Sibiu’s first-ever international Beach Volleyball event crowned with success

The first international Beach Pro Tour Futures Tournament ever held in Sibiu concluded on Sunday, after nearly two weeks during which Sibiu’s Small Square (Piața Mică) became the capital of Beach Volleyball in Romania. For the first time in the event’s history, Sibiu hosted an official Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Futures tournament, thereby marking the transition from a long-standing national competition to an international event recognised by both the European Volleyball Confederation (CEV) and Volleyball World.

The Futures tournament brought together 16 women’s teams from across Europe and further beyond, treating the Sibiu audience to four days of world-class Beach Volleyball. The decisive matches confirmed the high level of the competition, while the finals were played in front of packed stands, thus creating an atmosphere that impressed both the athletes and the international officials attending the event.

Romania was represented in the Main Draw by two teams: Beata Vaida/Adriana Burtea, the most successful pair in the history of Romanian Beach Volleyball, and Ioana Miu/Ioana Murgoci, one of the country’s most promising new-generation teams. Both Romanian pairs enjoyed tremendous support from the local fans, whose enthusiasm created an atmosphere worthy of the world’s top Beach Volleyball events and once again proved that Sibiu is a city that truly embraces sport.

The inaugural Beach Pro Tour Futures Sibiu title was won by the Dutch duo Lisa Luini/Benthe Essink, competing together in a Futures tournament for the very first time. They defeated Spain’s Marta Carro/Adriana Serrano Ferro in the final with a 2-0 victory (22-20, 21-17). In the semi-finals, the Dutch pair overcame Slovakia's Barbora Tokosova and Martina Terenova 2-0 (21-13, 23-21), while the Spanish team secured their place in the final after a thrilling 2-1 victory (19-21, 21-18, 15-13) over Romania's home favourites Vaida and Burtea. The bronze medals remained in Romania, as Vaida and Burtea defeated Tokosova/Terenova 2-0 (21-15, 22-20) in the third-place match, giving the home crowd one final Romanian victory and finishing on the podium of Sibiu’s first-ever international Beach Pro Tour event.

Beyond the sporting results, the greatest achievement of this edition was the image Sibiu projected onto the international stage. The spectacular arena built in the city’s historic Small Square provided a unique setting that was highly appreciated by athletes, officials and visitors from both Romania and abroad. Hosting a Beach Pro Tour Futures tournament represents a significant step forward not only for the development of Beach Volleyball in Romania, but also for promoting Sibiu as a destination capable of organising international sporting events.

Before the international competition, Sibiu Sands also hosted the Romanian Women’s U18 National Championship leg, further confirming the event’s role in developing the next generation of athletes. The national stage was won by Sibiu players Draga Savu and Cătălina Vasilescu, who finally claimed the top step of the podium after finishing as silver medallists in the previous two editions.

The opening days of Sibiu Sands were dedicated to the traditional amateur tournament, which featured more than 50 teams from across Romania. The titles were won by Olivo Beachvolley Team in the men’s competition and Lady Aces in the women’s event, once again highlighting the remarkable growth of Romania’s Beach Volleyball community.

By hosting three major competitions – the Amateur Tournament, the Romanian U18 National Championship leg, and the Beach Pro Tour Futures – Sibiu Sands 2026 became the most comprehensive edition in the history of the event and a landmark for sport in Sibiu.

The organisers would like to thank all athletes, officials, volunteers, institutional partners and sponsors who made this project possible, but above all the people of Sibiu. Thousands of spectators attended the event over its 11 days of competition, transforming the stands into a true third player and proving that Sibiu deserves its place on the map of major international Beach Volleyball events.

Following this historic edition, the organisers’ objective is for Sibiu Sands to continue growing and become a permanent fixture on the European Beach Volleyball calendar, further strengthening Sibiu’s position as a destination for elite sport and events that generate real benefits for the local community and tourism.

Sibiu Sands is co-funded by the Municipality of Sibiu and the Sibiu County Council through their Sports Agendas funding programmes. Other partners include Craiss, Retter Group, The Home Lake, Ballan Sportswear, Visit Galați, and Eco Sports Dome.