Nina Betschart

Nina Betschart, born on October 14, 1995, in Steinhausen, Kanton Zug, Switzerland, has established herself as a significant force in professional beach volleyball. Her career began in indoor volleyball at VBC Steinhausen, transitioning to beach volleyball with her childhood friend Nicole Eiholzer under the guidance of coach Kurt Brunner. This early partnership laid the foundation for a successful junior career, marked by numerous Swiss Junior Championships across various age categories from U15 to U21 between 2008 and 2013. A pivotal moment in her early career came in 2011 when, at just 15 years and 10 months old, she became the youngest player to win a gold medal at the FIVB U21 World Championships, partnering with Joana Heidrich. She repeated this success in 2012 with Anouk Vergé-Dépré, becoming only the second woman to win back-to-back U21 World Championship golds with different partners. This remarkable consistency in her junior years foreshadowed her future achievements at the senior level.

Betschart’s career progression saw her achieve her first major senior international success at the 2015 European Games in Baku, where she and Eiholzer secured the gold medal. The following year, she teamed up with Tanja Hüberli, forming a partnership that would elevate them to the elite ranks of international beach volleyball. This new duo quickly found success, earning their first FIVB World Tour medal—a bronze at the Klagenfurt Major—in 2016. Their partnership consistently delivered strong performances, including multiple bronze and silver medals on the FIVB World Tour and the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour. Notable achievements with Hüberli include two European Championship gold medals in 2021 (Vienna) and 2023 (Vienna), along with silver medals in 2018 (Netherlands) and 2022 (Munich). They also represented Switzerland at the 2020 Summer Olympics, finishing in ninth place, and contributed to Switzerland’s victory in the inaugural CEV Beach Volleyball Nations Cup in 2022.

In 2024, Betschart’s career reached another peak when she secured a bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics with Tanja Hüberli. This achievement further solidified her status as one of the world’s leading beach volleyball players. Throughout her career, she has been recognized with numerous individual awards, including multiple Swiss Volley Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Year honors and the title of Zug Sportswoman of the Year multiple times. Off the court, Nina Betschart married Damien Brunner in 2021 and now competes under her married name, Nina Brunner. She is also pursuing a distance education in psychology, reflecting a commitment to personal and professional development beyond her athletic pursuits. Her journey demonstrates sustained dedication and a proven track record of elite-level performance.