Two years after winning gold in Baden, the Austrian Klinger sisters Dorina and Ronja are on pace to make another podium appearance in their Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour home tournament, having secured a spot in the Challenge event’s Round of 16 on Thursday.

Undefeated in their two pool play matches at the Thermalstrandbad Baden, the Austrians are among the eight women’s teams that won their pools in Baden and will start the elimination rounds directly in the Round of 16 on Friday.

• Watch Beach Pro Tour Baden Challenge live on VBTV

One day after sweeping Finland’s Anniina Parkkinen and Valma Vilhelmiina Prihti in their debut, the Klingers returned to the court on Thursday and handled Americans Kimberly Hildreth and Teegan Van Gunst also in two sets (21-19, 27-25) to progress as the top team in Pool A, earning a direct spot in the Round of 16.

"We're incredibly happy to be in the Round of 16," Dorina said. "It's a great honor to be able to play here for our club and to win in front of our home crowd."

The Austrians will start the elimination rounds against Australians Jasmine Fleming and Stefanie Fejes, who overcame Germans Lea Sophie Kunst and Janne Uhl in straight sets (21-19, 21-17) in the Round of 24.

French Olympians Lézana Placette and Alexia Richard finished first in Pool B after they took down Polish Natalia Okla and Julia Kielak in a two-set (21-18, 21-8) match. The Europeans will now meet Lithuanian Olympians Monika Paulikiene and Aine Raupelyte, who continued alive after a two-set (23-21, 21-15) victory over Dutch Emi van Driel and Wies Bekhuis in the Round of 24.

Coming out on top in Pool C on Thursday were Australians Taliqua Clancy and Jana Milutinovic, who got the better of compatriots Fleming and Fejes, prevailing in two sets (21-19, 21-18) in the pool final. The Aussies will continue their campaign in the Round of 16 against the Czech Pavelková twins Anna and Katerina, who swept (21-9, 21-16) Okla and Kielak.

Americans Deahna Kraft and Molly Phillips survived a three-set (21-17, 18-21, 15-13) battle against Germans Sandra Ittlinger and Anna-Lena Grüne and earned the direct ticket to the Round of 16 out of Pool D. Their next opponents in Baden will be reigning European champions Maryna Hladun and Tetiana Lazarenko of Ukraine, who moved forward with a three-set (21-18, 13-21, 15-12) win over Americans Savvy Simo and Abby Van Winkle.

Ukrainians Valentyna Davidova and Anhelina Khmil stood out as the top team in Pool E with a pair of sweeps, the last of them against van Driel and Bekhuis (21-13, 21-14). In the Round of 16, they will cross the path of Australians Elizabeth Alchin and Georgia Johnson, who got there with a three-set (22-24, 21-16, 15-12) victory over Americans Madelyne Anderson and Brook Bauer.

Finland’s Niina Ahtiainen and Taru Lahti also defeated a Dutch team to dominate Pool F, taking down Mila Konink and Raisa Schoon in straight sets (21-16, 21-19). They are now set to face the Ukrainian Makhno twins Inna and Iryna, who moved forward with a sweep (21-15, 23-21) of Ittlinger and Grüne.

Germans Linda Bock and Louisa Lippmann were the only undefeated team in Pool G after they handled Americans Simo and Van Winkle in two sets (21-14, 21-13). The former volleyball players will try to continue progressing in Baden against Spanish Ana Vergara and Sofía González, who started the elimination round with a three-set (18-21, 21-15, 15-8) win over Americans Kimberly Hildreth and Teegan Van Gunst.

Spanish Olympians Daniela Álvarez and Tania Moreno claimed the last direct spot in the Round of 16 after they swept (23-21, 21-14) Anderson and Bauer to triumph in Pool H. The two will play their first elimination match in Austria against Konink and Schoon, who recovered from their pool play defeat with a three-set (21-14, 15-21, 15-11) victory over Americans Jaden Whitmarsh and Devon Newberry.

Beach Pro Tour Baden Challenge – Match Schedule and Results

On Friday, both the Round of 16 and the quarterfinals will be held in Baden. The semifinals and medal matches are set to take place on Saturday.

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