The group stage of the EEVZA U16 Beach Volleyball Championships, co-hosted by the Latvian Volleyball Federation and the Eastern European Volleyball Zonal Association (EEVZA), has successfully concluded in Cēsis. This phase determined which teams would advance to the highly anticipated knockout rounds, showcasing strong performances from several nations.
Teams from five countries are competing at the EEVZA U16 Beach Volleyball Championships in Latvia.
Boys` Competition Highlights
In the boys` tournament, Polish pairs Wojciech Witkowski/Antoni Czarnecki and Hubert Zajka/Karol Lunio each earned two victories, topping their respective pools. Witkowski and Czarnecki notably triumphed over Latvian contenders Tomass Kalniņš and Viktors Rukāns in a challenging three-set match (18-21, 21-18, 15-13). Strong showings also came from Estonia`s Marten Heinlaid and Jan-Erik Praks, as well as Lithuania`s Jurgis Milašauskas and Emilis Sanda, who also clinched a three-set win against Estonia`s Romek Meius and Holger Purga (21-17, 17-21, 15-6). Pool winners progressed directly to the quarterfinals, while second and third-place finishers will battle in the Round of 16 for a spot.
The U16 event follows the U18 championship contested earlier this week at the same venue.
Girls` Competition Highlights
The girls` competition, featuring fifteen teams, saw impressive performances from two Latvian and two Ukrainian duos, who successfully topped their groups. Ukrainian pairs Oleksandra Kovalchuk/Anastasia Boiko and Diana Avramenko/Vira Hudz achieved perfect records with three straight-set victories each. Latvia`s Anna Kovaļova and Marija Dārta Jaundžeikare also dominated their group with three straight-set wins. Fellow Latvians Milana Tīna Aleksejeva and Karlīna Bērziņa secured two wins in two matches, including a tough three-set win against Poland’s Natalia Lewandowska and Hanna Leśniewicz (21-15, 16-21, 15-7). Similar to the boys` format, group winners advanced straight to the quarterfinals. Teams in second and third place will compete in the Round of 16, while the three fourth-placed teams will play for 13th to 15th positions.
Tournament Conclusion and Prior U18 Championships
The EEVZA U16 Championships are set to conclude on Friday, featuring teams from five nations: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine. This event follows the successful EEVZA U18 Championships, also held in Cēsis earlier this week. In the U18 boys` final, Estonian pair Armin Kender and Patrik Parijõgi secured victory against Latvia`s top-seeded Tomass Silavs and Bruno Liepiņš (2-0; 21-13, 21-14). For the U18 girls, the Latvian duo of Monika Mamaja and Alise Aleksāne triumphed over Estonia’s Marta-Mia Ploomipuu and Hannemai Hanimägi (2-0; 21-13, 21-18). Notably, all four finalist teams from the U18 event earned their qualification for the CEV U18 Beach Volleyball European Championships, scheduled for September 11-15 in Corigliano Rossano, Italy.
