Spanish Olympic hopefuls Daniela Álvarez and Tania Moreno are once again making a strong statement at the CEV EuroBeachVolley 2025. Two years after securing their inaugural medals in this prestigious tournament, the dynamic duo is intensely focused on clinching another spot on the podium.
Moreno and Álvarez celebrating their second victory in Düsseldorf, securing their advancement to the Round of 16.
Now competing in the event for the fourth time in their budding careers, the 23-year-old Spaniards distinguished themselves among eight women`s teams by winning their respective pools in Düsseldorf on Thursday. This achievement grants them a coveted direct entry into the Round of 16 at the Rochus Club.
The thrilling action continues in Germany on Friday, which will host both the Round of 16 and the quarterfinals. The semi-finals are scheduled for Saturday, leading up to the grand finale with the medal matches on Sunday.
Álvarez and Moreno`s EuroBeachVolley Journey
Álvarez and Moreno had an impressive EuroBeachVolley debut in 2022, where they advanced all the way to the semifinals, ultimately finishing a commendable fourth. The subsequent year saw them take a significant leap forward, returning home from Vienna with well-deserved silver medals. However, their 2024 campaign ended in frustration with an early exit, placing them 17th.
On Thursday, the Spanish pair, building on their clean sweep of Finland’s Sara Sinisalo and Taru Lahti the previous day, triumphed in a gruelling three-set encounter. They overcame German competitors Hanna-Marie Schieder and Karla Borger with scores of 15-21, 21-18, 16-14, thereby clinching first place in Pool F and securing their direct passage to the Round of 16.
Their initial elimination match on Friday will pit the Spanish team against Poland’s Malgorzata Ciezkowska and Urszula Lunio. The Polish duo had secured second place in Pool H and progressed by defeating Dutch players Noa Sonneville and Brecht Piersma in a decisive tie-breaker (17-21, 21-15, 15-5) during the Round of 24.
Defending Champions and Other Key Players
Defending champions Svenja Müller and Cinja Tillmann of Germany emerged as the top team in Pool H after decisively sweeping Ciezkowska and Lunio 21-16, 23-21 in their pool final. Their opponents in the Round of 16 will be their compatriots Schieder and Borger, who bounced back from their pool play setback with a two-set (21-11, 21-19) victory over Lithuanian Olympians Monika Paulikiene and Aine Raupelyte in the Round of 24.
Tillmann dives to the ground to make a crucial save.
Pool A saw Italians Valentina Gottardi and Reka Orsi Toth dominate Czechs Kylie Neuschaeferova and Marie-Sára Štochlová, securing a two-set (21-10, 21-17) victory to win their pool. They are now set to face Germans Sandra Ittlinger and Anna-Lena Grüne, who swept Spanish pair Sofía Izuzquiza and Sofía González 21-17, 21-17 in the Round of 24.
The Austrian Klinger sisters, Dorina and Ronja, topped Pool B after a two-set (21-18, 21-10) victory against Ukrainians Yeva Serdiuk and Daria Romaniuk. They will now cross paths with Dutch duo Mila Konink and Raisa Schoon in the Round of 16, who had earlier eliminated Swiss Tanja Hüberli and Leona Kernen in straight sets (21-12, 21-19) in the Round of 24.
Pool C was claimed by another sister act, the Swiss Olympians Anouk and Zoé Vergé-Dépré. They secured the top spot with a hard-fought three-set (21-18, 22-24, 15-10) win against Ittlinger and Grüne. In the Round of 16, they will meet Dutch Emi van Driel and Wies Bekhuis, who edged out Neuschaeferova and Štochlová in three sets (21-16, 11-21, 15-9) in the Round of 24.
Two-time EuroBeachVolley champions Tina Graudina and Anastasija Samoilova of Latvia confidently dominated Pool D with a straight-set (21-19, 21-12) triumph over Hüberli and Kernen. Their journey in the elimination rounds will begin against Ukrainians Valentyna Davidova and Anhelina Khmil, who successfully knocked out their compatriots Serdiuk and Romaniuk in a three-set (11-21, 21-12, 15-8) victory in the Round of 24.
Pool E featured a gripping three-set battle for the top position, with French team Clémence Vieira and Aline Chamereau narrowly besting Germans Linda Bock and Louisa Lippmann, winning 2-1 (21-12, 19-21, 15-1). Their Round of 16 opponents will be Lithuanians Daniele Kvedaraite and Jekaterina Kovalskaja, who eliminated another French pair, Paris Olympians Lézana Placette and Alexia Richard, in a tie-breaker (21-19, 14-21, 15-11) in the Round of 24.
Lazarenko makes a dig in her team`s second pool play match.
Ukrainian sensations Maryna Hladun and Tetiana Lazarenko secured the top position in Pool G with a hard-fought three-set (21-19, 15-21, 15-10) victory over Placette and Richard. Their Round of 16 match will be against Bock and Lippmann, who advanced by sweeping Italians Claudia Scampoli and Giada Bianchi 21-17, 21-14 in the Round of 24.
