Youna Coens and Sarah Cools secured silver in the women`s event.
On Belgium`s National Day, local beach volleyball enthusiasts in Leuven had ample reason to celebrate as three Belgian pairs clinched medals at the recent four-day Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Futures event. This impressive showing included a gold and silver in the men`s competition, alongside a silver medal in the women`s event.
Belgian teams truly shone, leading a strong contingent of continental talent on the Beach Pro Tour. Other notable medalists contributing to a successful week included Austria, which secured women`s gold, the Netherlands taking women`s bronze, and Poland completing the podium for the men.
Men`s Tournament Highlights
The men`s gold medal match, held at the popular Monseigneur Ladeuzeplein square, was a captivating spectacle for the home crowd, featuring an all-Belgian final. After three intense sets, brothers Louis and Gilles Vandecaveye emerged victorious over their compatriots Kyan Vercauteren and Joppe Van Langendonck with a score of 2-1 (19-21, 21-16, 15-12). This win marked their second consecutive home title on the Beach Pro Tour, building on their triumph in Brussels last year.
Polish Olympian Piotr Kantor, partnering with Artem Besarab, celebrated their first medal together. Having started their campaign in Thursday`s qualifier, the duo convincingly swept Czech opponents Adam Waber and Matyas Jezek 2-0 (21-17, 23-21) to secure third place in the tournament.
Women`s Tournament Highlights
Belgium was also well-represented in the women`s gold medal match in Leuven, but Youna Coens and Sarah Cools faced a formidable challenge from Austria`s reigning U18 European champions, Lia Berger and Lilli Hohenauer. The Austrian duo proved too strong, securing the title with a straight-sets victory (21-17, 21-19).
Dutch pair Lisa Luini and Desy Poiesz prevented a fourth Belgian team from stepping onto the podium. They defeated wildcards Britt Ruysschaert and Isabel Van den Broeck in straight sets (21-15, 21-18) to claim the bronze medals of the tournament.
The Beach Pro Tour Futures events in Europe will now enter a one-month hiatus, returning to action in Brno, Czechia, with a double-gender tournament scheduled from August 21-24.
These European Beach Pro Tour Futures events, organized by the CEV in close cooperation with Volleyball World, play a crucial role in providing continental teams with valuable opportunities to compete and earn essential international ranking points.
Jasper Thornfield 
Finley Blackwood