Katja Stam and Raisa Schoon of the Netherlands made a remarkable comeback at the 2025 Beach Pro Tour Veracruz Challenge, taking home the gold medal after seven consecutive wins—six of them in straight sets. This return to top form follows Stam's recent injury recovery and demonstrates the duo's continued dominance on the sand. In the final, they secured a 2-0 (21-16, 21-14) victory against top-ranked Americans Corinne Quiggle and Chloe Loreen.
The win not only marks their fourth Beach Pro Tour title, but also their 10th overall podium finish. Impressively, Stam and Schoon started in the qualification rounds, showing endurance and skill all the way to the top.
Men’s Competition Results
Brazilians George Wanderley and Saymon Barbosa also took gold on the men's side, dominating the tournament without dropping a single set. They finished with a solid 2-0 (21-16, 21-17) win over U.S. pair Miles Evans and Chase Budinger. This is their first Beach Pro Tour gold as a team, following a bronze earlier in the season.
Bronze Medal Highlights
Two up-and-coming duos captured bronze medals, further emphasizing the sport’s development worldwide:
- Women’s Bronze: Allanis Navas and Maria Gonzalez of Puerto Rico defeated New Zealand’s Shaunna Polley and Olivia MacDonald 2-0 (21-15, 21-17). Already winners of six gold medals in the 2025 NORCECA tour, the 28th-seeded duo proved their mettle on the world stage.
- Men’s Bronze: Switzerland’s Yves Haussener and Julian Friedli took third by overcoming Italy’s Samuele Cottafava and Gianluca Dal Corso in straight sets (23-21, 21-17). They were only beaten by the tournament champions.
International Impact and Development
The Veracruz Challenge featured 39 women's and 38 men's teams from 28 different federations, underlining the Beach Pro Tour's global appeal. Notably, several successful teams have been supported through the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment initiative. This program provides strategic investments such as coaching and equipment support, leading to real-world results for emerging athletes.
The Beach Pro Tour continues next in Nuvali, Philippines, from October 15–19, where the world will watch to see if these rising stars can maintain their momentum.
For more details on the event and athlete performance, visit the official FIVB article.
