miroslava Dunarova demonstrated strong performance in Kranj, reaching the final after a four-game winning streak, including a decisive 2-1 (22-24, 22-20, 15-9) semifinal victory against Slovenian top seeds Tjasa Kotnik & Maja Marolt, securing their podium finish.
Slovakia`s Barbora Tokosova & Martina Terenova overcame an initial loss to embark on a five-match winning streak, culminating in the title. Their path included a hard-fought 2-1 (21-17, 9-21, 15-13) semifinal win over Slovenia’s Ziva Javornik & Tajda Lovsin. In the final, they secured the gold with a 2-0 (26-24, 21-16) victory against Kleiblova & Dunarova. Meanwhile, Tjasa Kotnik & Maja Marolt won the all-Slovenian bronze medal match, defeating Javornik & Lovsin 2-0 (21-16, 31-29).
Austrian beach volleyball has received $84,000 in coach support from FIVB Volleyball Empowerment, complemented by $6,000 for a national team coaches` development program. Greek coach Georgios Kotsilianos leads their men’s national pairs. Thomas Kunert & Lorenz Petutschnig of Austria showcased their skill by achieving four consecutive wins to reach the men’s final in Kranj, securing their spot with a 2-1 (21-16, 16-21, 15-12) semifinal triumph over Czechia’s Krystof Jan Oliva & Vaclav Kurka.
Two other Czech pairs also advanced to the semifinals. Martin Melmuka & Matyas Jezek maintained an undefeated record, winning the gold medal match 2-0 (21-17, 21-17). Their teammates, Jan Dumek & David Westphal, unfortunately forfeited their semifinal and the subsequent third-place match, which resulted in Krystof Jan Oliva & Vaclav Kurka claiming the bronze medal.
The MEVZA Tour event in Kranj saw participation from 28 women’s and 28 men’s teams, representing Austria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Israel, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
WEVZA U18 Beach Volleyball Championships in Bilthoven (Netherlands)
At the WEVZA U18 Beach Volleyball Championships, all men`s medalists and the women`s champions were teams supported by FIVB Volleyball Empowerment. Switzerland`s Livio Friedli & Martin Odermatt claimed men`s gold, with Germany`s Jonathan Bungert & Filo Wust earning silver and Ben Bockfeld & Luk Hansen taking bronze. The women`s title went to Germany`s Anna-Chiara Reformat & Rika Dieckmann. They were joined on the podium by Belgium`s Lente Thant & Simone Vervloet and the Netherlands` Jara Both & Matilda de Groot.
Swiss Volley`s beach volleyball sector has received substantial support from FIVB Volleyball Empowerment, totaling $366,000 for coach development, directly benefiting their youth teams through the expertise of coach David Scheidegger. Similarly, the German Volleyball Federation`s beach volleyball department has been allocated $168,000 in coach support, enabling them to employ Fabian Tobias as National Coach for Science for both their men’s and women’s pairs.
Switzerland`s Livio Friedli & Martin Odermatt maintained a perfect record in Bilthoven, winning all six of their matches. Their path to gold included a 2-1 (21-9, 18-21, 15-13) semifinal victory over Germany’s Ben Bockfeld & Luk Hansen, followed by a dominant 2-0 (21-18, 22-20) win in the final against Germany’s Jonathan Bungert & Filo Wust, who had also been undefeated entering the final. Earlier, Bungert & Wust secured their final spot with a 2-0 (21-13, 22-20) semifinal win over France’s Quentin Hypolyte & Adrien Bezu. In the bronze medal match, Bockfeld & Hansen defeated Hypolyte & Bezu in a close 2-1 (16-21, 21-18, 16-14) contest, adding another medal for Germany.
In the women`s championship, Germany’s Anna-Chiara Reformat & Rika Dieckmann displayed exceptional form, losing only one set throughout their six matches. They secured the title with a 2-1 (21-15, 20-22, 15-12) victory in the final against Belgium’s Lente Thant & Simone Vervloet. Their semifinal performance saw them decisively defeat top-seeded Jara Both & Matilda de Groot of the Netherlands 2-0 (21-17, 21-16). Thant & Vervloet advanced to the final by overcoming another German duo, Annalena Richter & Sandra Otte, 2-0 (23-21, 21-8). The bronze medal match was a close three-set affair, with Both & De Groot prevailing 2-1 (17-21, 21-14, 17-15) against Richter & Otte.
The WEVZA U18 Beach Volleyball Championships in Bilthoven featured 15 men’s and 13 women’s teams from Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland.
SCA U17 Beach Volleyball Championships in Encamp (Andorra)
At the SCA U17 Beach Volleyball Championships in Encamp, teams from Iceland and host nation Andorra, all supported by FIVB Volleyball Empowerment, secured multiple medals. The women’s final was an all-Icelandic affair, with Anika Gautadottir & Thorbjorg Emilsdottir defeating Katla Valsdottir & Kara Arnadottir for gold. Andorra’s Naran Casamajor & Aina Garcia claimed the women`s bronze. In the men`s competition, Iceland`s Agust Sigurfinnsson & Markus Arnarsson won gold, and their compatriots Hakon Arnarson & Eirikur Baldvinsson took bronze, sandwiching Scotland’s silver medalists, Aaron Gillies & Gabriel Caesar.
The Icelandic Volleyball Association has received $94,500 in FIVB Volleyball Empowerment coach support for both their national indoor and beach volleyball teams, supplemented by $35,000 for volleyball equipment and $6,000 for beach volleyball specific equipment. Their athletes benefit from the guidance of Spanish coach Borja Gonzalez. Similarly, Andorra’s beach volleyball department has been allocated $84,000 in coach support for its pairs and $6,000 for beach volleyball equipment, with Spanish coach Genildo Cassiano da Silva leading their development.
Both Icelandic pairs, Anika Gautadottir & Thorbjorg Emilsdottir and Katla Valsdottir & Kara Arnadottir, advanced to the women`s final in Encamp without dropping a single set in their respective three matches. In the semifinals, Gautadottir & Emilsdottir convincingly defeated Andorra’s Georgina Aller & Amaya Besnie 2-0 (21-5, 21-12), while Valsdottir & Arnadottir secured a 2-0 (21-11, 21-19) victory over Naran Casamajor & Aina Garcia. The all-Icelandic gold medal match was decided 2-1 (21-16, 16-21, 15-8) in favor of Gautadottir & Emilsdottir, and the all-Andorran bronze medal match saw Naran & Garcia win 2-1 (21-10, 17-21, 15-12).
In the men`s competition, Iceland’s Agust Sigurfinnsson & Markus Arnarsson delivered an impeccable performance, winning all four of their matches without losing a single set. They secured their final spot with a 2-0 (21-9, 21-19) semifinal victory over fellow Icelanders Hakon Arnarson & Eirikur Baldvinsson. In the other semifinal, Scotland’s Aaron Gillies & Gabriel Caesar defeated the Faroe Islands’ Kass Henriksen Johan & Oli Hvitklett 2-0 (21-13, 21-19). Sigurfinnsson & Arnarsson then dominated the gold medal match, achieving a 2-0 (21-11, 21-13) shutout against Gillies & Caesar. Arnarson & Baldvinsson added another medal for Iceland by winning the bronze medal match 2-0 (21-13, 23-21) against Johan & Hvitklett.
The SCA U17 Beach Volleyball Championships in Encamp saw seven women’s and seven men’s pairs competing, representing Andorra, Faroe Islands, Iceland, Ireland, and Scotland.
BVA Beach Volleyball Club Balkan Championships in Bucharest (Romania)
Bucharest hosted the inaugural BVA Beach Volleyball Club Balkan Championships last week, drawing six men’s and four women’s club teams. Turkiye’s TVF Lisesi Ankara claimed the historic men’s title, defeating Moldova’s DOR Chisinau in the final. In an all-Romanian contest for third place, CSU Resita narrowly overcame Diamond Bucharest in a golden set. Romanian teams EX 4 Volei Bucharest and Pro Volei Arad shared fifth place. The women’s tournament, played in a round-robin format, saw Romania’s CSM Bucuresti Bucharest secure the title with an undefeated record. Fellow Romanian team CSU ASE Bucharest took silver with a 2-1 record, while Turkiye’s TVF Lisesi Ankara earned bronze with a 1-2 record. Bulgaria’s Dunav Ruse finished in fourth place, just off the podium.
CPLP Games – beach volleyball in Dili (Timor-Leste)
Cape Verde, a recipient of FIVB Volleyball Empowerment support, made history by securing a podium finish in the men`s beach volleyball tournament at the CPLP (Community of Portuguese Language Countries) Games. This multi-sport U16 event, also known as the Lusofonia Youth Games, concluded last week in Dili, Timor-Leste.
Cape Verde`s beach volleyball program has received $147,000 in coach support and $6,000 for equipment from FIVB Volleyball Empowerment. Their team benefits from the valuable expertise of Brazilian coach Marcio Araujo, a 2005 world champion and 2008 Olympic silver medalist as a player.
Denzel Ramos & Micael Barbosa of Cape Verde reached the boys’ final in Dili, ultimately securing silver after a 2-0 (21-4, 21-11) defeat against Portugal’s Tito Oliveira & Luis Filipe.
Portugal also earned gold in the girls’ beach volleyball event, triumphing 2-0 (21-18, 21-13) over Timor-Leste in the final.
Jasper Thornfield 
Finley Blackwood