Karpacz, Poland – The snow-covered slopes of Karpacz came alive today as the U20 Snow Volleyball European Championships 2025 officially commenced. This marks the second edition of the youth tournament and the first time Poland has hosted the event. Despite being a relatively young discipline, Snow Volleyball is rapidly gaining traction, and the opening day showcased both its unique challenges and thrilling potential under perfectly clear skies and ideal conditions.
A busy schedule saw a total of 20 group-stage matches played across the men`s and women`s competitions. Nine women`s and nine men`s teams are competing, with a strong contingent of seven Polish teams featuring across the two genders, eager to make their mark on home snow.
Intense Battles on the Snow
The day wasn`t short on drama. The men`s match between Poland 2 and Italy proved to be a particularly intense affair. The Italian squad initially seemed more comfortable with the snowy surface, taking a tight first set 21-19. However, the young Polish team, comprising Szymon Kobyliński, Alan Robak, Oliwier Pawlicki, and Jakub Zdrojewski, found their footing, battling back to claim the next two sets by the narrowest of margins, securing a hard-fought victory.
Equally captivating was the women`s clash featuring two home teams, Poland 1 and Poland 3. Poland 1, representing the SMS Spała sports school and featuring Wiktoria Leśniewicz, Zofia Preweda, Paulina Łabuz, and Zuzanna Rapczyńska, entered as the nominal favourites. However, their compatriots on Poland 3 had clearly not read the script. Emilia Żurawska delivered decisive attacks, supported by determined defence from Wiktoria Surażyńska and Maria Pietrin. Poland 3 stunned the favourites by winning the first set 11-9 and pushed them to the brink in the second, saved only by a late service run from Rapczyńska. But in the tie-break, Żurawska`s relentless play sealed a significant opening win for Poland 3.
Later in the afternoon, the Turkish men`s team showcased an impressive performance, defeating Poland 2. As Damian Kostrzewa, coach of Poland 2, observed:
The conditions are tough, but they are the same for everyone. Those who can move well, are mobile, have good coordination and technique, seem to perform better. On the other hand, taller players may struggle. We made crucial attacking errors in the first set and did not put up much of a fight in the second. It’s a shame, but we have another day ahead, and we will keep fighting.
Other Polish teams enjoyed success, with the men`s Poland 1 squad securing a comfortable 2-0 victory over Moldova, having already defeated Poland 4 earlier in the day. The players, Tomasz Warych, Marcel Wanat, Michał Kucharski, and Wiktor Musiał, expressed their enthusiasm for the sport:
We felt great, especially with such a crowd and in such weather. It was a lot of fun. It is an interesting variation, something new for us. What sets Snow Volleyball apart from Beach Volleyball is mainly that it is harder to move. You could see that we struggled at times, but match by match, we are becoming a better team in terms of communication. We came to Karpacz to fight for the medals.
The day wrapped up with further wins for Polish teams, as women`s teams Poland 3 and Poland 4 defeated Ukraine and Moldova respectively, capping off a strong start for the host nation.
Looking Ahead
With the first day successfully completed, the group stage continues on Saturday morning, promising more exciting matches as teams vie for crucial points. The intensity will ramp up in the afternoon with the start of the knockout rounds from 4:20 pm. The path to the podium culminates on Sunday, March 9, with the women`s final scheduled for 2:20 pm and the men`s final following at 3:00 pm. The stage is set for a thrilling weekend of youth Snow Volleyball action in Karpacz.
Torin Vale