The women’s team of Avan Yerevan and the men’s team of FIMA-1 Yerevan triumphed as the 2023 national snow volleyball champions of Armenia at a two-day event held in Tsaghkadzor over the weekend.

In recent years, the small spa town north of the Armenian capital Yerevan has become the country’s capital of the booming winter sport. In 2020, Tsaghkadzor also welcomed one of the stops on the CEV Snow Volleyball European Tour.

 Traditionally, every winter Armenia is the first country to hold its national snow volleyball championships and determine its title holders. Six teams per gender took part in the competition this year.

In Sunday’s women’s final, defending 2022 champions Avan defeated three-time champions (2019, 2020 and 2021) Van Yerevan 2-0 to secure back-to-back national titles. With Inga Ghukasyan, Inga Karapetyan and Inga Sargsyan on the roster, Avan proved too much for their city rivals featuring Amalya Karapetyan, Elizaveta Tonoyan, Milena Tonoyan and Svetlana Margaryan.

The women’s bronze medals went to VBH Yerevan. The team representing the Brusov State University included Hanna Safaryan, Luiza Hambardzumyan, Shushan Tigranyan and Sona Sahakyan.

Two squads representing the FIMA volleyball club met in the men’s final on Sunday. FIMA-1 with Ashot Balabekyan, Mikael Tsaturyants, Vahe Nazaryan and Yuri Grigoryan mastered a straight-set victory over FIMA-2 with Hayk Baghramyan, Hovhannes Asmaryan and Zaven Margaryan. It was FIMA’s third national title, after having won in 2020 and 2021.

The team of BKMA-1 Yerevan, with Andre Simoni, Khachatur Asmaryan, Mikhail Murushkin and Samvel Ghasaboghlyan in the line-up, completed the men’s podium with bronze, after shutting out Gyumri in the third place match.