14 Latvian Students to Represent Latvia at European University Sports Games
From July 15 to August 2, the European University Sports Games are being held in Italy, with 14 Latvian students from the University of Latvia and Riga Stradiņš University representing Latvia in 3x3 basketball and beach volleyball.
The European University Sports Games (EUSA Games) are taking place from July 15 to August 2 in the province of Salerno, Italy. This year, 14 Latvian students are representing the country: eight from the University of Latvia (LU) and six from Riga Stradiņš University (RSU). The EUSA Games are the largest student sports event in Europe, held every two years.
LU is fielding one men's 3x3 basketball team and two beach volleyball duos (women's and men's). The basketball roster includes Dāvis Skreivers, Edvards Lucis, Mārtiņš Evarts Zviedris, and Mārtiņš Piternieks. Skreivers and Zviedris are members of Latvia's U23 3x3 national team, winners of the FIBA 3x3 U23 Nations League. Lucis and Piternieks represent LU's basketball team.
In beach volleyball, the women's duo consists of Anija Ozoliņa and Vanesa Grosberga. Ozoliņa is the 2025 Latvian champion, while Grosberga won silver in the same championship. The men's duo is Ernests Puškundzis and Olivers Bulgačs. Bulgačs is the European U22 vice-champion and Latvian vice-champion; Puškundzis won a World Beach Volleyball Tour event in China this season.
RSU fields a women's 3x3 basketball team (Paula Cīrša, Una Šteinharde, Luīze Šepte, Samanta Gabranova) and a men's beach volleyball duo (Atvars Ozoliņš and Gustavs Auziņš). Auziņš recently became the CEV Beach Volleyball Nations Cup champion with other Latvian players.
The first matches are scheduled for July 28. LU men's duo Puškundzis/Bulgačs (Group B) will face Budapest University of Technology and Economics and the University of Slavonski Brod. RSU duo Ozoliņš/Auziņš (Group G) plays against the University of Toulouse and Vilnius Gediminas Technical University. LU women's duo Ozoliņa/Grosberga (Group F) competes against the University of Zagreb and Aix-Marseille University.
Group winners automatically advance to the round of 16, while second and third-place teams will play qualification matches on July 29. The knockout stage continues until the finals on August 1.
