Historic Wins in Kranj: Slovenian and Czech Teams Shine at Middle European Beach Volleyball Championship

Kranj hosted the Middle European Beach Volleyball Championship under the MEVZA association for the second time. A record number of 61 teams from seven countries participated, with Slovenian players Tajda Lovšin and Tjaša Kotnik claiming the women’s championship title. Matyas Jezek and Adam Waber from the Czech Republic advanced from the qualifiers to win the gold medal in the men’s competition. Czech teams dominated the tournament, securing all three men’s medals and the women’s bronze.

The tournament, a summer highlight in Kranj, featured teams from Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, Cyprus, Israel, and Slovenia. Due to several last-minute withdrawals caused by illness and injuries, Slovenia was represented by five teams. While four Slovenian teams were eliminated before the quarter-finals, Lovšin and Kotnik, the top-seeded team, lived up to their ranking by winning the gold medal, much to the delight of the home crowd.

Lovšin and Kotnik cruised through most of the tournament without dropping a set. However, in the semifinals, they faced a challenging match against the Czech duo Lorenzova/?erná, coming back from a significant deficit in the final set to secure their place in the final.

“We managed to pull off something nearly impossible,” said Kotnik. In the final, they defeated the defending champion, Austrian Kathi Holzer, and her new partner Magdalena Rabitsch, despite losing the first set. The Slovenians bounced back to win the next two sets decisively, with Lovšin’s serving and Kotnik’s blocking proving decisive. “Winning here in Kranj, a place that means so much to us, is extraordinary,” Lovšin remarked.

The Czech pair ?erná and Lorenzova won the bronze medal by defeating the Hungarian Vasvári sisters, who had previously ousted the second-seeded Nyström/Gusarova from Cyprus in the quarterfinals. “We did it! After finishing fourth last year, we were eager for more, and we are thrilled with our improvement,” said ?erná.

In the men’s competition, Czech teams swept the podium, a surprising outcome as both finalist teams were unseeded and had progressed through the qualifiers. Jezek and Waber overcame compatriots Jan Mrkous and Frantisek Pihera in the final, bouncing back after losing the first set to win 2:1.

“We are thrilled with our victory and the overall success of the Czech teams,” Jezek said, highlighting the excellent level of play displayed. The second-seeded team, Tomas Semerad and Adam Stocek, who appeared strong until the semifinals, were defeated by Mrkous and Pihera in three sets. However, they rallied to win the bronze medal match against the Slovak pair Nemec/Petruf, completing a Czech sweep of the podium.