SCHUBERT CLOSES OUT CAREER IN FRONT OF HOME CROWD ON NIGHT 4 OF THE 2025 FIVB BEACH VOLLEYBALL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Night 4 of the 2025 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships marked the end of pool play, and the final chapter of Australian Olympian Zachery Schubert’s remarkable career.

Having announced his retirement only weeks earlier, Schubert closed things out in the city where it all began 15 years ago, surrounded by former partners, family, friends and his fiancée.

It was a sentimental farewell for an athlete who has given so much to the sport, and who was determined to savour every moment of his last outing on home sand.

“It’s come full circle, I started in Adelaide and I get to finish in Adelaide, and I think that’s pretty special because not many people get to do that,” Schubert said. 

“Win or lose, to me it doesn’t matter. It’s about the people out here supporting, and it was a special moment.

“Cole Durant [one of my former partners] came all the way from the UK which is super special…I’m just taking in every moment and it’s a new chapter coming up.

“[On receiving the game ball] I’m going to go and put this up on the shelf and it’s going to be pretty special.

“I’m going to miss it to be honest, it’s something so special and I think that’s why we do it, just appreciating those moments with the crowd. I can’t actually believe it’s over. 

“I hope Luke [Ryan] gets to experience everything that I’ve experienced because by far if I could have my time again, I’d do it all again.” 

Earlier in the night, Aussie women’s pair Georgia Johnson and Lizzie Alchin secured a dominant 2-set victory in their final pool match on Centre Court over the Dominican Republic team Paniagua/Payano (21-14, 21-11). 

“We’re pretty pumped, that was nice and it was fun to play on centre court tonight,” Johnson said.

“The crowd was really cool, it was sometimes a little hard to communicate with each other so it was a good reason to come together that little bit more in between points and make sure we were both on the same page strategy-wise.

“It’s a very cool atmosphere [on Centre Court] and it’s so much cooler when we get the monster block song coming on.”

“It’s awesome, it’s super loud out there so it’s kind of hard to hear each other, but it’s awesome to have our family in, and lots of people watching,” Alchin said.

“There’s lot’s of hype when we do good things…it’s absolutely amazing, I mean a home World Champs is a once in a career opportunity so it’s amazing, we’re so happy to be part of it.”

Tuesday’s action will see teams play to progress through the competition in the Lucky Losers and Round of 32 matches across The Drive and Pinky Flat/Tarntanya Wama tomorrow:

• 1:30pm ACDT – Fleming/Fejes (AUS) v Alchin/Johnson
• 2:30pm ACDT – Mears/Phillips (AUS) V Placette/Richard (France

Every Australian match will be broadcast live and free on SBS Viceland and SBS On Demand, with tickets and hospitality available via Ticketek.