Vilnius, Lithuania – June 30, 2025
Not every beach volleyball tournament is played under glorious sunshine and gentle breezes. Sometimes, the elements decide to test the mettle of young athletes just as much as their opponents do. Such was the case in Vilnius, Lithuania, where the EEVZA U20 Beach Volleyball Championships recently concluded, serving a dual purpose as a crucial first-round qualifier for the upcoming #EuroBeachVolleyU20.
Over two rather… shall we say, *challenging*… days marked by strong winds and persistent rain, teams from across the Eastern European Volleyball Zone Confederation battled it out not just for zonal honours, but for a coveted ticket to the continental championships. Despite the meteorological curveballs, the level of play remained commendably high, showcasing impressive ball control and sheer determination.
In the men`s competition, the pool stages quickly identified the primary contenders. Squads from **Lithuania**, **Latvia**, **Poland**, and **Ukraine** established dominance and duly advanced to the semi-finals. The first semi-final saw **Jakub Krzeminski** and **Wiktor Musial** of **Poland** deliver a confident performance, overcoming **Latvia`s Markuss Maculevics** and **Oskars Kilks** in straight sets (21-19, 21-15). The second semi-final proved a tighter affair, with **Dmytro Kozii** and **Sviatoslav Nahornyi** from **Ukraine** edging out the home favourites, **Raigardas Macionis** and **Dovydas Sinkevicius** of **Lithuania**, in two close sets (22-20, 22-20).
The men`s final saw the Ukrainian duo of **Kozii/Nahornyi** maintain their composure, securing the gold medal with a clean 2-0 victory (21-15, 21-18) over the Polish team **Krzeminski/Musial**. While the gold medal match decided the zonal champion, both finalists, representing **Ukraine** and **Poland**, had already secured their places at the #EuroBeachVolleyU20 by reaching this stage. In the battle for the bronze medal, **Lithuania`s Macionis/Sinkevicius** delighted the home contingent by defeating **Latvia`s Maculevics/Kilks** 2-0 (21-18, 21-14), ensuring at least one medal stayed in Vilnius.
The women`s division followed a similar script regarding national dominance in the early stages, with teams from **Latvia**, **Lithuania**, and **Ukraine** proving particularly strong in their pools. The semi-finals featured teams from **Poland**, **Ukraine**, **Latvia**, and **Lithuania**. Much like the men`s event, the semi-final winners claimed the all-important qualification spots. **Zuzanna Kudlik** and **Zuzanna Rapczynska** of **Poland** advanced, as did **Sofiia Kurnikova** and **Kateryna Biliak** of **Ukraine**. Their presence in the final confirmed that **Poland** and **Ukraine** would send women`s teams to Madrid.
The women`s grand finale saw the Polish pair **Kudlik/Rapczynska** emerge victorious against the Ukrainian team **Kurnikova/Biliak** in straight sets (23-21, 21-17), albeit after a closely fought first set. The bronze medal match delivered the most drama of the women`s tournament, a three-set thriller between the host nation`s team, **Gunda Brazaite** and **Dominyka Lape**, and the Latvian duo of **Deneva Šauberga** and **Rezija Puskundže**. Unfortunately for the Lithuanian crowd, the Latvians prevailed with a 2-1 scoreline (18-21, 21-9, 15-7), leaving the hostesses just off the podium.
In summary, by reaching the finals of the EEVZA U20 Beach Volleyball Championships in Vilnius, the top two nations in each division – **Poland** and **Ukraine** for both men and women – successfully booked their tickets to this year’s #EuroBeachVolleyU20. The European Championships for this age group are scheduled to take place from August 21st to 24th in Madrid, Spain.
Having demonstrated impressive resilience and skill under adverse conditions, these young athletes have shown they are ready to compete on a larger stage. The beach volleyball world now looks forward to seeing how they perform when they swap the bracing Lithuanian weather for the hopefully sunnier climes of the Spanish capital.
