New European champs Hölting Nilsson and Andersson try to keep momentum at Montréal Elite

Fresh from their victory at the European Championship, which earned their country a spot at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, Swedish stars Jacob Hölting Nilsson and Elmer Andersson return to action on the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour this week, trying to keep their momentum.

Sitting at the top of the FIVB World Rankings, the Europeans are one of the main attractions of this week's Elite event held in Montréal, Canada, which is the eighth and last in this category in the 2026 calendar.

• Watch the Beach Pro Tour Montréal Elite live on VBTV

Hölting Nilsson, 21, and Andersson, 20, arrive in Montréal in great form, having earned their first continental title with an impeccable campaign in Stare Jabłonki, Poland, last week, which saw them defeat the last two Olympic champions - compatriots David Åhman and Jonatan Hellvig and Norwegians Anders Mol and Christian Sørum - on their way to the top of the podium.

The fantastic result, they hope, will lead them to ending a somewhat unusual medal drought on the Beach Pro Tour this week in Montréal. After winning gold at the Brasília Elite in April, the Swedish have missed the podium in three consecutive events, ranking ninth in Ostrava and fifth in Gstaad and Hamburg.

Hölting Nilsson and Andersson, however, have a positive record in Montréal, as they made it to the podium the only time they played in the city so far, taking silver last year.

Montréal Elite - Men's Entry List

Mol looks for a three-peat in his farewell

This week's event in Canada will also mark the last opportunity to see legendary Norwegian blocker Anders Mol on the sand for the next few months, as the 29-year-old recently announced he'll play indoor volleyball for Rana Verona in the Italian League in the upcoming 2026-2027 club season before returning to the Beach Pro Tour to try to qualify for the LA 2028 Games alongside longtime partner Sørum.

The two, who finished second at the European Championship on Sunday, will be looking to send Mol off with another remarkable result, as they go for a third straight Beach Pro Tour victory in Montréal after triumphing in the city in 2023 and 2025.

Other standouts in the Montréal Elite entry list are Martins Plavins/Kristians Fokerots and Brazil's Evandro Gonçalves/Arthur Lanci, who are second and third in the FIVB World Ranking, respectively, and the new American team of Trevor Crabb and Chase Budinger. Canadian veteran Sam Schachter, who represented the country in two Olympics, will also play in the main draw, having Jonathan Pickett as his partner.

The tournament begins for the men on Wednesday, when 16 teams will compete for four spots in the main draw at the qualifier. The main draw begins on Thursday, with the 16 duos split into four pools of four, and ends on Friday.

Montréal Elite - Match Schedule

The four pool winners advance directly to the quarterfinals, while teams ranked second and third play in the Round of 12 - both rounds will take place on Saturday. The semifinals and medal matches end the event on Sunday.

Quick links:
Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour
VBTV
Beach Volleyball World Facebook
Beach Volleyball World X
Beach Volleyball World Instagram
Beach Volleyball World YouTube
Subscribe to Volleyball World's Newsletter