Mila Konink and Raisa Schoon of the Netherlands have achieved a milestone in their professional beach volleyball careers by reaching the semifinals of the Beach Pro Tour Baden Challenge. This marks their first final four appearance as a team, and it comes during an impromptu partnership formed due to an injury sidelining regular teammate Katja Stam.
Competing in Baden, Austria, Konink and Schoon had an impressive Friday performance. They first overcame Spanish Olympians Daniela Álvarez and Tania Moreno in a tight three-set contest during the Round of 16. They followed that up with a confident straight-set win over Australia’s Olympic medalist Taliqua Clancy and partner Jana Milutinovic in the quarterfinals.
In the semifinals, they will face Finland’s Niina Ahtiainen and Taru Lahti, who themselves advanced after two back-to-back three-set victories. The Finnish duo earned their spot by defeating Ukraine’s Inna and Iryna Makhno and then winning another three-setter against Australians Jasmine Fleming and Stefanie Fejes.
Saturday’s Semifinal Matchups
- 13:00 (local time) – Mila Konink / Raisa Schoon vs Niina Ahtiainen / Taru Lahti
- Earlier in the day – Linda Bock / Louisa Lippmann (Germany) vs Valentyna Davidova / Anhelina Khmil (Ukraine)
The German pair, Bock and Lippmann, are rapidly progressing through their transition from indoor volleyball and advanced to the semifinals with straight-set wins over Spain and Lithuania. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian team of Davidova and Khmil had a breakthrough performance by defeating duos from Australia and the United States in commanding fashion.
Looking Ahead
The gold medal match is scheduled for 18:00 local time on Saturday. With all four teams showing strong form, fans can expect a thrilling conclusion to this mid-season highlight on the Beach Pro Tour.
For the full story and latest updates, visit the official Beach Pro Tour site on Volleyball World.
