The 2026 Beach Pro Tour season began with thrilling action at the Mount Maunganui Futures tournament, where Australia and Romania celebrated their first-ever gold medal victories in an international Beach Pro Tour event.
Australian Duo Triumph in Men's Final
Solomon Bushby and Justin Schumann from Australia delivered a dominant performance in the men’s category. The pair only dropped two sets across five matches and showed strong resilience in the semifinals and finals. They overcame Japan’s Nassim Malki and Yu Takuma in three sets during the semis, and clinched the gold by narrowly defeating Americans Gage Basey and Thomas Hurst with scores of 21-16, 26-28, 15-11.
This title marked not only their first international podium but also showcased their potential for success in the 2026 season.
Romania's Unbeaten Run in Women’s Bracket
On the women's side, Romanian athletes Beata Vaida and Francesca Alupei wrapped up the event unbeaten. The Romanian pair staged a comeback in the final, beating local favorites Shaunna Polley and Olivia MacDonald of New Zealand in a three-set thriller: 16-21, 21-19, 15-13. This was a significant win for Vaida, reconnecting her with glory last seen in 2018.
Bronze Medal Performances
- Men’s Bronze: USA’s Diego Perez and David Wieczorek took third place, defeating Japan’s Malki and Takuma.
- Women’s Bronze: Japan’s Sakura Ito and Mayu Sawame secured third with a win over Americans Kelly Belardi and Charlotta Bell.
Participation Highlights and Next Tour Stop
A total of 52 teams representing 11 countries competed—28 men’s and 24 women’s—setting an exciting tone for the rest of the 2026 calendar, which will feature 29 Futures tournaments.
- Opening event: Mount Maunganui, New Zealand
- Next stop: Sanya, China (March 5–8, 2026)
For more information and full results, visit the official Beach Pro Tour coverage on Volleyball World.
