BVC Ludus back to defend last year’s title in Montpellier
Beach Volley European Cup
The winners of the inaugural edition of the CEV Beach Volley European Cup, Slovenia’s BVC Ludus will be back to defend their women’s title when the second edition of the tournament begins this week, in Montpellier, France.
The Slovenian club is one among the 16 women’s teams from 14 countries set to compete from Thursday to Sunday at the Club Montpellier Beach Volley. The tournament will be split into two stages, starting with a modified pool play phase and continuing with the elimination rounds. On both, clubs play each other in two matches – if needed, a third and decisive set will be played as a golden set.
Each club will be represented by a minimum of four players and a maximum of six, which should form their two teams. Each club is entitled to one substitution per match.
Defending champions Ludus will have the four players that gave them last year’s title back as Tajda Lovsin, Tjasa Kotnik, Živa Javornik and Maja Marolt are all part of the club’s roster this season. In 2024, Ludus will have an additional player in Zoja Kalar.
Last year’s silver medalists CV Majadahonda Madrid of Spain took a different route when assembling their squad as they only brought back one player from their 2023 campaign in Nazaret Florian. This time, she’ll have by her side fellow Spanish Marta Carro, Catalina Maria Pol and Ania Esarte, as well as Lithuanian Erika Kliokmanaite and Estonian Kadri Puri.
Making their debut in the event, Ukraine’s Sunrise Beach Spors Academy will feature a strong lineup, reuniting some of the country’s’ most successful players in Valentyna Davidova, Tetiana Lazarenko, Daria Romaniuk and Yeva Serdiuk.
Other stars of the tournament will be Russia’s Olga Motrich, who will play for Azerbaijan’s Azerrail, England’s Victoria Palmer, who’s set to appear for her country’s Deep Dish Bournemouth, Romania’s Beata Vaida, who will be with Hungary’s Èdra Tata, and the Grudzinskaite sisters Gerda and Rugile, who will strengthen Lithuania’s Oxyklinika.
Also appearing in the second edition of the Beach Volley European Cup will be Austria’s Bergstrand Beachvolleyball, Türkiye’s TVF Spor Lisesi Ihtisas Kulübü, Romania’s C.S.U A.S.E. Bucuresti, Czechia’s Beachvolejbalova škola Praha, Spain’s Voley Playa Madrid, France’s Beach Volley Toulousain and Bordeaux Beach Chillers, Italy’s Beach Volley Training and Sweden’s 08 Beachvolley Club – Stockholm.