Pairs representing Switzerland and Germany secured the gold medals in the women`s and men`s beach volleyball competitions, respectively, at the recent Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games held in Duisburg. The women`s title was claimed by the Swiss duo of Menia Bentele and Annique Niederhauser. They were joined on the podium by Floor Hogenhout and Nigella Negenman of the Netherlands, who took silver, and Alexis Durish and Audrey Koenig of the United States, who earned bronze.
In the men`s tournament, local favorites Philipp Huster and Maximilian Just delighted the German crowd by winning the gold. The Dutch pair Quinten Groenewold and Tom Sonneville finished with silver, while Elouan Chouikh-Barbez and Joadel Gardoque of France took home the bronze.
Women`s Tournament Highlights
The third-seeded Swiss pair, Menia Bentele and Annique Niederhauser, showcased an impeccable performance, achieving seven consecutive victories to remain undefeated throughout the women`s competition and clinch the gold medal. In a thrilling semifinal match, they staged a comeback to defeat second-seeded Malgorzata Ciezkowska and Urszula Lunio of Poland with a score of 2-1 (16-21, 21-18, 15-11).
Their dominance continued into the final showdown, where they once again secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory (21-18, 19-21, 15-5) against the 12th-seeded Dutch team of Hogenhout and Negenman. The Dutch pair also had an impressive run, reaching the gold medal match unbeaten in their six preceding games. Their journey to the final included a 2-1 semifinal win (21-15, 14-21, 16-14) over the fourth-seeded American duo, Durish and Koenig. The American team, however, rebounded strongly in the bronze medal match, sweeping Ciezkowska and Lunio 2-0 (21-16, 21-10).
Men`s Tournament Highlights
The German men`s pair, Huster and Just, who led their bracket, also navigated the tournament with a perfect record of seven straight wins. In the semifinals, they faced a tough challenge from the 14th-seeded Italians Riccardo Iervolino and Filippo Mancini, dropping only one of two sets lost throughout their entire campaign to secure a 2-1 comeback victory (19-21, 21-18, 15-12). In the gold medal match, Huster and Just delivered a commanding performance, shutting out Groenewold and Sonneville with a decisive 2-0 win (21-13, 21-12).
The seventh-seeded Dutchmen, Groenewold and Sonneville, earned their spot in the final by achieving a 2-0 sweep (21-17, 21-18) in their semifinal against the third-seeded French pair, Chouikh and Gardoque. The French duo then recovered to claim the bronze medal, defeating Iervolino and Mancini 2-0 (22-20, 21-18).
Tournament Overview
The beach volleyball events at the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games in Duisburg saw the participation of 24 women`s and 24 men`s teams, representing a total of 30 different countries, highlighting the global reach and competitive spirit of university sports.
