Switzerland stage back-to-back comebacks to win Nations Cup Pool B

Reigning CEV Beach Volleyball Nations Cup champions Switzerland will have the chance of defending the title they won last year in 2023 as the country’s women’s national team succeeded in the Pool B of the Preliminary Phase of the event this weekend in Bratislava, Slovakia.

Although the Swiss didn’t send their two best-ranked teams for the event held at the Beach Draždiak Bratislava Club, they were still able to overcome competition from Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Ukraine, becoming the fifth country to advance its women’s team to the 2023 Nations Cup Finals. The Netherlands, Poland, Latvia and France were the first four to book their tickets and they will be joined by two other pool winners and the host country.

The Swiss team in Bratislava was formed by the duo of Zoé Vergé-Dépré/Esmée Böbner and the tandem formed by Menia Bentele, who was a part of the squad that took gold at the 2022 Nations Cup in Vienna, and partner Anna Lutz.

Zoé and Esmée were instrumental in the Swiss victory, playing a big role in both of the team’s comebacks on Sunday and winning golden sets in the semifinals against Lithuania and the final against Ukraine.

Against the Lithuanians, they entered the court with their country down 1-0 after Lutz and Bentele fell to the Grudzinskaite sisters Gerda and Rugile 2-0 (21-18, 21-14) and turned things around by overcoming Monika Paulikiene and Aine Raupelyte in a three-set (18-21, 21-16, 15-11) match and in a dramatic golden set (16-14).

The scenario repeated in the final, with Lutz and Bentele dropping their match to Ukrainians Valentyna Davidova and Ievgeniia Baieva in two sets (21-17, 21-12). Zoé and Esmée brought the Swiss back with a solid straight-set (21-10, 21-15) triumph over the Makhno twins Inna and Iryna and topped Davidova and Baieva in the golden set (15-12) to secure the Swiss victory.

Created in 2022, the Nations Cup brings added weight in 2023 and 2024, serving as the European pathway in the qualification system for the beach volleyball tournament of the Paris 2024 Olympics – the countries that win the 2024 Finals among the men and the women will each earn a spot in the Games.

The event has a different competition format, promoting ‘country vs. country’ battles. Each nation is represented by two teams and the duels take place in a best-of-three format, with the decider, if needed, being a 15-point golden set.

The final two Nations Cup pools will be held in Lillesand, reuniting hosts Norway, Germany, Denmark and Türkiye from June 6-8, and in Budapest, where hosts Hungary will face Italy, Austria, England and Croatia from June 10-11.