A new team on the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour in 2025, Germans Louisa Lippmann and Linda Bock continued to climb the international beach volleyball ladder this weekend, earning their first title as partners at the Baden Challenge on Saturday.

The former volleyball players topped the podium at the conclusion of the women’s tournament at the Thermalstrandbad Baden, joined by second-placed Dutch Mila Konink and Raisa Schoon and third-placed Ukrainians Valentyna Davidova and Anhelina Khmil.

• Watch Beach Pro Tour Baden Challenge replays on VBTV

Playing their second final in six Beach Pro Tour events as partners, the Germans produced a massive comeback to win set one, triumphing after being down 20-18, and were always in control after that to take the gold medal match against Konink and Schoon in straight sets (22-20, 21-9).

“The first set was really tough,” Bock said. “We were always behind, but then at one point we got them with good serves. The sun was making it very difficult to pass in certain positions, and I thought we used it well. In the second set, we just went all in, and we did it.”

The team was formed at the start of the 2025 season, after the legendary Laura Ludwig, with whom Lippmann competed at last year’s Paris Olympics, retired. Lippmann and Bock made it to the final for the first time at the State Jablonki Challenge, in June, but had to settle for silver on the occasion.

“Linda did an amazing job of putting the Dutch under pressure,” Lippmann added. “The Dutch served really well, and I'm very proud of Linda because she handled it perfectly. It's our first gold medal together, and I'm very proud of our team.”

Ukrainians take bronze

A few hours before the gold medal match, Davidova and Khmil won their first medal on a Beach Pro Tour Challenge event by taking down Finnish Niina Ahtiainen and Taru Lahti in straight sets (21-18, 21-16) in the bronze medal match to finish third.

Partners on the Beach Pro Tour since the 2024 season, the Ukrainians had won a pair of medals in Futures events before making it to the podium in Baden.

“We felt the pressure on the first set because they were playing so well,” Khmil said. “I knew we were playing for a medal, and I think that affected me a little bit. But I’m glad that eventually we were able to pull it off. I felt that we did a good job of getting ready for the bronze medal match after losing in the semifinals.”

Earlier in the semifinals, Bock and Lippmann defeated Davidova and Khmil 2-0 (21-14, 21-12) while Konink and Schoon overcame Athiainen and Lahti also in straight sets (21-15, 21-19).

Beach Pro Tour Baden Challenge – Results

The action on the Beach Pro Tour continues next week, when the Canadian city of Montreal hosts the sixth Elite event of the season. Matches will take place from Wednesday to Sunday.

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