• Pettymys Vantaa win fifth Fullmoon Snow Volley in a row
• Let It Snow Espoo and OG Komodos Kouvola complete the podium
• The Fullmoon Snow Volley competition was first held 24 years ago
The team of Pettymys Vantaa triumphed at the annual 2024 Fullmoon Snow Volley tournament in Finland, topping the podium for the fifth time in a row. Despite the challenging playing conditions, all eight teams put on a spectacular display on the courts in Kouvola.
In Saturday’s final, Pettymys, with Juho Hasselgren, Miikka Putkonen, Olli Nurmes and Ville Heikkila on the squad, produced a 2-0 (15-6, 15-7) victory over Let It Snow Espoo to claim the trophy. Pettymys reached the gold medal match after a hard-fought semi-final battle against OG Komodos Kouvola, in which they mastered a glorious comeback from a set down to win by an impressive 2-1 (17-19, 15-10, 15-4).
Five-time Fullmoon Snow Volley winner Pettymys Vantaa (Photo credits: Kayski Beach Volley – 99)
In the other semifinal, Let It Snow Espoo, featuring Aleksandr Alekseenko, Aliona Samuseva and Ilia Gamtsemlidze, delivered a 2-0 (15-5, 15-11) sweep of their encounter with Venla Lahti to secure their spot on the podium.
OG Komodos, with Tommi Manninen, Ville Niemi and Vitali Avdeev, on the court, snatched the bronze after a hard-fought 2-1 (12-15, 15-10, 16-14) comeback against Venla in the third-place match.
Hidas Mutta Kankea Kouvola, Ripattila Kouvola, Volley 2 Lahti and Volley 1 Lahti lined up in the places from fifth to eighth in the final standings.
The first two editions of the Fullmoon Snow Volley tournament were held back in 2000 and 2001. The annual event, organised by the Käyski Beach Volley – 99 club, resumed in 2017 at the Kayralampi Beach Volley stadium in Kouvola and has been held each year ever since, with the exception of 2021, when it was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.