Pedrosa and Campos triumph in domestic dress rehearsal ahead of Nations Cup Final

This past weekend, Praia da Baía in Espinho was the epicentre of national Beach Volleyball, hosting the 2nd stop of the Portuguese National Tour. The tournament served as a perfect rehearsal for the Beach Volleyball Nations Cup, whose final will be held at the same location from July 17 to 20. The competition saw three-time national champions João Pedrosa and Hugo Campos take the men’s title, while Daniela Loureiro and Vanessa Paquete were the surprise winners in the women’s division. 

In the men’s final, João Pedrosa and Hugo Campos proved their status as favourites and their experience, overcoming Francisco Pombeiro and Marcus Borlini 2-0 (21-19; 21-18) in a hard-fought match. Brothers Gonçalo Sousa and Tomás Sousa took third place on the podium. After winning the first stop of the national circuit, they once again demonstrated their consistency by defeating Tomás Natário and Gustavo Reis 2-0 (21-17; 25-23), and they maintain their lead in the national ranking.

In the women’s final, Daniela Loureiro and Vanessa Paquete managed to overcome three-time national champions Beatriz Pinheiro and Inês Castro in an exciting three-set encounter (17-21; 21-16; 15-9). The bronze medal was won by the same pair from the first stop: Mariana Maia and Gabriela Coelho once again secured third place, defeating Matilde Moreira and Nydia Saavedra 2-0 (21-15; 21-15).

The grand rehearsal for the Nations Cup

Hosting the second stop of the national tour at Praia da Baía was seen as a golden opportunity for the local teams to prepare for the upcoming Nations Cup Final. By competing in a high-level tournament at the same location, the pairs were able to get a feel for the atmosphere, test the sand, and fine-tune their strategies for the all-important international competition.

The Nations Cup, which will bring together the best teams in Europe, promises a top-level spectacle, with the presence of some major superstars of the game such as Norway’s Anders Mol and Christian Sørum.