Last weekend, Brno hosted the ‘Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Futures’ event for the second year in a row, attracting top teams from 18 countries to the Sokolske Koupaliste in Bystrc, including the Czech men’s team, the reigning World Champions, alongside Olympic squads.
The men’s tournament saw participation from 28 teams, with strong representation from Europe. The Czech Republic led the charge with five teams, followed by three teams each from Norway and Ukraine. Austria and Germany fielded two teams apiece, while Denmark, Belgium, Finland, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Spain, and Sweden each sent one team. Teams from Brazil, Japan, and the United States also competed.
Two-time Olympians Ondrej Perusic and David Schweiner, playing in their first Futures event, led the Czech contingent to gold. They triumphed in a thrilling final against compatriots Adam Waber and Matyáš Ježek, securing victory in a nail-biting tie-breaker (19-21, 21-16, 15-7).
On the women’s side, Czech Olympians Barbora Hermannová and Maria-Sára Štochlová entered the tournament as favourites, fresh from the Paris Olympics and a 5th-place finish in the EuroBeachVolley. Despite their strong form, they settled for bronze, with fellow Czechs Kylie Neuschaeferová and Markéta Svozilová clinching gold.
Neuschaeferová and Svozilová defeated Brazilian qualifiers Juliana Simões and Carol Goerl in straight sets (21-17, 21-11) to win their first Beach Pro Tour title.
Simões and Goerl, who had to play two extra matches to reach the finals, were proud of their silver medal performance. Speaking to Brno Daily, Simões expressed her satisfaction with the team’s journey: “We managed each game well and truly enjoyed every step. Our unity made a big difference, especially in challenging moments. I’m thrilled to bring this title to Brazil and especially to Alagoas, which has supported us from the beginning.”
Looking ahead, Simões added, “Our goal was to gain points in the international ranking, enabling us to participate in two more tournaments in Brazil this year. This silver medal is a significant achievement.”
Reflecting on their overall experience in Brno, Simões shared, “The semi-final and final matches were really challenging, given the high quality of our adversaries and the intense support from the crowd for the home teams. Overall, it was a great experience to play for the first time in the Czech Republic. We want to thank all the Czechs for the remarkable hospitality during our stay, as well as our sponsors —SELAJ, Charles Hebert, Gustavo Toroca, CRB, and FAV — for their incredible support.”
The Beach Pro Tour Futures events, organised by the CEV in partnership with Volleyball World, provide European teams with crucial opportunities to compete and earn international ranking points. This year’s event in Brno was no exception, with high-level competition across the board.
