Today, the best beach volleyball teams battled in the BetCity Arena for the title of Queens & Kings of the Court Utrecht 2024. In this special edition, ‘The Ultimate Mashup,’ players were only allowed to partner with someone of a different nationality.
This led to surprising team combinations and a unique lineup. Over 2,000 spectators witnessed the Dutch-German duo Stam/Ludwig and the Spanish-Austrian duo Huerta/Dressler win the thrilling finals.
Women’s final with a strong Dutch presence
The final lineup was completed in the morning with the last three teams: Placette/Lahti-Liukkonen,
Van Driel/Olimstad, and Štochlová/Ahtiainen. They joined the previously qualified duos Stam/Ludwig
and Schoon/Álvarez.
In the first round, the Dutch-Norwegian duo Van Driel/Olimstad narrowly missed advancing, finishing
just one point behind Stam/Ludwig. The second round was equally tense, but Štochlová/Ahtiainen
were eventually eliminated by the remaining teams.
In the third and final round, Schoon/Álvarez quickly gained a significant lead. However, Stam/Ludwig
mounted an impressive comeback midway through. With less than a minute remaining, they
overtook Schoon/Álvarez to be crowned Queens of the Court Utrecht 2024!
It was an outstanding achievement for Stam on home soil and a fitting victory for the legendary
Ludwig, who will soon end her career. Silver went to Schoon/Álvarez, while Placette/Lahti-Liukkonen
claimed the bronze.
Final day ends with a sensational finish
The day started with the men’s playoffs, where the fifth team to advance to the semifinals was
determined. Matthew Immers had to be replaced by Alejandro Huerta, who teamed up with
Christoph Dressler.
The newly formed duo won the playoffs and surprisingly secured a spot in the
evening’s grand final. Boermans/Samoilovs and Brouwer/Tocs also qualified for the final, joining
Mol/Carambula and Plavins/Bialokoz, who had secured their place the night before.
The final began with a strong start from Mol/Carambula, but the Dutch-Latvian team Brouwer/Tocs
were the first to be eliminated. In the second round, Boermans/Samoilovs were knocked out,
marking the end of Dutch involvement in the competition.
Huerta/Dressler then found their rhythm and quickly took the lead. Mol/Carambula could only watch
as their competitors widened the gap. Although Plavins/Bialokoz came close in the final minutes,
securing the silver, they couldn’t catch up to the Spanish-Austrian duo.
With an impressive comeback, Huerta/Dressler earned the well-deserved title of Kings of the Court Utrecht 2024!
With Queen & King of the Court Utrecht ‘The Ultimate Mashup’ now complete, we eagerly look
forward to the next event. In less than three weeks, the world’s best beach volleyball players will
gather again, this time in Miami Beach, for a three-day tournament: Queen & King of the Court: USA
vs. The Rest of The World.
For more information on Queen & King of the Court, visit our website
