Austrian youngsters and Slovenia’s Javornik/Marolt triumph in Innsbruck

The win2day Beach Volleyball Tour PRO 2024 concluded on Sunday with the finals of the TEN31 Bank Innsbruck MEVZA zonal event. Exciting matches crowned deserved champions, and the absolute highlight was the grandstand sold out for the finals and 1,000 cheering fans filled every single free standing-place on Innsbruck’s iconic Marktplatz.

The Austrian youngsters Timo Hammarberg and Tim Berger caused a sensation, securing the long-awaited tournament victory after coming in third last year. With impressive precision and tireless commitment, they beat their opponents Maximilian Trummer and Laurenc Grössig in a thrilling final and were deservedly crowned the new champions. Their compatriots Paul Pascariuc and Florian Schnetzer completed a clean sweep of the men’s podium for Austria. 

In the women’s event, the Slovenian team Ziva Javornik and Maja Marolt put in an outstanding performance. They successfully defended their title from the previous year and triumphed once again. In the final, they faced the Czech duo Mariana Tomasova/Michaela Kubickova, whom they edged in an exciting and hard-fought match, even cancelling a match ball in the second set. Last year’s runners-up Stefania Kun and Kinga Windisch of Hungary secured third place.

Innsbruck’s hometown hero Martin Ermacora, last year’s winner and bronze medallist from the 2019 edition of CEV EuroBeachVolley with former partner Moritz Pristauz, bid farewell to the sport during the final day. Ermacora leaves behind an impressive sporting record and played a key role in shaping the Innsbruck event over the past few years.

The TEN31 Bank Innsbruck beach event was the perfect end to an unforgettable season. Fans and athletes are already looking forward to the next edition of the win2day Beach Volleyball Tour PRO run under the auspices of the Austrian Volleyball Federation (ÖVV), which promises unique moments once again in 2025. 

Photos courtesy of Max Mauthner