The women’s CEV EuroBeachVolley tournament was held on Saturday in Vienna, and Nina Betschart and Tanja Hüberli won (14 August).
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Swiss Pair Betschart and Hüberli Win European Women’s Title
In their first major beach volleyball victory, the Swiss defeated the Dutch duo of Katja Stam and Raissa Schoon 21-15, 21-12. The Swiss had previously placed second in 2018 and fourth at the 2019 World Championships.
Betschart and Hüberli made it to the round of 16 at Tokyo 2020, but were eliminated by countrywomen Joana Heidrich and Anouk Verge-Depre, who opted out of this competition.
The Austrian duo of Betschart and Hüeberli advanced to the semi-finals without dropping a set in Vienna, but they were pushed to the limit by the German duo of Karla Borger and Julia Sude.
They won in the end by a score of 21-9, 22-24, 16-14.
A bronze medal match in Vienna went to Borger and Sude, who prevailed against Anastasija Kravcenoka and Tina Graudina 15-8 in the deciding set.
Another opportunity was squandered as the Latvian pair lost to Heidrich and Verge-Depre in the bronze medal match at the Olympics.
Top 4 Swiss Olympic Women’s Beach Volleyball Team
1: Nina Betschart
Swiss professional beach volleyball player Nina Betschart was born on October 14, 1995. She took home the top prize at the inaugural European Games. Betschart has had a lot of success as a defence specialist at the youth level, winning two U21 World Championships and four European Underage Championship gold medals (two at the U20 level and two at the U22 level).
2: Isabelle Forrer
This is Isabelle Forrer, a Swiss beach volleyball player who was born on March 28th, 1982. She and her doubles partner Anouk Vergé-Dépré competed for their country in the 2016 Summer Olympics. It was the German duo of Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst who sent Forrer and Vergé-Dépré home in the round of 16. (the eventual gold medal winners).
Ultimately, Forrer and Vergé-Dépré placed ninth. They took third place at the 2016 World Tour Finals, held in Toronto. They beat the Brazilian pair Larissa Franca and Talita Antunes in the bronze medal final, winning in straight sets (21-19, 21-18).
3: Joana Heidrich
Swiss beach volleyball player Joana Heidrich was born in 1991. The pair competed together in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
4: Anouk Vergé-Dépré
Switzerland’s own Anouk Vergé-Dépré has been playing beach volleyball professionally since her 11 February 1992 birth. This year, she competed for her country in the Olympic Games. Their current companion is Joana Heidrich.
