The WEVZA Beach Volleyball U18 Championships concluded after two thrilling days of competition, held on July 23 and 24 at Irene Beach in Bilthoven. The event brought together fifteen boys` teams and thirteen girls` teams from six Western European nations.
Beyond vying for the U18 Western European Championship title, participants were also competing for a coveted spot in the 2025 CEV U18 Beach Volleyball European Championships, scheduled for September in Italy. This made the WEVZA tournament a crucial platform for young athletes to gain international exposure and fiercely contend for medals and European Championship qualifications.
In the boys` competition, Livio Friedli and Martin Odermatt of Switzerland demonstrated exceptional skill, winning all six of their matches to secure the gold medal. The final match`s second set was particularly tense, keeping spectators on the edge of their seats, but the Swiss pair closed it out 22-20, preventing a tie-break. Germany`s Jonathan Bungert and Filo Wüst earned the silver, with their compatriots Ben Bockfeld and Luk Hansen taking the bronze.
The girls` tournament saw the German duo Anna-Chiara Reformat and Rika Dieckmann, pre-tournament favourites, live up to their billing. They swept through the competition undefeated, securing gold after dropping only one set throughout the event – in the final against Belgian silver medalists Lente Thant and Simone Vervloet.
Home crowd favourites, the 15-year-old Dutch pair Jara Both and Matilda de Groot, clinched the bronze medal. Their impressive run led them to the semi-finals, where they were bested by Reformat and Dieckmann. However, in the bronze medal playoff, Both and De Groot displayed remarkable resilience, overcoming the German duo of Annalena Richter and Sandra Otte in a thrilling three-set match (17-21, 21-14, 17-15).
As a result of their strong performances, Switzerland and Germany (boys` category), and Germany and Belgium (girls` category) have earned direct Main Draw entries into the CEV U18 European Championships, set to be held from September 11 to 14 in Corigliano Rossano, Italy.
Jasper Thornfield 
Finley Blackwood