Young Stars at 2025 UKBT National Junior Championships in Croyde

The 2025 UKBT National Junior Championships lit up Croyde Beach in North Devon over the weekend, as 47 teams from across the country battled it out for national titles across three age groups, U14, U16, and U18.

Despite some challenging conditions, the competition was fierce and the atmosphere electric, with spectators cheering on the action and soaking up the vibrant beach volleyball vibes.

The U14 and U18 categories kicked things off on Saturday, with standout performances across the board. In the U14s, Reika Hashimoto and Sno Dixon claimed gold in the girls’ division, while Patrick Towfighi and Patrick Olivier triumphed in the boys’ competition.

The U18s delivered a thrilling finale to Day 1. Jennifer Rates and Charlotte Anderton topped the girls’ podium, followed by Tilly Hutton & Robyn Clifford in second and Sophia Chedgy & Shannon Baxter in third. On the boys’ side, Tomo Iwata-Furlonger and Luca Robinson took the title, with Josh Cosgrove & Reece Jarmon and Dylan Parsons & Emmanuel Oretoye rounding out the podium.

Sunday saw the U16 categories take centre stage. Erica Soledad and Mikeighla Cabrejas took gold in the women’s event, just edging past silver medallists Hutton & Clifford, while Julia Simonetta & Erika Hashimoto claimed bronze. The men’s division was won by Luca Robinson (doubling up on medals for the weekend) and Sam Evans, ahead of Callum Shamerza & Tali Rees and third-placed Tio Constantinou & Lucas Rijvers.

Hosted for the first time by Fireball Beach Volleyball, the event was a celebration of talent, teamwork, and the rising standard of junior beach volleyball in the UK.

“We were really proud to host the UKBT National Junior Championships for the first time in Croyde Bay,” said organiser and head of Fireball Sam Dunbavin. “The level of play across both days was extremely high. A big congratulations to everyone who competed, and a massive thank you to the parents who made it all possible.”

Gold medallists earned discount vouchers for Fireball’s 2026 summer camps, while the Spirit of the Day award went to Julia Simonetta for her fantastic attitude and embodiment of the competition’s core values earning her a Dryrobe.

With sun, surf, and spectacular volleyball, the 2025 Junior Championships showcased the future stars of the sport, and with events like this growing each year, the future is looking bright for British beach volleyball.