Richmond and Fireball South West triumph at UKBT Club Championships to qualify for Beach Volley European Cup

The 2025 UKBT Club Championships took place over a thrilling weekend at Sandbanks, with more than 300 players battling through wet and windy conditions. The Championship Divisions featured a total of 28 teams across the men’s and women’s competitions, showcasing some of the highest-level Beach Volleyball action in the country. Two fiercely contested finals ultimately decided which clubs would earn the right to represent England in the CEV Beach Volley European Cup 2025. 

In the women’s championship final, Richmond Volleyball Club faced Fireball South West in a tense best-of-three showdown. Richmond’s top pair, Keefe/Bullen, opened with a nail-biting 2-1 victory over Fireball’s Star/Jagielska, taking the third set 17-15. Fireball responded strongly in the second match, with Tussis/Berstautaite defeating Fiļa/Kurek in straight sets, thus forcing a golden set decider. Richmond’s Keefe/Bullen returned to the court and held their nerve to edge out Tussis/Berstautaite 15-13, thereby securing the women’s championship title for Richmond.

The men’s championship final was an all-Fireball affair between their South West and North Devon teams. Gleed/Bello (South West) took the opening match 2-0 against Morgan/Pollock. North Devon’s Lawson/Soczewka then forced a golden set with a dramatic 31-29 second-set win over Dunbavin/Morgan. Gleed/Bello stepped up once again in the decider, claiming a commanding golden set victory and securing back-to-back men’s championship titles for Fireball South West.

As a result of these performances, both Richmond Volleyball Club and Fireball South West have qualified to represent England in the third edition of the CEV Beach Volley European Cup.