After three days of exciting competition, young players from Türkiye and Italy stood on the highest steps of the podium at #EuroSnowVolleyU20, where hosts Poland claimed two silver medals, and Ukraine secured the bronze with their men’s as well as with their women’s teams.
This was the second edition of the U20 Snow Volleyball European Championships. Last year in Bakuriani, Georgia, the Czech team had triumphed among the women, while Poland took silver and Türkiye finished third. In the men’s competition, Poland won gold, ahead of Czechia and Türkiye.
This time, Karpacz, one of the most popular resorts in the Karkonosze Mountains, played host to the event. On Friday and Saturday, players even competed during evening sessions, thereby attracting fans who decided to spend time at the Irena Szewińska Stadium, cheering on the best European teams. The weather was also perfect – 15 degrees Celsius, clear skies, and sunshine.
In the women’s semifinals, Poland 1 defeated Ukraine, while Poland 3 was close to springing a surprise victory and advancing to the final. However, Türkiye turned the match around and won in a tie-break, securing a spot in the gold medal game. In the men’s tournament, both semifinal matches ended in two sets, with Poland 1 and Italy advancing to the final.
The bronze medal matches, in both the women’s and men’s categories, featured Poland vs Ukraine clashes. Poland 3 (Emilia Żurawska, Maria Pietrin, Wiktoria Surażyńska) was close to finishing the match in two sets, but Ukraine improved their serving and forced a tie-break. After a close battle, the Ukrainians emerged victorious 15-11. “We really enjoyed playing on snow, and with each match, we felt more confident. If we get the chance, we would definitely like to play in such a tournament again,” said the Polish players, who ultimately missed out on a medal in Karpacz.
The women’s gold medal match lasted over 40 minutes. The Polish team won the first set, but Türkiye gradually improved their serving and defence, ultimately securing the victory. “We know we will appreciate this silver medal more later, but right now we regret being so close to gold. We really enjoyed playing in Karpacz – it was something special to compete at home, especially with our loved ones supporting us in the stands,” said the members of Poland 1 (Zuzanna Rapczyńska, Paulina Łabuz, Zofia Preweda, and Wiktoria Leśniewicz).
The Italian team (Laurin Zoeschg, Diego Leon Steger, Michael Stolzlechner, Luis Mairhofer) delivered a great performance in the men’s final, ultimately defeating Poland 1, which regularly trains at SMS Spała. Although the Italian team lost their first match in Karpacz, they won all their remaining games and claimed the gold medal. “There is some disappointment because we wanted more, but we are still happy and grateful for the opportunity to play here,” said Marcel Wanat, Michał Kucharski, Tomasz Warych, and Wiktor Musiał after the match.
This was a historic event for Karpacz, as Poland had never hosted an international Snow Volleyball tournament before.
