In a stunning turn of events at the 2025 Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour, American duo Miles Evans and Chase Budinger pulled off a major upset by defeating the world’s top-ranked team, Anders Mol and Christian Sorum, during pool play at the Elite16 event in Rio de Janeiro.
Entering the tournament as the number 13 seed, Evans and Budinger showed resilience and skill as they:
- Began with a straight-set win over Germany’s Paul Henning and Lui Wust
- Followed up by defeating Mol and Sorum 2-0 (21-16, 24-22), securing a spot directly in the Round of 12
This shocking result disrupted expectations and forced Mol and Sorum, long dominant in the sport, into the Round of 18. They now face a more grueling path if they hope to reach the podium.
Other Highlights from the Men's Bracket
- Austrian qualifiers Timo Hammarberg and Tim Berger topped their group for the second consecutive event after a close three-set victory over Brazil’s George Wanderley and Saymon Barbosa
- The French tandem of Teo Rotar and Arnaud Gauthier-Rat upset 2020 Olympic bronze medalists Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan in Pool C
- U.S. Olympians Miles Partain and Andrew Benesh edged out the Chilean team of Droguett and Quintero in a thrilling 33-31, 26-24 match
With the Elite16 entering the knockout phase, every point becomes crucial as teams battle for valuable ranking points and aim to build momentum for the remainder of the 2025 season.
To read the full article, visit the official Beach Pro Tour website here.
