Former indoor volleyball players Louisa Lippmann and Linda Bock defeated their German compatriots Paul and Kunst in the qualifying round held in the Swiss Alps.
German pair Louisa Lippmann and Linda Bock have qualified for the main draw of a Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Elite event for the first time. They secured their spot on Wednesday by successfully navigating the qualification rounds in the renowned Swiss location of Gstaad.
Competing as a new team on the Beach Pro Tour in 2025, Lippmann and Bock earned their place in the Gstaad Elite main draw by winning an all-German encounter. In their sole match on Wednesday, they delivered a strong performance to defeat fellow Germans Lea Kunst and Melanie Paul in straight sets (21-19, 21-17).
Both Lippmann (30) and Bock (25) began their athletic careers in indoor volleyball. A prominent member of the German national team, Lippmann transitioned to beach volleyball in 2022 and achieved significant success partnering with the legendary Laura Ludwig. They represented Germany at the Paris Olympics last year, finishing 19th.
Bock, who was also a member of the German indoor national team, switched to beach volleyball after the 2023-2024 club season concluded. Her international beach debut was in early 2025. Partnered with Lippmann, she secured her first Beach Pro Tour medal just three days prior, earning second place at the Warmia Mazury Challenge.
In the Gstaad main draw, the German duo will compete in Pool C. Their group opponents include Brazil`s Carol Salgado/Rebecca Cavalcanti, Canada`s Brandie Wilkerson/Melissa Humana-Paredes, and Ukraine`s Maryna Hladun/Tetiana Lazarenko.
The Netherlands and France advance two teams each
The Netherlands and France were particularly successful in the women`s qualifier in Gstaad, with both nations securing two spots in the main draw. For the Netherlands, Raisa Schoon and Mila Konink advanced by defeating Americans Kimberly Hildreth and Teegan Van Gunst in a tie-breaker (19-21, 21-18, 15-4). Emi van Driel and Wies Bekhuis also qualified for the Dutch side, winning against Brazilians Andressa Cavalcanti and Tainá Bigi in straight sets (21-19, 21-12).
Both French teams that competed in last year`s Paris Olympics qualified for the main draw. Aline Chamereau and Clémence Vieira secured a straightforward victory in two sets (21-16, 22-20) against Swiss players Muriel Bossart and Nadine Demierre. Lézana Placette and Alexia Richard also advanced, sweeping past Americans Savvy Simo and Abby Van Winkle in two close sets (24-22, 24-22).
Other teams successfully qualifying in Gstaad include Czechs Márie-Sara Štochlová and Marketa Svozilova, who beat Americans Hailey Harward and Molly Phillips 2-0 (22-20, 21-15); Finns Niina Ahtiainen and Taru Lathi, who swept Dutch players Brecht Piersma and Noa Sonneville (21-16, 21-14); and Americans Julia Donlin and Lexy Denaburg, who won a tie-breaker (15-21, 21-13, 15-9) against Lithuanian Olympians Monika Paulikiene and Aine Raupelyte.
Beach Pro Tour Gstaad Elite – Match Schedule & Results
The women`s tournament in Gstaad is set to continue on Thursday with 18 pool play matches. The remaining six pool play matches and the six Round of 18 contests will be played on Friday. Saturday will feature the Round of 12 and the quarterfinals, leading up to the semifinals and medal matches on Sunday which will conclude the event.
Jasper Thornfield 
Oliver Wrenwick