The countdown for the CEV Snow Volley European Tour final round is nearing its end. Prato Nevoso, Italy, is set to host the event this weekend, March 30-31.
Twenty-six teams from 10 different countries will compete in the men`s and women`s pool and elimination rounds on Saturday. The final phases, including the finals and awards ceremony, are scheduled for early Sunday afternoon. The Snow Volley Festival will then continue through Easter Monday.
Eighteen teams are registered for the men`s tournament. Twelve are from Italy, with the remaining six representing Switzerland, Türkiye, France, Poland, Belgium, and Uruguay (entering as a wild card).
The French team includes Adrien Pédèches and Iskander El-Ghouti, who won the European Tour round 2 in Erzurum, Türkiye, with Daniel Petrov. This time, Pédèches and El-Ghouti will team up with Julien Saint-Vanne and Nicolas Salmon. Poland`s Piotr Groszek, Michal Matyja, and Mikolaj Kaczmarek will be seeking revenge after losing the final against France in the Turkish round. Karole Szczepanik rounds out the Polish quartet.
All the main contenders will need to watch out for the Italian trio of Massimo Di Risio, Federico Geromin, and Matteo Camozzi. They secured victory in the inaugural round in Bakuriani, Georgia, in early March, defeating Poland 1 (Matyja, Ciemachowski, Janiak, Groszek).
High expectations are also placed on Alessandro Carucci and the Pizzileo brothers (Filippo, Tommaso, Edoardo), alongside Michele Bennato, Matteo Carlon, Enrico Lupatelli, and Gaetano Vespero. Thomas Berger, Michael Burgmann, and Peter Seeber have also excelled in Prato Nevoso; they were crowned Italian snow volleyball champions here last year.
Eight teams have registered for the women`s draw: two from Hungary, one from Türkiye, one from the Czech Republic, one from Austria, and three from Italy. Italian champions Sofia Arcaini, Sara Breidenbach, and Anna Dalmazzo are expected to be the main rivals to the Turkish quartet of Erve Celebi, Zeynep Dila, Nursel Yaren Sencel, and Simge Yalcin. The Turkish team won both the Bakuriani round in Georgia (defeating compatriots Simdim, Sayar, Yuceturk, and Civan) and the home event in Erzurum (against Romania`s Hododi, Miu, Bradatan, and Shahzada).
Including both the tournament and the Snow Volley Festival, over 250 people – including athletes, referees, and staff – are expected in Prato Nevoso.
Jasper Thornfield 
Finley Blackwood