Thrilling Golden Sets determine CEV Beach Volley European Cup finalists

Day 3 of the CEV Beach Volley European Cup 2025 Final at TUI Magic Life Candia Maris in Heraklion, Crete, delivered spectacular action and high drama, as all semi-final matches – both in the men’s and women’s competitions – were decided in thrilling fashion, thereby setting the stage for a memorable final day of competition on Sunday.

In the women’s tournament, Sunrise Beach Sports Academy from Ukraine and EDRA Tata from Hungary advanced to the grand finale, where they will battle for the gold medal and the title of European club champions. Both teams showed remarkable resilience, winning their semi-finals in dramatic Golden Sets and proving once again the high level of competition and intensity in this year’s event.

On the other hand, CV Majadahonda from Spain and KBC Oxyklinika from Lithuania secured their places in the bronze medal match.

“We are really happy that we will play in the final. It’s really nice to see all our effort pay off. Everyone in our club did the best they could,” said Tajda Lovšin of EDRA Tata. “The venue is perfect for this kind of competition. It’s our last tournament of the year, so being here in Heraklion is the perfect ending,” added Živa Javornik.

“It was a hard win. The Golden Set is played to 15 points, and anything can happen. I’m happy we managed to get the win and will compete in the final. In this tournament, we are all one team, not just a pair of two. It’s a new format for us – I like it, and we are having fun,” said reigning European champion Tetiana Lazarenko of Sunrise Beach Sports Academy.

In the men’s competition, ZVH Zevenhuizen from the Netherlands needed the Golden Set to overcome BC Strahov from Czechia in a thrilling semi-final encounter. The Dutch side displayed great composure and team spirit under pressure to reach the final.

“It’s a very fun and interesting format. I had never played a Golden Set before, so that was cool. We all did a good job, and we want to finish tomorrow on a high note,” said Leon Luini. “We are happy, but the job is not done yet. We did well in the semi-finals, and we need to continue the same way in the gold medal match,” commented Quinten Groenewold.

Their opponents will be Ré Beach Club from France, who defeated Sunrise Beach Sports Academy (Ukraine) with two consecutive tie-break victories in another intense semi-final duel. The French team’s consistency and strong teamwork secured their place in Sunday’s final.

“The key to this team’s success is that we are all friends. We all come from the same island in France, and we practice and hang out together almost every day. We are ready and excited to be in the final,” said Niels Philippe-Daniel.

“Our club has been investing a lot of money over the past few years, and it’s nice to see that all the hard work is paying off,” concluded Joadel Gardoque.

The final day of the CEV Beach Volley European Cup 2025 will see ZVH Zevenhuizen (Netherlands) and Ré Beach Club (France) fight for the men’s title, while Sunrise Beach Sports Academy (Ukraine) and EDRA Tata (Hungary) will meet in the women’s gold medal match. The bronze medal matches – featuring BC Strahov (Czechia) against Sunrise Beach Sports Academy (Ukraine) for the men, and CV Majadahonda (Spain) against KBC Oxyklinika (Lithuania) for the women – will take place earlier in the day.

Click here for further information.