The group stage of the EEVZA U16 Beach Volleyball Championships, hosted in Cēsis by the Latvian Volleyball Federation in collaboration with the Eastern European Volleyball Zonal Association (EEVZA), has concluded, successfully identifying the teams moving forward to the highly anticipated knockout phase.
In the boys’ competition, duos from Poland showcased strong form, with Wojciech Witkowski/Antoni Czarnecki and Hubert Zajka/Karol Lunio each securing two victories in their respective groups. Witkowski and Czarnecki overcame Latvian opponents Tomass Kalniņš and Viktors Rukāns in a close three-set match (18-21, 21-18, 15-13). Estonia’s Marten Heinlaid/Jan-Erik Praks and Lithuania’s Jurgis Milašauskas/Emilis Sanda also delivered impressive performances. Milašauskas/Sanda won a three-set battle against Estonians Romek Meius and Holger Purga (21-17, 17-21, 15-6). The teams that finished first in their groups earned a direct path to the quarterfinals, while teams placed second and third will contest the Round of 16 for a chance to advance further.
Fifteen teams participated in the girls’ competition, where pairs from Latvia and Ukraine dominated, finishing atop their groups. Ukraine’s Oleksandra Kovalchuk/Anastasia Boiko and Diana Avramenko/Vira Hudz each achieved three victories in straight sets. Latvia’s Anna Kovaļova and Marija Dārta Jaundžeikare also led their group with three straight-set wins. Another Latvian duo, Milana Tīna Aleksejeva and Karlīna Bērziņa, secured two wins from two matches, including a challenging three-set triumph over Poland’s Natalia Lewandowska and Hanna Leśniewicz (21-15, 16-21, 15-7). The winners of each pool advanced directly to the quarterfinals. Teams in second and third place will compete in the Round of 16, while the three teams finishing fourth will play classification matches to determine places 13th through 15th.
The EEVZA U16 Championships, featuring participants from five countries – Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine – are set to conclude on Friday.
Earlier in the week, Cēsis also hosted the EEVZA U18 Championships. In the boys’ U18 final, Estonia’s Armin Kender and Patrik Parijõgi (#2) defeated Latvian top seeds Tomass Silavs and Bruno Liepiņš in straight sets (21-13, 21-14). The girls’ U18 final saw Latvian duo Monika Mamaja and Alise Aleksāne claim a 2-0 victory (21-13, 21-18) against Estonia’s Marta-Mia Ploomipuu and Hannemai Hanimägi (#2). All four finalist pairs from the U18 tournament successfully secured their spots in the upcoming CEV U18 Beach Volleyball European Championships, scheduled from September 11 to 15 in Corigliano Rossano, Italy.
Torin Vale