EuroBeachVolley Previews: Men’s Pools A-D

The A1 CEV EuroBeachVolley is back in Vienna this summer, reuniting the top beach volleyball players in the continent for five days of intense and exciting play at the iconic Danube Island, in the Austrian capital, from August 2-6.

The tournament will begin with eight pools of four teams each and, after the completion of the modified pool play system, three duos in each group will move forward – the pool winners advance directly to the Round of 16 while the second and third-placed tandems move to the Round of 24.

The pools were determined in the drawing of lots held not long ago and we can now try to predict what to expect from each of them. Let’s begin with Pools A, B, C and D in the men’s tournament.

Pool A

Teams: Anders Mol/Christian Sørum (Norway), Hendrik Mol/Mathias Berntsen (Norway), Quentin Métral/Yves Haussener (Switzerland) and Eylon Elazar/Netanel Ohana (Israel)

The winners of four of the last five editions of the EuroBeachVolley, reigning Olympic and world champions Mol and Sørum will enter this year’s edition of the tournament determined to return to the top of the podium after taking bronze last season, and return to Vienna after winning the Nations Cup last year.

In theory, the duel between Mol/Berntsen and Métral/Haussener should determine the second-placed duo in the pool. These are two teams that have been steadily improving their statuses at the international level – the Norwegians recently took bronze in a Beach Pro Tour Challenge event while the Swiss got silver in a Futures tournament – and could be set for deep runs in Vienna if they get an accessible draw.

Elazar and Ohana became the first Israeli men to compete at the EuroBeachVolley last season and they will want to do better this time after dropping all four sets they played in 2022. The two haven’t been much active internationally this season and could be a dangerous team.

Fun Fact: This year’s EuroBeachVolley Pool A is almost a perfect repeat of last year’s Pool A, with the two Norwegian teams and the Israeli duo occupying the same spots they did a year ago. The only change is having the Swiss ‘replacing’ Swedish defending champions David Åhman and Jonatan Hellvig.

Pool B

Teams: Ondřej Perušič/David Schweiner (Czechia), Paolo Nicolai/Samuele Cottafava (Italy), Daniele Lupo/Enrico Rossi (Italy) and Alejandro Huerta/Javier Huerta (Spain)

Last year’s silver medallists, Perušič and Schweiner will be looking for their first continental title in Vienna. The two have been among the top teams in the world for the last few years, having won three international gold medals since 2021, but are yet to enjoy glory at the EuroBeachVolley.

The two Italian teams also have more than enough talent to vie for the first place in the pool. Nicolai and Cottafava have been fairly successful in their 18 months as partners, winning four international gold medals, while Lupo and Rossi triumphed in their first tournament as partners, last November.

The Spanish Huerta brothers are the clear dark horses in such a strong pool, but are less than two months removed from the best result of their careers, their home victory at the Madrid Futures, and will have no shortage of confidence heading into the EuroBeachVolley.

Fun Fact: After winning three EuroBeachVolley titles together, in 2014, 2016 and 2017, Italians Lupo and Nicolai will play each other for the first time in the tournament after their split. Interestingly, their last match as partners happened at the EuroBeachVolley 2021, in Vienna.

Pool C

Teams: David Åhman/Jonatan Hellvig (Sweden), Arthur Canet/Téo Rotar (France), Kusti Nolvak/Maart Tiisaar (Estonia) and Christiaan Varenhorst/Leon Luini (the Netherlands)

Åhman and Hellvig’s victory at last year’s EuroBeachVolley was historic, as they became the first Swedish team to dominate the continent, and also their career breakthrough. The young Swedes continued to impress in the last year, winning gold medals on the Beach Pro Tour, and most teams out there still have no answers to their dynamic and creative playing style.

Canet and Rotar won the U19 FIVB World Championship two years ago and are in an upwards trajectory, becoming more familiar faces on the Beach Pro Tour. They will make their EuroBeachVolley debut at the ages of 18 and 19 and could very well leave a strong first impression among the continent’s elite.

Nolvak and Tiisaar had an excellent 2022 season, making two semifinal appearances on the Beach Pro Tour, but have struggled to replicate their success this season. Varenhorst and Luini are a new Dutch team and will only have played three events before they get on the court on the EuroBeachVolley, making of them dark horses to make it out of the pool. 

Fun Fact: The two best-ranked teams in the pool, Swedish and French won youth world titles just eight days apart in Phuket, Thailand, in 2021. Canet and Rotar won the U19 World Championship on December 11, while Åhman and Hellvig topped the podium at the U21 World Championship on December 19.

Pool D

Teams: Youssef Krou/Arnaud Gauthier-Rat (France), Sergiy Popov/Eduard Reznik (Ukraine), Quincy Aye/Calvin Aye (France) and Martin Ermacora/Philipp Waller (Austria)

This pool should have tremendous balance as all four teams are currently at a similar level. Krou and Gauthier-Rat are in excellent form, having won Beach Pro Tour medals in three of their last five events, and should be considered the favorites to finish first. Their compatriots, the Aye brothers Quincy and Calvin became partners in 2022 and have one gold medal on the Beach Pro Tour, but haven’t been very consistent in the last 18 months. 

The Ukrainians had a quick rise in the international scene and are very competitive, combining Popov’s defensive skills and Reznik’s physical blocking, having the ability to make a deep run in their first EuroBeachVolley appearance as partners.

Ermacora and Waller joined forces earlier this year, when the top Austrian teams reshuffled, and have had ups and downs in their first events as partners. The two will, however, count on massive support from the home fans to get out of the pool in Vienna. No ticket yet? Better be fast and get your ticket now. 

Fun Fact: Set to make his first appearance on the EuroBeachVolley, the 34-year-old Reznik was away from beach volleyball for seven years, between 2014 and 2021. The 2.08m-tall blocker had a strong return, though, winning silver medals on the Beach Pro Tour in the fourth and fifth tournaments after his comeback.