Slovenia and Hungary Triumph at MEVZA U18 Qualifier in Portorož

The second and final day of the CEV U18 Beach Volleyball European Championships 2025 First-round Qualifier, organised by MEVZA, delivered top-level beach volleyball action as teams battled through the quarterfinals, semifinals, and medal matches. The stakes were high, with the best-performing national federations in both the men’s and women’s tournaments securing coveted spots at the 2025 European Championship finals.

In the men’s tournament, Slovenia’s Predan and Bregar were unstoppable on home sand. The duo maintained their composure and consistency throughout the knockout rounds, culminating in a dominant 2-0 victory (21-15, 21-15) over Austria’s Gavan and Hohenauer in the gold medal match. Their path to the final included a solid win in the quarterfinals against Israel’s Ziv/Zbenovich and a tight semifinal battle with Slovakia’s Sujan/Beles, which they closed out in straight sets.

Austria’s Gavan/Hohenauer also impressed with a flawless semifinal performance against Israel’s top-seeded Gozlan/Hameiri, winning 2-0 (21-11, 21-13), before settling for silver. In the bronze medal match, Israel’s Gozlan and Hameiri bounced back with a clinical 2-0 victory over Sujan/Beles, securing third place after a long day of matches.

In the women’s competition, Hungary’s Matkovits and Honti-Majoros claimed the title after a thrilling 2-1 final win over Czechia’s Duskova and Lajkebova (21-19, 12-21, 15-10). The Hungarian pair showed grit and stamina, especially in the quarterfinals and semifinals where they overcame Austria’s Hammarberg/Hofstetter and Slovenia’s Ferdin/Poto?nik, respectively.

Czechia’s Duskova/Lajkebova fought their way to the final with a straight-set victory over their fellow countrywomen Kinterova/Sebova in the semifinal. Kinterova/Sebova later secured the bronze medal, defeating Slovenia’s Ferdin/Poto?nik 2-0 (21-15, 23-21) in a well-contested match for third place.

With impressive performances across both competitions, Slovenia and Hungary have emerged as the top-ranked national federations, each earning a direct qualification spot for the CEV U18 Beach Volleyball European Championships 2025.