The final Age Group European Championship of the year is set to kick off this Wednesday in Italy. Beach volleyball teams from across the continent will gather in Corigliano Rossano for the U18 CEV EuroBeachVolley, a prestigious event running from Wednesday through Sunday.
Jonathan Bungert of Germany (left), a silver medalist last year, aims for gold in this year`s Italian championship.
Having successfully hosted Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Futures events for the past two seasons, the picturesque city of Corigliano Rossano now prepares to welcome 31 nations` most promising young beach volleyball talents. Five days of intense competition are scheduled to unfold at the scenic Schiavonea venue.
The tournament begins with qualification rounds on Wednesday. Main draw pool play will span Thursday and Friday, followed by thrilling elimination rounds on Saturday. The event will culminate on Sunday with the high-stakes semifinals and medal matches.
U18 CEV European Championship – Women
The women’s tournament will feature duos from 29 countries. This includes three formidable teams from host nation Italy, two from Poland, and single teams representing Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, the Netherlands, Norway, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Türkiye, and Ukraine.
Among the six players who previously stepped onto the podium last year in Kachreti, only Germany’s Anna-Chiara Reformat, who secured a bronze medal with Mila Jancar, will return for the 2025 championship. The talented 16-year-old will now partner with Rika Dieckmann, daughter of German Olympian Markus Dieckmann, hoping to climb higher.
Greek athletes Eleni Alexoglou (15) and Myrto Paschalaki (17) will also have another opportunity to claim the coveted U18 European title, aiming to improve upon their commendable fifth-place finish at their home tournament last year.
U18 CEV European Championship – Men
The men’s tournament promises equally fierce competition, with representation from 31 nations. Cyprus and Sweden will also be sending duos to Corigliano Rossano, making Italy the only country to field multiple teams (three duos) in the competition, eager to capitalize on home-court advantage.
German Jonathan Bungert, 17, who earned an impressive second place last year alongside Kalle Pieper, will strive to climb one step higher on the podium this year. He will compete with 16-year-old Filo Wüst, forming a promising new partnership.
Host nation Italy, the reigning champions from last year, will undoubtedly seek to defend their title in front of their passionate home crowd. Their hopes rest on three strong teams: Marco Di Felice/Riccardo Santomassimo, Francesco Denina/Lorenzo Profumo, and Jack Bernardini/Nicolò Mapelli.
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