Well-known names to fly their club’s flag at Beach Volley European Cup Final

The CEV Beach Volley European Cup 2025 Final will be taking place later this week in Heraklion and the event featuring eight clubs per gender has attracted the participation of renowned names from across the continental Beach Volleyball scene. This is testament to the steady growth in appeal and relevance for a competition introduced only in 2023 – and whose third edition will coincide with the last major event of a highly successful 2025 Beach Volleyball season. 

With defending champions Azerrail BAKU not involved, there will be a ‘new’ winner of the event when the Final reaches its climax on Sunday, November 9. The competition will follow the highly entertaining ‘club vs club’ format that fans have become accustomed to in other international events such as the Nations Cup. Ultimately, what really matters is the depth in quality and consistency rather than the effort of an outstanding individual!

Sunrise Sports Academy of Ukraine are to be regarded as the ‘hottest’ favourite in the women’s competition since their roster includes a reigning elite European champion – Tetiana Lazarenko – as well as the 2025 U22 European champions – Daria Romaniuk and Yeva Serdiuk – plus an experienced and accomplished player such as Valentyna Davidova. With such a pool of talent blending youth and experience, Sunrise are well positioned to add another chapter to the unprecedented success story that Ukrainian women’s teams have been writing since earlier this year. 

However, other clubs emerging victorious from the preliminary phase contested in late September and early October will be putting up a fight and challenge for the medals. Hungary’s Edra Tata has assembled an international roster including home stars Stefania Kun and Lilla Villam plus the experienced Slovenians Tajda Lovšin and Živa Javornik. This mix is likely to play a leading role as much as Lithuania’s KBC Oxyklinika – whose group includes four experienced and well-known players from the international circuit such as Gerda and Rugile Grudzinskaite, plus Ieva Dumbauskaite and Urte Andriukaityte. Even though those accolades date back to some years ago, Dumbauskaite was a multiple age-group European medallist in her youth and to this day she also remains the sole Snow Volleyball European champion – a title she claimed in 2018. 

France’s Ré Beach Club is a contender as well – with a roster featuring rising stars Saofé Duval and Romane Sobezalz, silver medal winners at this year’s #EuroBeachVolleyU20, and the more experienced Elsa Descamps and Pia Szewczyk. Dimitra Manavi and Elisavet Triantafillidi will be carrying the hopes of home success for Greece while representing 4 Sports Club Athens. Ludus LJUBLJANA of Slovenia claimed the inaugural European Cup in 2023 and under the guidance of Nejc Zemljak they return to the continental stage with Tjaša Kotnik and Maja Marolt as their greatest asset. Spain’s CV Majadahonda complete the starting field with an international roster including Spaniards as well as players from Lithuania and Estonia. 

In the men’s event, ZVH Zevenhuizen of the Netherlands are making their European Cup debut this season and have recruited an impressive roster – including even former World champion and Olympic bronze medal winner Alexander Brouwer, plus some more players who have been making a name for themselves on the international stage such as Leon Luini and Tom Sonneville. With such a deep roster, the Dutchmen are serious contenders for glory together with Austria’s Aloha Beach Volleyball Club – a side travelling to Heraklion with two Olympians – veterans Robin Seidl and Alexander Huber – plus some more well-established names such as Felix Friedl and Maximilian Trummer. 

Other candidates for the medals include BC Strahov Praha of Czechia, whose players – such as Krystof Oliva and Martin Melmuka – have been performing well this year in MEVZA events as well as in Futures contested on European soil. Arthur Canet is another name to watch out for – a rising star of European Beach Volleyball, he will represent his home club Montpellier Beach Volley in Heraklion. Teams from France, Greece, Romania, and Ukraine complete the starting field. 

Overall, clubs from as many as 12 National Federations will compete in Heraklion with a pool phase followed by single elimination. The organisers have been working around the clock to provide ideal conditions for players and their delegations to complete the 2025 Beach Volleyball season with a bang! 

Click here for further information.