Roster Reshuffle: Germany’s New Beach Volleyball National Teams Targeting LA 2028!
Major shake-up in German beach volleyball! The national team lineup is undergoing a massive transformation: After years of success, Clemens Wickler and Nils Ehlers have officially split. With fresh team pairings, new court roles at the net, and big ambitions, Germany's men's roster is resetting. Meanwhile, changes like the separation of Anna-Lena Grüne and Sandra Ittlinger reshape the women's side. We dive deep into the new pairings and analyze what this means for the 2026 Euros & Worlds as well as the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles!
- End of an Era: The Wickler/Ehlers split and their new career paths.
- Instant Success: Nils Ehlers & Lui Wüst win Elite 16 Hamburg and the German Championship.
- Tactical Shift: Clemens Wickler teams up with Lukas Pfretzschner as his new blocker.
- Olympic Ambitions: Sven Winter & Jonas Sagstetter target 2026 championships and LA 2028.
Master the court tactics: Get Beachvolleyball – The Cardgame today!
Ehlers/Wüst, Wickler/Pfretzschner & Winter/Sagstetter: A Fresh Start
Germany's top men's athletes are forming exciting new alliances for the upcoming Olympic cycle:
- Nils Ehlers & Lui Wüst – Instant High-Performers: Following the breakup with Wickler, Nils Ehlers partnered with rising talent Lui Wüst. The results were instant: A gold medal at the Hamburg Elite 16 (Elite 16 Hamburg 2026 Recap) and a national championship title at the GBC Dortmund 2026!
- Clemens Wickler & Lukas Pfretzschner – New Blocker Synergy: Defensive specialist Clemens Wickler joins forces with Lukas Pfretzschner. Pfretzschner, who previously played with Paul Henning, transitions into the blocking role, bringing incredible speed and tactical versatility.
- Sven Winter & Jonas Sagstetter – Road to LA 2028: Parting ways with Philipp Huster, Sven Winter forms a new team with Jonas Sagstetter. Their clear mission: Qualify for the 2026 World & European Championships and build a strong path toward LA 2028.
On the women's side, updates like the split between Anna-Lena Grüne and Sandra Ittlinger mark a broader roster transition towards the next Olympic quadrennial — a shift that already shaped the narrative at the GBC Dortmund 2026 women's tournament.
Building Chemistry for International Honors
Why make these changes now? In beach volleyball, block-defense chemistry is everything. With the 2026 World and European Championships around the corner and Los Angeles 2028 on the horizon, resetting the teams now allows maximum time to develop world-class synergy.
Want to experience the tactical mind games of team management off the sand? Check out our top 5 board games for sports fans!
In the photo: Beachvolleyball – The Cardgame. Serving strategies, roster synergy, and clutch decision-making — the same mind games Germany’s new national pairs now have to solve in the sand.
Reshuffle the Cards: Become the Ultimate Beach Tactician!
Serving strategies, roster synergy, and clutch decision-making: Beachvolleyball – The Cardgame puts you right in the manager's seat! Draft your moves, counter your opponents, and lead your team to victory.
The ultimate companion for your next beach camp (packing list for your beach volleyball camp), casual summer fun (top 5 card games for summer), or as a gift for volleyball fans (gift ideas for beach volleyball players)!
Master the court tactics: Get Beachvolleyball – The Cardgame today!
Disclaimer: This article was created with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) and reviewed and optimized by our editorial team.
