Lithuanian Beach Volleyball Pair Reaches European Championship Quarterfinals

Lithuanian beach volleyball duo Monika Paulikienė and Ainė Raupelytė have secured a spot in the European Championship quarterfinals after a challenging victory over the Swiss pair Joana Mader and Leonie Kernen. The match, which lasted over an hour, concluded with a 2:1 score (21:18, 19:21, 15:12) in favor of the Lithuanians.

Paulikienė and Raupelytė started the match strongly, maintaining a lead throughout the first set. However, the Swiss team, featuring 2020 European champion and 2021 Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Joana Mader, fought back to win the second set. The deciding third set was intensely contested, with crucial points awarded after video reviews, ultimately seeing the Lithuanian pair pull ahead for the win.

Their next opponents in the quarterfinals will be the Spanish pair Sofia Izuzquiza and Tania Moreno. The Spanish duo advanced by defeating another Lithuanian team, Ieva Dumbauskaitė and Gerda Grudzinskaitė, in their round of 16 match.

The European Championship boasts a total prize fund of 200,000 euros, with the champions earning the first qualification spots for the Los Angeles Olympic Games.