At the end of June 2026, enthusiastic beach sports enthusiasts gathered once again for the annual Wolfenbüttel BeachDays. Over these nine days, participants spiked and dug on the beach at the KOMM Beachclub Wolfenbüttel on Landeshuter Platz, whilst also playing football, tennis and – for the first time – darts. Ever since this series of events began, Ostfalia and MTV Wolfenbüttel have been partners of the BeachDays, which are organised by the town of Wolfenbüttel.
What began as the involvement of Ostfalia students and staff in the recreational beach volleyball cup quickly evolved into an exclusive Ostfalia tournament. This year, once again, 12 teams – divided into four groups of three – took to the court to showcase their skills.
The twelve teams were made up of students and staff from Ostfalia, the Technical University of Braunschweig and other universities. Friends were also very welcome to join in or watch.
It’s always great to see how sport brings people together. People get to know one another and let off steam together. On the court, it wasn’t mechanical engineering students, administrative staff and professors who came together, but sports enthusiasts. The atmosphere was cheerful, in keeping with the summer setting. Across the stands, spectators and players alike cheered on all the teams and shared in the excitement.
The first ball went over the net shortly after the welcome at 4 pm. On the grandstand pitch, Group A kicked off with the match ‘Baggertido de Coco’ versus ‘Team 1’. On the pitch at the KOMM Beachclub, the Group B clash between ‘OstFAILia’ and ‘BIG – Beachen ist Geil’ was on the programme.
No one was eliminated in the group stage, so after 12 thrilling group matches, the second- and third-placed teams from each group progressed to the round of 16. To mark the start of the knockout stage, the pasta buffet at the KOMM Beachclub also opened, allowing the teams to refuel for the decisive phase of the tournament.
After four very thrilling round-of-16 matches, it was time for the quarter-finals. The winning teams from the round of 16 now had to take on the group winners. However, the group winners did not go into the matches as clear favourites. Team ‘Allerbeste Freunde’ and Team ‘Matrikelnummer unbekannt’ managed to defeat the group winners ‘Hotti-Karotti’ and ‘Sandmännchen GmbH’, thereby deservedly progressing to the semi-finals. As the tournament draw would have it, they were now set to face each other in the semi-finals. The other semi-final match was contested by “Baggertido de Coco” and “Nasse Katze”. Before the kick-off of these two matches, however, the matches for 9th place were still to be played. “Team 1” and “Beachball Bitches” both lost their matches against “Future” and “BIG – Beachen ist Geil” respectively. Consequently, the two losing teams finished in 11th place, whilst the two winners shared 9th place.
Now the time had finally come for the two semi-final matches. Unsurprisingly, both matches featured powerful smashes and back-and-forth rallies, leaving the spectators in constant awe. In the end, however, “Baggertido de Coco” and “Allerbeste Freunde” kept their nerve and deservedly progressed to the final. “Matrikelnummer unbekannt” and “Nasse Katze” were given the chance to face each other once more in the third-place play-off following their strong tournament performances. ‘Matrikelnummer unbekannt’ secured victory there, taking the bronze medal on the podium.
Before the grand final, however, the two matches for fifth place were played. In those matches, “OstBlockfalia” and “Hotti-Karotti” prevailed against the employees’ team “OstFAILia” and “Sandmännchen GmbH”. This meant that all the placings, apart from gold and silver, had been decided.
The grand final pitted “Baggertido de Coco” against “Allerbeste Freunde”. As before, the match was played as a single set to 21 points. From the very first points, it was immediately clear that these were no amateurs on the court. Alongside perfect ball exchanges and aces, double blocks were a common sight. The spectators were treated to a real spectacle in this final match. At the end of this very fair final, the winning team was decided: “Baggertido de Coco” won gold at the Ostfalia Beach Volleyball Cup 2026, ahead of “Allerbeste Freunde” on the silver podium.
As fairness was the top priority at this tournament, all teams were asked, after finishing their final match, to vote for the team they considered to be the fairest. The third-placed team, “Matrikelnummer unbekannt”, won this vote.
As well as goodies such as water bottles, towels and medals, the teams that made the podium were particularly delighted to receive VIP membership vouchers from EASYFITNESS and food and drink vouchers from the KOMM Beach Club on Wolfenbüttel’s Stadtgraben. Each team received a certificate, and the gold-winning team also received Wolfenbüttel BeachDays medals.
Our huge thanks go to Sabine Gerlach from the town of Wolfenbüttel, who continues to organise the BeachDays. Her enthusiasm is immense, and thanks to her experience, organising the tournament is becoming easier and is constantly being optimised. We couldn’t imagine a better organiser.
Even without Tobias “Tobi” Tiedtke, the BeachDays wouldn’t be the BeachDays. Thanks to him, everyone on the court is kept fully informed about the action. His voice keeps the game moving, even when we’re all looking away. His easy-going nature, fairness and specialist knowledge of beach volleyball are unmistakable.
We’d also like to thank all the volunteers and the team at MTV Wolfenbüttel. Not only did they help set up the beach volleyball court at the KOMM Beachclub and provide everyone in the catering tent with sausages and fresh drinks, but they’re always on hand to offer advice and a helping hand.
We’re delighted to have been part of it again this year and to have organised an unforgettable beach experience in the heart of Wolfenbüttel together with the town of Wolfenbüttel and MTV Wolfenbüttel.
Our biggest thanks go to the teams: to the 12 team captains, their team members and to those who joined in on the spur of the moment – simply because it’s great fun! It was lovely to have you all there.
It was an unforgettable evening. We look forward to seeing you all again next year.