Cēsis, Latvia – The Eastern European Volleyball Zonal Association (EEVZA) U18 Beach Volleyball Championships recently wrapped up in Cēsis, hosted by the Latvian Volleyball Federation. The tournament saw promising young athletes from across the region compete fiercely for zonal titles and, critically, qualification berths for the upcoming #EuroBeachVolleyU18.
Emerging victorious were Latvia`s Monika Mamaja and Alise Aleksāne in the girls` competition, and Estonia`s Armin Kender and Patrik Parijõgi in the boys` event. Both winning pairs, along with the respective silver medallists, successfully booked their tickets to the continental championship scheduled for mid-September in Corigliano Rossano, Italy. The runner-up positions, and thus qualification, were secured by Latvia’s Tomass Silavs and Bruno Liepiņš in the boys` category and Estonia’s Marta-Mia Ploomipuu and Hannemai Hanimägi in the girls` event.
Girls` Tournament: Latvian Dominance
Monika Mamaja and Alise Aleksāne delivered a commanding performance throughout the girls` tournament, dropping only a single set on their path to gold. Their semi-final match against Poland’s Emilia Skwierczynska and Aleksandra Wolny concluded efficiently in straight sets (21-17, 21-12).
The second semi-final featured the Estonian duo Ploomipuu and Hanimägi battling Ukraine`s Kateryna Nitsenko and Viktoriia Kachyoni. This match proved to be a tighter affair, with the Estonians eventually prevailing 2-1 (21-16, 12-21, 15-12) after dropping a set. The final, however, saw the Latvian home favourites assert their authority with a decisive 2-0 victory (21-13, 21-18).
Reflecting on their success, Aleksāne noted, “We played with confidence. We only lost one set, and even that one we should have won.” Mamaja added, “Before the tournament, I didn’t expect us to play so convincingly or that things would go so well. I thought the final would be tougher.” Both players expressed dual satisfaction, with Mamaja highlighting the tournament win and European qualification, while Aleksāne quipped she was “even happier about qualifying for the final stage of the continental tournament.”
The bronze medal match was won by the Ukrainian pair Nitsenko and Kachyoni, who defeated their Polish counterparts in straight sets (21-15, 26-24).
Boys` Tournament: Estonian Strength Prevails
The boys` final featured the top two seeded teams vying for the title. Latvian hopes rested on Tomass Silavs and Bruno Liepiņš, who navigated a tense semi-final against Ukraine’s Yehor Skrypnychenko and Andrii Lunkan, securing a hard-fought 2-1 win (17-21, 23-21, 16-14).
Meanwhile, the second-seeded Estonian team of Armin Kender and Patrik Parijõgi reached the final with a straightforward straight-sets victory (21-16, 21-19) over Poland’s Igor Gliszczyński and Alan Robak.
The final match saw the Estonian duo deliver a strong performance, overcoming the Latvian pair 2-0 (21-13, 21-14) to claim the gold medal. The bronze medal match was contested by Ukraine and Poland, with the Ukrainian team securing third place with a 2-0 victory (21-19, 21-18).
The Estonian winners commented on the event, stating, “The tournament was well organised. It was a pleasure to compete in Cēsis.” Regarding their success, they added, “Winning is always rewarding, but earning a place in the U18 European Championship and the opportunity to play against Europe’s best is especially exciting. We hope to deliver our best performance there.”
The full podium of the event where teams from Latvia and Estonia claimed top honours.
Pathways to the European Stage
Teams from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine participated in this EEVZA championship. As determined by the tournament regulations, the top two teams in each gender category successfully qualified for the highly anticipated #EuroBeachVolleyU18, set to take place from September 11th to 15th in Corigliano Rossano, Italy.
The beach volleyball action in Cēsis continues shortly, as the city is scheduled to host the EEVZA U16 Championships on July 3rd and 4th, featuring fields of 16 boys` and 16 girls` teams.
