Australia claim men’s gold and women’s silver at 2026 Asian U18 Beach Volleyball Championships

Australia’s U18 teams have delivered impressive performances at the 2026 Asian U18 Beach Volleyball Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, the men winning the gold medal and women taking home the silver medal.

Aussie golden boys, Ryan Edgar and Thomas Turner were crowned Asian Champions after winning in straight sets over team Kazakhstan in the gold medal decider. 

The second men’s team of Lincoln Mowen and Hudson Symes, delivered an excellent campaign of their own,  finishing fourth after a tight match for the final step in the podium against Qatar.

Claiming the silver medal were the dynamic duo of Ava Gaborit and Jorja Grocott, who narrowly missed gold after a hard-fought three-set final against Team China.

Fellow women’s side Ella McDonell and Ellie Turner finished an impressive fifth overall, exiting in the quarter-finals against the Chinese pair who went on to claim the gold medal.

“In the first-ever AVC U18 Beach event, our teams delivered a great result and achieved our goal, securing our places at the U18 World Championships.” said Paul Smith, Deputy National Performance Director. 

The medal and top five finishes bode well for the Aussies as they build toward the FIVB U18 Beach Volleyball World Championships that will be held in The Hague from 8–12 July 2026. 

This success of the tour could not be made possible without the tireless efforts of the touring coaching staff. Volleyball Australia wishes to acknowledge women’s team coach, Brianna Mears and men’s team coach Joey Yigit. Their support in athlete preparation and performance throughout the event has been crucial to the success of all teams at the 2026 Asian Championships.