ADELAIDE, Australia — Oh, hello, madness. It’s lovely to see you.
Madness has indisputably descended upon Adelaide for the 2025 Beach Volleyball World Championships, both weather-wise — 20-plus mile per hour winds, sideways rain that somehow drenched center court, temperatures dipping below 50 degrees Fahrenheit — and on the court. While the day’s first upset bids were ultimately snuffed — Marco Krattiger and Leo Dillier were outlasted by Anders Mol and Christian Sorum, defending World Champs Ondrej Perusic and David Schweiner held on against Andy Benesh and Miles Partain, Giada Bianchi and Claudia Scampoli avoided a second upset by surviving against Susana Torres and Atenas Gutierrez, Timo Hammarberg and Tim Berger fended off another wildly athletic Cuban duo in Damian Gomez and Eblis Veranez, Argentina’s Capogrosso Brothers squeaked out a three-setter over Sam Schachter and Jonathan Pickett, and even Benin (Benin!) got in on the action by pushing Portugal’s Joao Pedrosa and Hugo Campos to three before ultimately bowing out.
Had a few of those gone the other way, Sunday in Adelaide would have been positively batty.
Alas, it took until the afternoon session for the upsets to reach maturity. Stefie Fejes and Jasmine Fleming delighted the home crowd in their victory over Lithuania’s Monika Paulikiene and Aine Raupelyte, a must-win match that moved them out of pool and into the elimination rounds. Daniela Alvarez and Tania Moreno, after a less-than-dominant start to the week, dominated Kelly Cheng and Molly Shaw to top pool. Shaunna Polley and Liv MacDonald, though not technically a home team, made this side of the world proud with their stunner over Italy’s Valentina Gottardi and Reka Orsi Toth. Germany’s sensational youngsters, Melanie Paul and Lea Kunst, again proved sensational in a win over China’s Xinyi Xia and Xu Yan to top their pool.
And the best, of course, was reserved for last, as George and Saymon delivered Sweden’s David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig a second straight loss, likely sending the Swedes to the lucky loser rounds of the playoffs.
So, there’s that.
And more to come on Monday as we get into the final rounds of pool play.
Linda Bock and Louisa Lippmann side out against Argentina/Volleyball World photo
Women’s Match of the Day
Svenja Muller and Cinja Tillmann vs. Linda Bock and Louisa Lippmann
Not only is this a Civil War between Germany’s top two teams — it’s a battle for the top spot in pool. Not that it matters a ton. The winner and loser of this match will both begin the elimination rounds in the round of 32 — another of a million reasons pool play is mostly a silly waste of time — but still: There’s always something fun about watching countrywomen play one another. Pride and all that. And, even better, it’s the first matchup between the two.
3 pm local
11:30 pm EST (Sunday)
8:30 pm Pacific (Sunday)
James Shaw and Chaim Schalk vs. Chase Budinger and Miles Evans
Civil War 2.0. James Shaw and Chaim Schalk rebounded nicely from their upset to Jack Pearse and D’Artagnan Potts with a sweep over Ruben Penninga and Matthew Immers. Meanwhile, Chase Budinger and Miles Evans have had no trouble in their two sweep victories. A win will assure Schalk and Shaw will break pool, while a loss and a Penninga and Immers win will put them in a three-way tie that will be broken via set and point differential. Critical match for Schalk and Shaw.
4 pm local
12:30 am EST
9:30 pm Pacific (Sunday)
Chase Budinger and Miles Evans celebrate a win at the World Champs/Volleyball World photo
More Key Matchups from the Beach Volleyball World Championships
Yves Haussener and Julian Friedli vs. Damian Gomez and Eblis Veranes
11 am local
7:30 pm EST (Sunday)
4:30 pm Pacific (Sunday)
Ondrej Perusic and David Schweiner vs. Martins Plavins and Kristians Fokerots
12 pm local
8:30 pm EST (Sunday)
5:30 pm Pacific (Sunday)
Ruben Penninga and Matthew Immers vs. D’Artagnan Potts and Jack Pearse
12 pm local
8:30 pm EST (Sunday)
5:30 pm Pacific (Sunday)
Terese Cannon and Megan Kraft vs. Sandra Ittlinger and Anna Grune
2 pm local
10:30 pm EST (Sunday)
7:30 pm Pacific (Sunday)
Michal Bryl and Bartosz Losiak vs. Lukas Pfretzschner and Sven Winter
5 pm local
1:30 am EST
10:30 pm Pacific (Sunday)
Javier Bello and Joaquin Bello vs. Oliver Merritt and Ben Hood
6 pm local
2:30 am EST
11:30 pm Pacific (Sunday)
Tomas Capogrosso and Nico Capogrosso vs. Nils Ehlers and Clemens Wickler
6 pm local
2:30 am EST
11:30 pm Pacific (Sunday)
Valentina Gottardi and Reka Orsi Toth vs. Julia Donlin and Lexy Denaburg
7:30 pm local
4 am EST
1 am Pacific
Jacob Holting-Nilsson and Elmer Andersson vs. Arnaud Gauthier-Rat and Teo Rotar
8:30 pm local
5 am EST
2 am Pacific
Anouk Verge-Depre and Zoe Verge-Depre vs. Ronja Klinger and Dorina Klinger
9:30 pm local
6 am EST
3 am Pacific
