Surprise Victory: Dressler/Huerta crowned the new "Kings of the Court"

09.09.2024 - Utrecht

After a short break, the world-class beach volleyball players returned to the sand – but this time, not in the usual format. At the "Queen & King of the Court" tournament in Utrecht, a completely new concept was introduced: the spectacular "Ultimate Mashup," an innovative mix of the traditional format with new partners never before seen on a beach volleyball court.

The King of the Court format is vastly different from regular beach volleyball rules. Here, five teams face off in a kind of "round-robin" style. Unlike a normal beach volleyball game, where sets are played to completion, this format is broken down into 15-minute sessions. The team with the most points wins, while the team with the fewest points is eliminated. Points can only be scored on the King’s side. After each rally, a waiting team moves into the challenger’s side. A match consists of three sessions, and only three of the five teams advance to the final.

In Utrecht, players formed teams with partners from different countries, leading to unique team combinations that thrilled the audience. Typically, players compete with partners from the same nationality – but not this time. A particular highlight for the fans was seeing Norwegian blocking giant Anders Mol team up with Mr. Skyball, Adrian Carambula. Equally impressive were Laura Ludwig and Katja Stam, whose strong performance electrified the stadium.

The men's final was a true spectacle. Mol/Carambula had a blazing start, dominating the first round. But then, fate took an unexpected turn: Brouwer/Tocs were the first to be eliminated, followed by Boermans/Samoilovs, crushing Dutch hopes for a home victory. The showdown came down to the duo of Mol/Carambula and the surprisingly strong team of Huerta/Dressler.

In a thrilling final, Huerta and Dressler found their rhythm and delivered an impressive performance to overcome the favorites. When they scored the final point and crowned themselves the "Kings of the Court," nothing could stop them. It was a dream come true for Dressler – on an international stage, no less. For Tim Berger and his Swedish teammate Jacob Nilsson, sixth place was still a great result, despite their elimination in the semifinals.

The women’s side also saw a thrilling, neck-and-neck race. In the first round, the Dutch-Norwegian duo Van Driel/Olimstad fought hard for a spot in the final, but narrowly missed out to Stam/Ludwig. With each round, the tension rose, and when the final teams faced off, anything seemed possible. Schoon/Álvarez initially dominated the match, but Stam/Ludwig’s comeback had the crowd on their feet. Just seconds before the end, they overtook their competitors and secured the title of "Queens of the Court Utrecht 2024." The stadium erupted in cheers, especially for Ludwig, who had just bid farewell to her home fans the week before.