Following an exhilarating three-day tournament, young athletes from Türkiye and Italy clinched the top honors at the #EuroSnowVolleyU20 championships. Host nation Poland secured two silver medals, while Ukraine earned bronze in both the men`s and women`s categories.
This year marked the second edition of the U20 Snow Volleyball European Championships. The inaugural event in Bakuriani, Georgia, saw Czechia take gold in the women`s division, with Poland earning silver and Türkiye bronze. For the men`s category, Poland secured gold, followed by Czechia and Türkiye.
Karpacz, a renowned resort in the Karkonosze Mountains, had the honor of hosting this year`s championships. Both Friday and Saturday featured exciting evening matches, drawing enthusiastic crowds to the Irena Szewińska Stadium to support Europe`s elite teams. The weather was ideal, boasting 15 degrees Celsius, clear skies, and abundant sunshine.
In the women`s semifinals, Poland 1 overcame Ukraine. Meanwhile, Poland 3 nearly pulled off an upset to reach the final, but Türkiye staged a comeback, winning in a tie-break to secure their place in the gold medal match. On the men`s side, both semifinal encounters concluded in straight sets, sending Poland 1 and Italy to the final.
The bronze medal contests, for both women and men, pitted Poland against Ukraine. In the women`s match, Poland 3 (Emilia Żurawska, Maria Pietrin, Wiktoria Surażyńska) was on the verge of a straight-set victory, but Ukraine rallied with improved serving to force a tie-break. After an intense struggle, the Ukrainian team secured the win 15-11. The Polish players, who narrowly missed a medal in Karpacz, remarked, “We thoroughly enjoyed playing on snow, and our confidence grew with each game. We would definitely welcome the opportunity to compete in such a tournament again.”
Following their female compatriots, the Ukrainian men`s team no. 1 (Nikita Pavliuk, Anton Tasenko, Artem Varvanin, Serhii Varvanin) triumphed over Poland 4 (Paweł Zatoń, Damian Dudek, Szymon Wolak, and Dominik Mućka).
The women`s gold medal match extended beyond 40 minutes. Despite Poland winning the opening set, Türkiye steadily improved their serving and defense to claim the overall victory. The players from Poland 1 (Zuzanna Rapczyńska, Paulina Łabuz, Zofia Preweda, and Wiktoria Leśniewicz) expressed, “We know we will value this silver medal more in time, but currently, we feel the sting of being so close to gold. Playing in Karpacz was truly special, especially with the home crowd and our families supporting us from the stands.”
In a stellar display, the Italian team (Laurin Zoeschg, Diego Leon Steger, Michael Stolzlechner, Luis Mairhofer) dominated the men`s final, triumphing over Poland 1, a team that regularly trains at SMS Spała. Despite an initial loss in Karpacz, the Italians went on to win every subsequent match, securing the gold. Post-match, Marcel Wanat, Michał Kucharski, Tomasz Warych, and Wiktor Musiał commented, “While there`s a hint of disappointment because we always strive for more, we are incredibly happy and thankful for the chance to compete here.”
This championship marked a historic milestone for Karpacz, as it was the first time Poland had ever hosted an international Snow Volleyball tournament.
Piotr Groszek, Competition Director and active player
