Stam/Ludwig and Huerta/Dressler crowned Queens & Kings of the Court ‘The Ultimate Mashup’

Today, the best beach volleyball teams battled in the BetCity Arena for the title of Queens & Kings of the Court Utrecht 2024. In this special edition, ‘The Ultimate Mashup,’ players were only allowed to partner with someone of a different nationality. This led to surprising team combinations and a unique lineup. Over 2,000 spectators witnessed the Dutch-German duo Stam/Ludwig and the Spanish-Austrian duo Huerta/Dressler win the thrilling finals.

Women’s final with a strong Dutch presence
The final lineup was completed in the morning with the last three teams: Placette/Lahti-Liukkonen, Van Driel/Olimstad, and Štochlová/Ahtiainen. They joined the previously qualified duos Stam/Ludwig and Schoon/Álvarez. 

In the first round, the Dutch-Norwegian duo Van Driel/Olimstad narrowly missed advancing, finishing just one point behind Stam/Ludwig. The second round was equally tense, but Štochlová/Ahtiainen were eventually eliminated by the remaining teams.

In the third and final round, Schoon/Álvarez quickly gained a significant lead. However, Stam/Ludwig mounted an impressive comeback midway through. With less than a minute remaining, they overtook Schoon/Álvarez to be crowned Queens of the Court Utrecht 2024!

It was an outstanding achievement for Stam on home soil and a fitting victory for the legendary Ludwig, who will soon end her career. Silver went to Schoon/Álvarez, while Placette/Lahti-Liukkonen claimed the bronze.

Final day ends with a sensational finish
The day started with the men’s playoffs, where the fifth team to advance to the semifinals was determined. Matthew Immers had to be replaced by Alejandro Huerta, who teamed up with Christoph Dressler. The newly formed duo won the playoffs and surprisingly secured a spot in the evening’s grand final. Boermans/Samoilovs and Brouwer/Tocs also qualified for the final, joining Mol/Carambula and Plavins/Bialokoz, who had secured their place the night before.

The final began with a strong start from Mol/Carambula, but the Dutch-Latvian team Brouwer/Tocs were the first to be eliminated. In the second round, Boermans/Samoilovs were knocked out, marking the end of Dutch involvement in the competition.

Huerta/Dressler then found their rhythm and quickly took the lead. Mol/Carambula could only watch as their competitors widened the gap. Although Plavins/Bialokoz came close in the final minutes, securing the silver, they couldn’t catch up to the Spanish-Austrian duo. With an impressive comeback, Huerta/Dressler earned the well-deserved title of Kings of the Court Utrecht 2024!

With Queen & King of the Court Utrecht ‘The Ultimate Mashup’ now complete, we eagerly look forward to the next event. In less than three weeks, the world’s best beach volleyball players will gather again, this time in Miami Beach, for a three-day tournament: Queen & King of the Court: USA vs. The Rest of The World.