SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, October 18, 2026.– Mexico’s Carlos Andrés Ayala and Inés Vargas Lares captured the men’s gold medal at the 2026 U23 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Continental Tour, completing an undefeated campaign without dropping a single set at the Beach Volleyball Stadium Flor Blanca in San Salvador, El Salvador.
The Mexican duo, Carlos Andrés/Lares, defeated the United States’ Malachi Brewington and Titus Lance 2-0 (21-17, 21-19) in Sunday’s championship match, maintaining their consistency throughout the tournament to secure the continental title.
Mexico controlled the opening set and faced stronger resistance from the Americans in the second, holding firm in the closing stages to seal the victory and complete a flawless performance in San Salvador.
“We come to tournaments with a winning mentality. We focus on winning the gold medal, and that approach has worked for us,” said Vargas Lares. “We are mentally strong, confident in our game, and willing to take risks and try new things. That has helped us maintain a high level of play.”
Inés Ayala credited their success to the work they have put in throughout the season. “Our performance in the gold medal match reflects the preparation we have had throughout the year, competing at the continental level and training consistently,” said Ayala. “I believe consistency and discipline have been the most important factors for us. We are ready for what comes next, especially the Olympic qualification tournament.”
Nicaragua’s Ángelo Guadamuz and Deyner López secured the bronze medal with a 2-0 (21-13, 23-21) victory over Canada’s Aengus Adams and Connor Dorsey.
The Nicaraguans dominated the opening set before facing a determined Canadian response in the second. Adams and Dorsey pushed the contest beyond the regulation 21 points, but Guadamuz and López held their composure to close out the match and secure a place on the podium.
Earlier in Sunday’s semifinals, Mexico’s Carlos Andrés/Lares advanced to the championship match with a convincing 2-0 (21-18, 21-9) victory over Adams/Dorsey.
The United States earned the other final berth as Brewington/Lance defeated Nicaragua’s Guadamuz/López 2-0 (21-9, 21-18), setting up the gold medal showdown between Mexico and the United States.
Host El Salvador’s Rafa/Gabo finished fifth after defeating Dominican cousins Francisco and Ramón De Jesús 2-0 (21-16, 21-16).
Canada’s Brendan Lyons and Yahia Elsayed claimed seventh place with a 2-0 (21-19, 21-7) victory over El Salvador’s Adonai Mejía and Andrés Fuentes.
One of the most exciting placement matches came in the battle for ninth place, where Guatemala’s Fredy Luna and Robin Oliva rallied from a set down to defeat Costa Rica’s Oscar Rojas and Yulius Brown 2-1 (9-21, 21-18, 15-12). After struggling in the opening set, the Guatemalan duo responded with a stronger second-set performance before prevailing in the decisive third set.
St. Kitts and Nevis’ Kush Tilokani and Jedediah Pencheon earned eleventh place after edging the Cayman Islands’ William Duty and Dylan Lynee 2-1 (21-19, 15-21, 18-16). The closely contested tiebreak extended beyond the regulation 15 points before the St. Kitts and Nevis pair secured the victory.
In an all-Honduran contest for thirteenth place, Jairo Gálvez and Jonathan Ortega defeated compatriots Isaac Méndez and Osman García 2-0 (21-12, 21-7).
Barbados’ Aaron Taylor and Joshua Ashby completed the final standings in fifteenth place.
Other Results:
Classif. 5/8: Rafa/Gabo (ESA) d Mejia/Fuentes (ESA) 2-0 (21-10, 21-9); De Jesus/De Jesus (DOM) d Lyons/Elsayed (CAN) 2-0 (21-18, 21-18).