Following three thrilling days of matches, young athletes from Türkiye and Italy ascended to the top of the podium at the #EuroSnowVolleyU20 tournament. Host nation Poland earned two silver medals, while Ukraine secured bronze medals in both the men`s and women`s events.
This competition marked the second edition of the U20 Snow Volleyball European Championships. In the previous event in Bakuriani, Georgia, Czechia triumphed in the women`s category, with Poland taking silver and Türkiye finishing third. For the men, Poland won gold, ahead of Czechia and Türkiye.
This year, the picturesque resort town of Karpacz, nestled in the Karkonosze Mountains, served as the venue. Matches were even held during evening sessions on Friday and Saturday, attracting fans to the Irena Szewińska Stadium to cheer on the best European teams. The weather was perfect, with clear skies, sunshine, and temperatures around 15 degrees Celsius.
In the women`s semifinals, Poland 1 defeated Ukraine. Poland 3 came close to causing an upset and reaching the final, but Türkiye fought back and won in a tie-break to secure their spot in the gold medal match. In the men`s tournament, both semifinal contests concluded in straight sets, with Poland 1 and Italy advancing to the final.
Bronze medal matches for both genders featured clashes between Poland and Ukraine. In the women`s third-place playoff, Poland 3 (Emilia Żurawska, Maria Pietrin, Wiktoria Surażyńska) were on the verge of winning in two sets, but Ukraine improved their serving and forced a tie-break. After a close battle, the Ukrainian team emerged victorious with a 15-11 score in the decider. The disappointed Polish players commented, “We really enjoyed playing on snow and felt more confident with each match. If the opportunity arises, we would definitely love to compete in another such tournament.”
Following the women`s match, the Ukrainian men`s team 1 (Nikita Pavliuk, Anton Tasenko, Artem Varvanin, Serhii Varvanin) also secured bronze, defeating Poland 4 (Paweł Zatoń, Damian Dudek, Szymon Wolak, and Dominik Mućka).
The women`s gold medal match lasted over 40 minutes. Poland initially took the first set, but Türkiye enhanced their serving and defensive play throughout the match, ultimately claiming the victory. The silver medalists from Poland 1 (Zuzanna Rapczyńska, Paulina Łabuz, Zofia Preweda, and Wiktoria Leśniewicz) reflected, “We know we’ll value this silver medal more eventually, but currently, we regret being so near to winning gold. Competing in Karpacz was a special experience, especially having our families and friends cheering us on in the stands.”
In the men`s final, the Italian team (Laurin Zoeschg, Diego Leon Steger, Michael Stolzlechner, Luis Mairhofer) put on a strong display to defeat Poland 1, a team that trains regularly at SMS Spała. Despite losing their opening match in Karpacz, Italy went on to win all subsequent games to secure the gold medal. The players from Poland 1 (Marcel Wanat, Michał Kucharski, Tomasz Warych, and Wiktor Musiał) commented afterward, “There`s some disappointment as we aimed higher, but we are still pleased and thankful for the chance to compete here.”
This tournament was a landmark event for Karpacz, as it was the first time Poland had hosted an international Snow Volleyball competition.
Piotr Groszek
Competition Director and himself an active player
Torin Vale