The picturesque town of Cēsis, Latvia, recently served as the battleground for the future stars of beach volleyball, hosting the 2025 Eastern European Volleyball Zonal Association (EEVZA) U16 Beach Volleyball Championships. The tournament, which wrapped up on Friday, delivered exciting matchups and saw two nations rise to the top: Latvia, clinching gold in the girls` event as home favourites, and Lithuania, dominating the boys` competition.
Girls` Tournament: Home Favourites Triumph in Three-Set Thriller
The girls` final pitted Latvia`s Milana Tīna Aleksejeva and Karlīna Bērziņa against the determined Ukrainian duo, Diana Avramenko and Vira Hudz. What ensued was a display of youthful resilience, extending to a full three sets. The Latvian pair, backed by the local crowd, had to dig deep after dropping the first set 18-21. They found their rhythm to claim the second 21-16, setting the stage for a decisive third set that could have gone either way. Ultimately, Aleksejeva and Bērziņa prevailed with a tense 17-15 victory, securing the gold medal.
Milana Tīna Aleksejeva commented on the challenging path to victory, highlighting the physical demands after recently competing in the U18 championship. “This tournament was quite tough, because we had just played in the EEVZA U18 Championship before, and the fatigue was noticeable,” she stated. “Playing multiple three set matches was unusual and physically demanding.” Despite the exhaustion, she emphasized their pride: “We are very proud that we endured the challenge and delivered a strong performance. We proved to ourselves and others that we can stay resilient, even in difficult conditions.” With a pragmatic view on their achievement, she added, “This victory may not be the most important one in our career, but it holds value because it earns us additional points in the FIVB and Latvian championship rankings, which will help us attain better positions in future tournaments. This victory is a practical gain that will benefit us going forward.”
The bronze medal match also went the distance, with Poland`s Natalia Lewandowska and Hanna Lesniewicz overcoming the other Latvian semifinalists, Anna Kovaļova and Marija Dārta Jaundžeikare, 2-1 (21-17, 17-21, 15-9). In the semifinals, Avramenko/Hudz had defeated Kovaļova/Jaundžeikare in straight sets (24-22, 21-18), while Aleksejeva/Bērziņa had edged past the Polish bronze medalists 2-1 (21-13, 15-21, 15-12).
Boys` Tournament: Lithuanian Duo Secures Gold
The boys` final saw a more straightforward affair. Lithuania`s Tautvydas Galubickas and Rokas Lukoševičius showcased commanding form, defeating Poland`s Wojciech Witkowski and Antoni Czarnecki in straight sets (21-13, 21-15) to claim the gold medal. Their performance throughout the tournament underlined their status as strong contenders.
The bronze medal was secured by another Polish pair, Hubert Ziajka and Karol Lunio, who defeated Estonia’s Marten Heinlaid and Jan Erik Praks 2-0 (21-14, 22-20). Notably, the highest-ranked Latvian boys` team, Ralfs Linga and Edvards Miķelsons, were eliminated in the quarterfinals by the Estonian duo who went on to compete for bronze.
Semifinal results included Galubickas/Lukoševičius defeating Heinlaid/Praks 2-0 (21-18, 21-19), and Witkowski/Czarnecki winning a closely contested 2-1 battle against their compatriots Ziajka and Lunio (21-19, 12-21, 15-11).
Regional Talent on Display
The EEVZA U16 Championships featured a strong contingent of young athletes from five nations: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine, all vying for regional supremacy.
This event followed shortly after the conclusion of the EEVZA U18 Championships, also held in Cēsis. The U18 tournament notably served as a qualifier, with the top four finalist teams earning spots in the CEV U18 Beach Volleyball European Championships scheduled for September 11 to 15 in Corigliano Rossano, Italy. The back-to-back staging of these events solidifies Cēsis`s position as a key venue for youth beach volleyball development in the region.
The championships in Cēsis provided valuable competitive experience for these young athletes and offered a glimpse into the potential future stars of European beach volleyball.
