Graudiņa and Samoilova win second straight match at European Championship

Latvian beach volleyball pair Tīna Graudiņa and Anastasija Samoilova won their second group-stage match at the European Championship, beating Ukraine's Anhelina Hmiļa and Valentina Davidova 21:18, 21:17.

In the first set, the Latvians initially trailed 10:11 before Samoilova's strong defensive play helped the team take the lead. A series of successful points, including an ace from Samoilova, allowed the pair to build a cushion and close out the opening set.

In the second set, the Latvian duo fell behind early 1:4 but gradually closed the gap thanks to blocks from Graudiņa and active defensive work from both players. Once they took the lead, they held on, finishing the set and the match with a block from Graudiņa.

Group standings

Graudiņa/Samoilova, the tournament's top seed and reigning world champions, are competing in Group A alongside pairs from Ukraine, Spain and Estonia. With two wins from two matches, the Latvian pair secured first place in the group, guaranteeing direct entry into the second knockout round, or round of 16.

Under the tournament format, the top three teams from each group advance toward the medal rounds, with a spot in the next stage already secured by winning either the first or second group match.

A second Latvian pair, Mārtiņš Pļaviņš and Uldis Fokerots, is also competing at the European Championship, having won their opening Group D match against the Točs/Auziņš duo.