Zoé and Anouk have so much in common that makes you wonder what took them so long to become beach volleyball partners. The Vergé-Depré sisters of Switzerland not only share a surname but also have a deep passion for the sport, a solid sporting foundation given that both their parents (father Jean-Charles and mother Sandra Bratschi) are former professional volleyball players, and a proven track record having medaled at the highest level and featured in the Olympic Games.
After playing beach volleyball for a decade with different partners, Zoé and Anouk decided to join forces last year when they competed as a team for the first time in their careers.
“I was scared that we might not get along on court and that working together could affect our relationship as sisters forever. But the excitement to start our journey and push our limits together was way bigger,” Zoé told FIVB.com.
“We might have had an advantage in terms of reading the other person’s state of mind, trusting each other and not having to build a relationship from zero. But we had to build and are still building our game like every other new team as well,” she added.
The Vergé-Depré sisters, Zoé (left) and Anouk, celebrate a point at the 2025 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship held in Adelaide, Australia.
Their maiden season together was as successful as it was challenging. There were medals on the Beach Pro Tour notably bronze medals at the Elite16 events in Ostrava and Gstaad, gold in the Alanya Challenge and silver in the Spiez Futures. And there was also the disappointment of a Round of 32 exit at the World Championship held in Adelaide, Australia in November.
“It made us reflect on our game, see what pieces were missing and it gave us hunger for more. Apart from the World Championship, we had a solid first season and a lot of positives to take with us. I believe that what‘s for you will find you. So if it didn‘t, it wasn’t our time yet and that‘s okay,” reflected Zoé.
Zoé in action against Australia during the 2025 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship held in Adelaide, Australia.
At 33, Anouk is the elder of the Vergé-Depré sisters and Zoé admitted that it helps that her sister is her senior in terms of age and experience on the court.
“I started 2025 in an entirely new team. New coaches, new partner, new everything. With this came a lot of changes and it made me be open to new ways of working and playing the game. I‘m starting to enjoy areas of the game that I hadn’t explored before,” reflected Zoé who will turn 28 next month.
“There are many parts of Anouk’s game that have surprised me but for sure how much she loves blocking and how well she understands her identity on the net. It is so much fun defending behind her,” she added.
Zoé dives to make a save during the 2025 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship held in Adelaide, Australia.
Having Anouk as her partner has also come with a silver lining that Zoé didn’t see coming. She reckons that their sisterhood bond has grown stronger as they spend more time together in training and competitions.
“We probably spend a little less free time together since we see each other for work every day. But the bond has always been strong and feels even closer now. You naturally go through a lot of emotions in our sport. As family they feel even more intense, so winning felt even greater but losing felt even harder,” revealed Zoé.
Like any other beach volleyball duo, the Vergé-Depré sisters have had their fair share of conflict on the court but they don’t dwell on it.
“Our parents taught us very early that it’s important to address certain things even if it can be uncomfortable to talk about. I think this helps us go through conflict, stay constructive and without taking things too personal,” said Zoé.
“It’s interesting because we don’t react the same way in tough moments. I show an introverted reaction while Anouk shows an extroverted one. We had to develop small routines on how to handle those moments as a team. In a ‘normal’ sisters’ relationship you rarely experience pressure moments like that, so this was for sure new for us,” explained Zoé.
Anouk (right) is more of an extrovert on the court while Zoé is an introvert
As their new partnership enters its second year, Zoé pointed out that they are taking key lessons from their debut season and remains optimistic that they can blossom into a fierce force this season.
“We needed a well-deserved break. The season was very long and it was not easy to maintain the shape through so many months of competition. One takeaway for me was staying in the present: this game, this point, this situation. That‘s all that matters and all you can influence anyways,” asserted Zoé.
