Category: Beach

PARIS, France, August 9, 2024.- Canada’s Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson have captured silver in beach volleyball at Paris 2024.

The duo fell In the first-ever three-set final in the history of women’s Olympic beach volleyball 24-26, 21-12, 10-15  to top-ranked Ana Patrícia Silva Ramos and Eduarda “Duda” Santos Lisboa of Brazil in Friday night’s gold medal match.

Canada fought off three Brazilian set points – and had a couple of their own – before falling 26-24 in the opening set. The Canadians stormed back in the second, winning 21-12, but dropped the third and deciding set, 15-10.

The medal is Canada’s first in women’s beach volleyball at an Olympic Games and the country’s second ever in the sport. John Child and Mark Heese won bronze in men’s beach volleyball at Atlanta 1996, which was the sport’s Olympic debut.

It’s the second Olympic appearance for both Humana-Paredes and Wilkerson – but their first as a duo. The two formed a partnership in October 2022 and made their debut as a pairing on the Beach Pro Tour in February 2023. They have found quick success together with this Olympic medal joining the silver they won at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games.

“It’s incredible. I think every athlete wishes to be in a position where they can get a gold medal, to be in the finals, because it takes so much hard work to even just get to this place,” said Brandie. “We are still hungry for that gold medal, because we’re competitors and because we know we belong in that spot just as equally as our fellows, the Brazilians. We continue to bring out the best in each other and we are looking forward to playing them again. But for now we’ll take the silver medal with us with our heads held high, because it’s going to make a difference and have ripple effect for Canada to know that we are one of the best in the world at this sport.”

“It’s taking care of the opportunities you have. It’s taking risks when you have to, and it’s managing the momentum,” Melissa stated. “You know, it was a momentum game and you can’t ever take your foot off the gas. People are going to be coming, they’re going to be your opponents and are there for a reason. They’re there to push you. They challenge you until you’re going to respond. So I think, we let too many sideout opportunities slip and then we had some opportunities to get them back, and we didn’t take advantage of those. It happens. I mean, that’s the game of volleyball, that’s a sport.”

Reaching the gold medal match was anything but easy for the duo. The two finished 1-2 in the preliminary phase, forcing them to play in a lucky loser match in order to reach the next round.

After beating Czechia in two sets in the lucky loser round, Canada pulled off a major upset in the round of 16, eliminating the No. 2 ranked team in the world – Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth of the United States – to qualify for the quarterfinals. After defeating Spain in the quarters, Humana-Paredes and Wilkerson had to go up against Tanja Hüeberli and Nina Brunner of Switzerland in the semifinals, a team that hadn’t dropped a single set in Paris.

The Swiss won the first set, 21-14, only to have the Canadians storm back and take a close second set, 22-20. Canada then took the first-to-15 third set, 15-12, to qualify for the gold medal match. That game, in a way, was a reflection of the team’s entire tournament.

Earlier in the day, Hüeberli and Brunner won the bronze medal, defeating Australia’s Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy in two sets.

PARIS, France, August 8, 2024.-Melissa Humana-Paredes & Brandie Wilkerson are the first finalists and, hence, the first team to secure a spot on the Olympic beach volleyball podium at Paris 2024. In Thursday’s first semifinal, the fourth-seeded Canadians denied an opponent match point in the second set to mount a solid comeback against Switzerland’s Tanja Hüberli & Nina Brunner.

The block was Canada’s main weapon on the way to their 2-1 (14-21, 22-20, 15-12) victory. It brought them seven points, all authored by Brandie, against only four on the Swiss side. In key moments, the North Americans also capitalized on the opponents’ unforced errors to edge ahead in the game. Brandie was the best scorer of the match with 25 points, also including an ace. With two serving points of her own, Melissa finished with 12 points. The serving was much more prolific on Switzerland’s side. Hüberli put away three aces in addition to four kill blocks towards a 21-point tally, while Brunner fired four aces and finished with 19 points.

Melissa & Brandie took the early lead in the first set and even opened a three-point gap, but Hüberli & Brunner caught up at 9-9. After 11-11, the Swiss broke away with a five-point run and never looked back. They dominated with their offence and their serves and cruised on to a convincing 21-14 close. The second set was way more competitive. The lead changed hands several times. Hüberli & Brunner reached match point at 20-19, but Melissa & Brandie reacted with three in a row to snatch the set at 22-20. That was the first set Hüberli & Brunner lost since the start of the tournament. The Swiss recovered from Canada’s early 4-1 run in the tie-breaker and even took the lead momentarily at 10-9. Three points in a row after 11-11 brought in match point for the North Americans, which soon turned into a 15-12 victory on a defensive error by the opponents for the winning point.

“We knew it was going to be an extremely hard-fought game. Switzerland is an incredible team. They’ve been playing really well this season. They were kind of peaking and the last battle we had with them didn’t go our way,” Melissa told the FIVB after the match. “So we knew that they were going to come out strong. We didn’t come out as strong, but what we still had was a full tank left of heart, grit and perseverance. I think that’s what kind of showed up at the end of that second set. I don’t think we played great volleyball, but I think we didn’t let it go. We weren’t going to let it slip out of our hands easily. And then, the third set was a completely new battle and you get re-energized and start from zero again. It’s a wide open playing field and anyone’s game at that point.

“In the end it was an out-of-body experience. I’m a runner. I think my body just has this huge release and I just need to get that energy out. We’re right on track and I don’t think we played our best volleyball yet. That’s still somewhere inside and I think tomorrow is the day to bring it out.”

“We came for it all! Absolutely!” Melissa confirmed. “I mean, we can stand with our heads proud that we have that opportunity for a medal, but we won’t lose sight that the gold is our goal.”

Melissa & Brandie’s opponent in Friday’s final will be decided between top-seeded Ana Patricia Ramos & Eduarda Santos Lisboa (Duda) of Brazil and Australia’s Mariafe Artacho Del Solar & Taliqua Clancy.

Olympic Games Paris 2024 Beach Volleyball: schedule and results

PARIS, France, August 7, 2024.- The U.S. men’s beach team of Miles Partain and Andy Benesh completed their Olympic run in Paris in the quarterfinals with a 2-0 (21-14, 21-16) loss to Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan of Qatar on Wednesday. Partain and Benesh, the youngest U.S. men’s beach team in Olympic history, ran off three consecutive wins to reach the quarters.

“I think everyone gave their best effort,” Partain said.” I am pretty confident in that and I am happy we got to represent the U.S. along with the other three teams.”

Cherif/Ahmed earned their country’s first medal in Olympic history with the bronze in Tokyo and earlier in Paris, defeated the top seed in pool play.

The U.S. was nearly even statistically in kills (23-22 Qatar) and were even in blocks (5-5). Qatar served the only two aces, but the difference was points on opponent errors as Qatar benefited from 12 U.S. errors, while making only three of its own.

Benesh scored 15 points on 10 kills and five blocks, with Partain contributing 12 kills and five digs.

“I thought Qatar played really well,” Benesh said. “They are a great team. They executed really well. I thought our intention was good, we just didn’t execute as well as them and they deserved to win tonight, but proud of how we played and thankful to have Miles as a teammate.”

Neither team could gain more than a one-point advantage until Qatar ran off four consecutive points for a 11-8 lead in the opening set, which led to Partain/Benesh taking their timeout. A Partain dig and Benesh kill cut the gap back to one point, 11-10, before the side switch.

Benesh recorded back-to-back blocks to regain the lead, 12-11. Two errors, one a serving and another hitting, gave Qatar the lead again. Cherif ended the long rally with a block to make it 14-12. Three hitting errors in a row gave Qatar a five-point lead, 17-12. A Cherif kill off the block extended the run to 7-0 before a hitting error ended it. Another Cherif block gave Qatar set point. After a Partain kill, Cherif scored on a second ball as Qatar ended the set on a 10-2 run.

Benesh added four kills to his three blocks to score seven points in the set with Partain registering six kills. Kills (10-10) and blocks (3-3) were even, but the U.S. made eight errors, while Qatar made just one.

After trailing 4-3, Qatar went on a 4-1 run to take a 7-5 lead in the second set. An ace that trickled off the net increased the lead to three, 10-7. A Partain kill on a second ball and a Benesh block brought the U.S. back within a point, 11-10.

Qatar scored the first two points after the side switch to go back up by three points. Despite multiple great digs by Ahmed, who is the top defender in this year’s Olympics, and hustle by Cherif, the U.S. scored the next point to pull back within two points and lead to a Qatar timeout. A Cherif block gave Qatar its biggest lead of the set, 16-12, before the side switch.

A net violation extended the lead to five points before the U.S. scored. A sixth service error made it 18-13. A Benesh kill and his fifth block of the match closed the gap to three points. The U.S. looked like it was going to pull within two, but more tremendous defense by Ahmed prevented it.

A Benesh kill on a second ball made the score 19-16 before the side change. A Qatar kill gave them match point with an ace ending the match. Benesh led the U.S. with eight points on six kills and two blocks, while Partain again totaled six kills.

The match was the first in the last four meetings between the teams that did not go three sets. Partain/Benesh won in Ostrava earlier this year 15-8 in the deciding set after each team won a set 21-19. Cherif/Ahmid dropped the first set in both meetings in 2023 but came back to win in the third set each time, 15-9 in Ostrava and 20-18 on their home court in Doha. In their only previous matchup that did not go the distance, Cherif/Ahmid took both sets 22-20 in Maldives (South Asia) in 2022.

Olympic Games Paris 2024 Beach Volleyball: schedule and results

PARIS, France, August 7, 2024.- Canada’s Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson secured their spot in the Olympic beach volleyball semifinals today with a win over Daniela Alvarez and Tania Moreno of Spain.

Fourth-seeded Melissa & Brandie outclassed young Spanish sensations Daniela Alvarez & Tania Moreno, seeded 18th, on the way to a 2-0 (21-18, 21-18) win. Improving to a 4-2 win-loss record at Paris 2024, the Canadian pair advanced to the semifinals.

The first set was very tight and competitive through 15-15. At that point, Melissa & Brandie broke away with four in a row and closed the set at 21-18 shortly after on a long serve by the opponents. Alvarez & Moreno were the first to break away in the second set, with four in a row for 8-5, but the Canadians reacted swiftly, and also with four in a row, gained a 10-9 lead. At 14-14 was the last time the score was tied. Melissa & Brandie took control and never let go until Melissa’s elegant hit closed the match at another 21-18.

Brandie led the way with 17 points, including three kill blocks. Melissa contributed another 13 points towards the victory. Moreno led the Spanish team with 15 points.

“We knew they would come out strong and we had to be patient on our side defensively, and just kind of play free and loose,” said Humana-Paredes. “And we had to put a big emphasis on our offense and staying aggressive; making sure that we were dialed in… and put some service pressure on. Kudos to us for staying patient because it was back and forth there for a while.”

This is the first time Canada has reached the semifinals in women’s beach volleyball at the Olympic Games (the previous best result was fifth).

Tomorrow, in the semifinals, Canada faces Hüberli/Brunner of Switzerland at 5 pm local time/ 11 am ET.

“Every single team here is of excellent caliber, so every time it’s a difficult game,” said Wilkerson. “But luckily, we’ve faced a lot of challenges before getting to this… I’m proud of our team and our resilience and grit.”

Olympic Games Paris 2024 Beach Volleyball: schedule and results

PARIS, France, August 6, 2024.- The U.S. women’s beach team of Sara Hughes and Kelly Cheng finished fifth at the Paris Olympics after dropping their quarterfinal match to the Swiss combination of Tanja Hüberli and Nina Brunner, 2-0 (21-18, 21-19) on Tuesday. The 2023 world champions ended the Olympics with a 4-1 record.

Cheng finished the match with 17 points on 16 kills and a block, and Hughes totaled eight points on five kills and three aces. The U.S. scored on 12 opponent errors, while committing only seven, but could not overcome the margin in kills (26-21) and service aces (7-3). There were only three blocks in the match, two by the Swiss.

“I think we fought back so hard in the first,” Cheng said. “I think I made a few too many errors early on in the first but we came back and just one or two aces and the game is over, you know? I think similarly to the second, I whiffed two balls out and an ace down the middle again and the game is gone.”

The U.S. scored the first two points on a Cheng kill on a second ball, but Hüberli/Brunner took a 4-3 lead on a block and never trailed the remainder of the set. Another block gave the Swiss their first two-point lead. Two aces helped push the lead to four, 14-10. Hughes/Cheng scored four of the next five points to force a Swiss timeout.

An incredible play by Brunner put the Swiss back up by three points, 17-14. The teams exchanged the next four points before a fifth ace pulled the Swiss within one point of the set. A service error followed by a Hughes ace foiled two set points, but a crosscourt kill ended the opening set. Cheng recorded five kills with Hughes adding three kills and an ace.

Hüberli/Brunner led 5-4 in the second set before going on a 3-0 run that finished with a kill off a great dig. After a timeout, the U.S. scored the next two points on a service error and hitting error to pull within two points and head back to the better scoring side of the court with the wind in their faces.

Cheng scored three times to bring the U.S. within one point and then tied the match at 11-11, the first tie since early in the first set. Hüberli/Brunner regained the lead on a point in spite of two great digs from Hughes. After the U.S. tied it again at 12, Hughes served an ace and Cheng scored down the line to put the U.S. ahead by two points for the first time since it was 2-0 to start the match.

The Swiss called a timeout and scored the next two points, the second on their sixth ace of the match. An incredible dig by Brunner helped put the Swiss ahead, 17-16. A Cheng kill evened the score again. Leading 18-17, Brunner served her fourth ace to move back ahead by two points. A Cheng tip on a second ball made it 19-19, but the Swiss took the match on a pair of off-speed points. Cheng scored 11 points on 10 kills and a block.

Hughes did her best to summarize her first Olympic experience after reaching its conclusion in the quarterfinal.

“[Feeling] all the emotions,” said Hughes. “Grateful to be here. Letdown that we didn’t come out with the win, but also proud of the fight that we gave. I feel like we also have so much left in the tank and so much more to give. You know sometimes in sports it just doesn’t go your way, but we fought as hard as we could.”

PARIS, France, August 5, 2024.- Canada’s Melissa Humana-Paredes & Brandie Wilkerson won the big eighthfinal clash with USA’s Kristen Nuss & Taryn Kloth on Monday afternoon and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Paris 2024 women’s beach volleyball tournament, where they will take on Spanish sensations Daniela Alvarez & Tania Moreno on Wednesday.

Fourth-seeded Melissa & Brandie delivered a hard-fought 2-0 (21-19, 21-18) upset of second-seeded Nuss & Kloth to knock one of the main medal candidates out of contention.

In the first set, Nuss & Kloth broke away with a 14-9 lead before Melissa & Brandie went on a six-point streak to take control and eventually win by the narrowest of margins. In set two, the Canadians quickly broke away with a five-point lead at 8-3. The Americans fought back and finally caught up at 18-18, only to concede the next three points with Brandie killing the overpass for the 21-18 match winner. While Brandie impressed with her five kill blocks to finish with 17 points, Melissa shined from the serving line with four aces towards a match-high 19 points. Kloth led the American side with 15.

“It was tight at the end of the sets – that’s all I remember and that’s all that I truly expected at this point against that team,” Melissa said after the game. “They are a very strong team and whenever we have battles with them we go the distance. You can never count them out. They are going to get their points, we are going to get our points and it’s just about who is going to be the last one standing out there. I think we stuck really diligently on our defence, we kept the service pressure on them and did not give them too many breaks.”

“Every game is a big hurdle, but as long as you are here and you are playing, you are doing good,” Brandie added. “We are treating every game like a whole new tournament. We just did this one and now we are on to the next tournament. It’s going to be a long journey… We are extremely grateful and honoured to be representing our country, representing our game, our work and our team.”

In one of Wednesday’s quarterfinals, Melissa & Brandie will be challenged by Spain’s Alvarez & Moreno, who sensationally knocked out Dutch standouts Katja Stam & Raisa Schoon earlier on Monday.

“We had really been focusing on the game at hand and we’ve just found out who we are playing next,” Melissa told the FIVB. “So I currently have zero thoughts. I am still trying to process that win, but I think all the teams here in the quarterfinals of the Olympics are incredible and they have all earned the right to be here. I think at the end of the day, what we did in this game we will just do in the next game as we focus on our side.”

Olympic Games Paris 2024 Beach Volleyball: schedule and results

PARIS, France, August 4, 2024.- The third-seeded U.S. beach team of Sara Hughes and Kelly Cheng had all they could handle from 12th-seeded Valentina Gottardi and Marta Menegatti of Italy before coming away with a 2-1 (21-18, 17-21, 15-12) win in the Paris Round of 16 on Sunday. Hughes/Cheng, the reigning world champions, will next face the Swiss team of Tanja Hüberli and Nina Brunner in the quarterfinal round on Tuesday, August 6.

“That’s such a good team,” Hughes said. “We knew it coming in so we knew we just had to play our best volleyball and maybe it wasn’t the best, but we just fought together and I think that’s so important. A win is a win and we are happy to bring it home.”

Cheng scored 21 points on 16 kills, two blocks and three aces. Hughes posted a double-double with 15 kills and 19 digs, many of the spectacular fashion, in a brilliantly played defensive match. Both teams finished with 31 kills and the U.S. held a slight 3-2 advantage in service aces. Italy led 6-2 in blocks, but committed 17 errors compared to just 12 from the U.S.

A Cheng block on the first point of the match helped jumpstart the U.S. to a 3-0 lead, but Gottardi/Menegatti eventually evened the set at 7-7. After the teams traded off the next six points, Italy took its first lead of the set, 11-10, on a block.

Trailing 14-12, the U.S. tied the set on a Cheng kill on a second ball and a Hughes bump kill on the first ball tied the set. A continuation block by Cheng led to an Italy hitting error that put Hughes/Cheng back out in front, 16-15, at which point Gottardi/Menegatti used their timeout.

Italy scored the first two points out of the timeout to regain the lead. Trailing 17-16, Cheng tied the match and then gave the U.S. the lead again with a kill on a second ball after a great dig by Hughes. An Italy hitting error made it 19-17. After surrendering the next point, the U.S. scored the final two points of the set on a service error and a Hughes kill. Cheng scored seven points on six kills and her first point block, while Hughes added five kills and seven digs.

The third point of the second set exemplified the quality of play in the match with both teams scrambling and playing great defense before Cheng bumped over a second ball for the point. With the set tied at 8-8 with neither team having assumed a two-point lead, Italy used two blocks to spur a 5-0 run to take a 13-8 lead at the technical timeout.

The U.S. pulled back within two points, 15-13, after a Cheng ace and a Hughes kill off the block, forcing Italy to take its timeout. Hughes/Cheng had a chance to pull within a point, but their attack was dug and Gottardi/Menegatti scored that point and the next for an 18-14 lead.

Cheng scored on an overpass and recorded a block to cut the lead back to two points, 19-17, but Italy scored the final two points, the last on an ace, to send the match to a third set. Cheng scored seven points on five kills, a block and a set, and Hughes finished the set with six kills and six digs.

“This game is a game of momentum, so really fighting to stop them from having momentum and fighting to get it back,” Cheng said. “It’s about staying in the present and not letting those runs affect you and just fighting every point. Every point is a new point and you are not worrying about those last ones. That’s really important.”

Cheng scored on a second ball after Hughes dug a block attempt and then served two aces in a row for an early 4-1 U.S. lead in the deciding set. The U.S. continued its strong play after an Italy timeout when Hughes made an incredible dig, and Cheng bumped the ball over with her back to the net for the point. A Cheng kill on a second ball gave the U.S. an 8-3 lead.

Hughes kept her great defense going and sent a first ball over the net for a kill to give the U.S. its biggest lead of the match, 10-4. Another Italy block cut the deficit back to four points, 11-7, leading the U.S. to use its timeout. An incredible hustle play helped lead Italy to its fourth consecutive point to make it 11-9.

A Cheng kill down the line snapped the 4-0 run, but a service error cut the lead back to two. An ace pulled Italy within a point. Hughes looked to be in trouble on the following play but poked the ball to the backcourt for a 13-11 lead. Italy hit the next ball out and unsuccessfully challenged a block touch to set up the first U.S. match point. Italy scored the next point, but Cheng ended the match on a ball toward the sideline. Cheng scored seven points on five kills and the two key aces. Hughes scored three times and registered six digs.

Olympic Games Paris 2024 Beach Volleyball: schedule and results }

PARIS, France, August 4, 2024.- The world’s number one team David Ahman & Jonatan Hellvig of Sweden advanced to the quarterfinals after putting a stop to Noslen Diaz & Jorge Alayo’s fantastic run at Paris 2024.

Top-seeded Ahman & Hellvig had to battle it out through a tough three-set duel with 16th-seeded Cubans Diaz & Alayo to celebrate a hard-earned 2-1 (21-11, 26-28, 15-11) victory and a spot among the quarterfinalists, while handing the opponents their first defeat of the tournament and putting an end to their inspiring Cinderella story.

After a one-sided first set, Diaz & Alayo put up an epic fight in the second, pushing it deep into overtime, inspired by the loud support they were getting from the packed stands, and prompting a tie-breaker.

The Swedish jump-setters regained control in the third set and although their opponents from the Caribbean never gave up, the favourites managed to emerge with the victory. After a spectacular dive by Ahman in defense, Hellvig put away the 15-11 match winner. Hellvig excelled with an impressive eight kill blocks and three aces towards a 28-point match high. Ahman added another 20 points towards the victory, while Alayo led the Cuban duo with 26 points.

Olympic Games Paris 2024 Beach Volleyball: schedule and results

PARIS, France, August 3, 2024.- Canada’s Melissa Humana-Paredes & Brandie Wilkerson won in the women’s sixteenthfinal match of the so-called “lucky-loser” round on Saturday evening and qualified for the eighthfinals of the Olympic beach volleyball tournament. USA’s Miles Evans & Chase Budinger was one of the men’s pairs that survived the first knockout round of the tournament and moved into the last 16.

Fourth-seeded Melissa & Brandie overcame the resistance of 22nd-seeded Barbora Hermannova & Marie-Sara Stochlova of Czechia and defeated them in a 2-0 (21-15, 21-12) straight-setter to snatch the last vacancy in the women’s eighthfinals. Melissa led the way with 20 points, including four aces.

The sixteenthfinal round started earlier with one of the men’s matches, but unfortunately it lasted only three rallies before Canada’s Samuel Schachter & Daniel Dearing withdrew because of Dearing’s injury against 23rd-seeded Grimalt & Grimalt of Chile who won by forfeit.

“Obviously, we are frustrated. We want to be able to compete,” Sam Schachter commented. “It’s super disappointing that we weren’t able to get Dan’s back to a place where he can compete, but we really tried our hardest, including Dan and our entire team; we are grateful for their help; but that’s part of sport. Sometimes injuries happen… Obviously, horrific timing! It’s a nightmare for Dan and me. You know we wanted to be able to share that moment with our families and the crowd and get that Olympic spirit, but obviously, it didn’t happen today.”

In the last match of the day, 19th-seeded Miles Evans & Chase Budinger of the United States achieved a 2-0 (21-19, 21-17) victory over 15th-seeded Thomas Hodges & Zachery Schubert of Australia and picked up the last ticket to the men’s eighthfinals. Budinger was the best scorer of the game. He raised four kill blocks and finished with a total of 17 points.

Two NORCECA teams will be competing among the first matches of the eightfinals scheduled on Sunday. In the men’s division 16th-seeded Cubans Noslen Diaz and Jorge Alayo face first-seeded Swedish David Åhman and Jonatan Hellvig at 2:00pm local time. In women, third-seeded Sara Hughes and Kelly Cheng of the United States go up against 12th-seeded Valentina Gottardi and Marta Menegatti of Italy.

Olympic Games Paris 2024 Beach Volleyball: schedule and results

PARIS, France, August 2, 2024.- The U.S. beach team of Sara Hughes and Kelly Cheng defeated Svenja Müller and Cinja Tillmann of Germany, 2-0 (21-18, 21-18) in a matchup of undefeated teams to finish 3-0 in pool play on Friday. Both teams advanced to the Round of 16 of the Paris Olympics which begins on Sunday, August 4.

Cheng scored 20 points on 16 kills, a block and three aces, and Hughes totaled seven kills, an ace and seven digs. Müller/Tillman led in kills (25-23) and blocks (4-1), but the U.S. registered the only four service aces of the match. Hughes/Cheng made only seven errors, while benefiting from 14 errors by their opponents.

“That team is really really good and we knew we had to come in there and serve tough and battle and fight and that is exactly what we did,” Hughes said. “It was really fun to come out with a big win against a great team.”

Hughes/Cheng took the first three-point lead of the opening set, 11-8, but Müller/Tillman scored four of the next six points to close the gap to one point, 13-12. After a German service error, Hughes made a great dig and scored to extend the lead back to three, 15-12. A Hughes ace eventually made it 17-13 and Cheng closed out the set by scoring the team’s last points. Cheng finished the set with 10 points on nine kills and an ace with Hughes adding five points on four kills and an ace.

With the score 7-7 in the second set, back-to-back points gave Hughes/Cheng the lead for good. A block brought Müller/Tillman within a point, 12-11, but Cheng scored the next two points, one on a kill and the second on a block, to run the lead back to three.

The teams split the next 10 points before a Hughes kill down the line gave the U.S. its first match point at 20-16. The German duo fought off two match points before Cheng ended the match on a kill off the block. She recorded double digits in points again the second set with 10 points on seven kills, a block and two aces. Hughes contributed three kills.

Now on to the elimination stage, Cheng took a moment to reflect on the Olympic journey to this point with her partner.

“This has been so special to go into this with Sara and really fight to enjoy all the ups and downs,” Cheng said. “All the little things, and I think we have been doing that.”

Olympic Games Paris 2024 Beach Volleyball: schedule and results

PARIS, France, August 2, 2024.- Samuel Schachter and Daniel Dearing of Canada earned a 2-0 (21-16, 21-15) shutout of 17th-seeded Austria’s Julian Horl and Alexander Horst on Friday to stay alive in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Schachter & Dearing finished Pool E in third place on a 1-2 win-loss record, while the winless Austrians were eliminated from further contention.

Schachter was the best scorer of the match with 15 points. Dan added 10 points to the win on a match-high of 4 blocks, 5 kills and one ace.

On the other hand, Chase Budinger and Miles Evans of the United States dropped their final pool match to Pablo Herrera and Adrian Gavira of Spain 2-0 (21-18, 21-11) to finish third in Pool F.

With the win by Netherlands over France, Budinger and Evans avoided outright elimination.

With the format at the Paris Olympics, all the third-place finishers in pool play move on in some capacity. The top two third-place teams automatically advance to the Round of 16 as the 13 and 14 seed. The other four third-place finishers fall into the lucky loser category to determine who will fill out 15-16 seeds. Tiebreaker placement among third-place pool finishers is first determined by total match points, then set ratio if necessary, and then total point ratio if tiebreaking statistics are still necessary.

Both Schachter/Dearing and Budinger/Evans will have to wait until the conclusion of pool play on Saturday before their next match is officially determined.

Olympic Games Paris 2024 Beach Volleyball: schedule and results

PARIS, France, August 1, 2024.-  The U.S. beach team of Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss rallied from one set down to finish 3-0 and finish first in Pool B with a 2-1 (15-21, 21-16, 15-12) two-hour win over Xue Chen and Xia Xinyi of China on Thursday. Kloth/Nuss advanced directly to the Round of 16, which begins on Sunday, August 4.

Nuss scored 23 points on 21 kills and two blocks with Nuss, who made several key plays in the final moments of the match, totaling 16 points on 14 kills and a pair of aces. Kloth/Nuss made only seven errors in the three sets while the pair from China finished with 12 errors.

Xue/X. Y. Xia ran out to a 5-1 lead and never trailed by fewer than two points the rest of the set, scoring consecutive points at 7-5 and 11-8 to stretch the lead to five. A China ace and a U.S. hitting error led to a timeout with the U.S. trailing 16-9. Kloth/Nuss scored the next three points to shave the deficit to four points before a side switch but would get no closer. Kloth recorded six kills in the set.

A great dig by Nuss helped give the U.S. an early lead, 5-3, in the second set. Xue/X. Y. Xia evened the set but with the score 7-7, Nuss connected on a kill off the net and recorded her first ace to regain a two-point advantage. A Kloth kill extended the lead to three points, 11-8.

The teams exchanged points until a kill by Nuss stretched the margin to four, 15-11, and shortly thereafter, Kloth’s second block of the set made it 17-12. The Chinese duo staged a comeback by scoring the next three points before Nuss poked a shot into the back corner and recorded her second ace for a 19-15 lead. Nuss ended a long rally to give the U.S. its first set point of the match. A service error sent the match to a deciding set. Kloth scored nine points on seven kills and her two blocks with Nuss also recorded nine points on seven kills to go with her two aces.

Kloth registered her second kill of the third set to give the U.S. a 3-2 lead before a rain delay paused the match. After a lengthy delay that cleared out most of the fans other than NBA legend LeBron James, the teams returned to the court with neither team able to take a two-point lead until the U.S. used a 4-0 run to take a 12-9 lead. Nuss scored the final two points in the run, one on an angle shot after a great did and another on a shot down the line.

“They just kept giving us updates every 15-20 minutes,” Nuss said of the delay. “It was looking positive it was going to go through so we figured we would be playing and we were just working with our trainer to stay warm.”

Xue/X. Y. Xia came right back to score the next two points to draw within one point, 12-11 and looked like they may even the set with a serve that trickled over the net. Ness made a great play to keep the ball in play and made it 13-11 with a well-placed kill. Kloth pounded a ball down to give the U.S. match point. After a service error gave China life, Nuss ended the match with her fifth kill of the set. Kloth registered seven kills.

“I just thought back to practice when our coach is like you have to win these five points right now,” Kloth said. “It’s just kind of like at the end of practice, you’re dead tired and it’s no you are going to find a way, both of you two on your side, you’re going to earn five points, earn ten points.”

PARIS, France, august 1, 2024.- Miles Partain and Andy Benesh reach the Round of 16 with a three-set win over Brazil to finish second in Pool D, Cubans Jorge Alayo and Noslen Diaz earned the pool top spot with a perfect record beating Morocco on Thursday.

The youngest U.S. men’s beach team in Olympic history, Miles Partain and Andy Benesh, advanced at the Paris Olympics with a 2-1 (21-17, 14-21, 15-8) win over George Wanderley and Andre Loyola of Brazil in gusty conditions.

The U.S. finished second in Pool D with a 2-1 record. George/Andre placed third with a 1-2 mark. The Round of 16 takes place on Sunday, August 4.

“They are one of the best teams in the world,” Benesh said. “I knew we needed to bring our game today the way we want to play. We were super aggressive, I thought Miles played great, and then our mentality was really solid going in and we held it throughout the match. We are super proud of how we came into that match, and we were able to persist with that win today.”

Both players scored 18 points with Partain, the youngest U.S. men’s Olympic beach player at age 22, totaling 15 kills, a block and a pair of aces that came in the deciding set. Benesh finished with 11 kills, four blocks (three in the final set) and three aces. Brazil committed 17 errors, while the U.S. made half of its 14 errors in the second set.

“We are going to recover and then just trying to stay as positive as possible for the rest of the tournament,” Partain said. “Train as hard as we can. Keep doing scouting, watching film and playing to our strengths and enjoying it.”

Earlier, Cubans Jorge Diaz and Noslen Alayo finished first place in the pool with a perfect 3-0 mark and without losing a set after beating Morocco’s Abicha/Elgraoui 2-0 (21-14, 21-11).

Noslen Diaz was the leading scorer in the match with 20 points on 15 kills and five blocks. Jorge Alayo added 15points all on kills. Cuba committed 11 errors against 7 from Morocco.

Olympic Games Paris 2024 Beach Volleyball: schedule and results

PARIS, France, July 31, 2024.- Americans Sara Hughes and Kelly Cheng won their second match in a row and Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson of Canada dropped their record 1-1 on Wednesday at the Paris Olympics.

Hughes/Cheng won their second match in a row in straight sets with a 2-0 (21-16, 23-21) win over Clémence Vieira and Aline Chamereau of host France.

Hughes/Cheng complete pool play competition against the German team of Svenja Müller and Cinja Tillmann on Friday, August 2.

“It’s great being 2-0 in pool play so far,” Hughes said. “That France team played really really well. At some point we got behind, but we just looked at each other and said hey, we just have to take it one point at a time. We didn’t get flustered or anything, we just kept going for it.”

Cheng led all players with 20 points with match-highs of 16 kills and three blocks, adding an ace. Hughes finished with 11 points on 10 kills and an ace, and eight digs. Cheng added four digs.

“I think all those little things just connect us, unite us, keep us talking, keep us on the same page,” Cheng said. “I think they are so important for us and our team and it pays off every match, win or lose.”

Also on Wednesday, 16th seeded Esmee Bobner & Zoe Verge-Depre of Switzerland achieved a 2-1 (21-18, 13-21, 15-11) upset of fourth-seeded Canadians Melissa Humana-Paredes and  Brandie Wilkerson to remain the only undefeated team in Pool D and progress to the eighthfinals.

Zoe led the way with 21 points, including two aces. Brandie also finished with 21, including four kill blocks and three aces. In the same pool earlier in the day, Latvia’s Tina Graudina & Anastasija Samoilova, seeded ninth, achieved their first win at Paris 2024, a 2-0 (21-19, 21-15) straight-setter against Paraguay’s Giuliana Poletti & Michelle Valiente, with Tina leading the way with 22 points.

So, on Saturday, when the Latvians and the Canadians meet in the last Pool D, the winners will also gain a direct ticket to the last 16.

Olympic Games Paris 2024 Beach Volleyball: schedule and results

PARIS, France, July 30, 2024.- Jorge Alayo and Noslen Díaz lead Pool D unbeaten, Miles Partain and Andy Benesh earned their first Olympic win and Miles Evans and Chase Budinger dropped to 1-1 at the Eiffel Tower stadium on Tuesday.

In Pool D, the first match of the day had Cubans Jorge Alayo and Noslen Diaz beating Brazilians Andre Loyola and George Wanderley 2-0 (21-13, 21-18).

With the results, the Cubans lead the pool with four points and are guaranteed in the Round of 16 and will end pool-play on August 1 against Mohammed Abicha and Zouheir Elgraoui of Morocco.

Alayo scored a match-high of 6 blocks, 13 kills and one ace, totalizing 20 points. Diaz scored 15 points on 13 kills and two aces, in addition to a match-high of five digs.

Playing in nearly 115-degree heat on center court, Miles Partain and Andy Benesh of the United States outlasted Mohammed Abicha and Zouheir Elgraoui of Morocco, 2-0 (21-12, 28-26) to even their record at 1-1 in Pool D.

Partain/Benesh will play their final pool match Thursday, August 1 against George Wanderley and Andre Loyola of Brazil.

Benesh posted match-highs of 16 kills and 20 points, adding a block and three of the four aces in the match. Partain scored 16 points on 15 kills and the other ace, adding a match-best nine digs.

In Pool F, after opening the Paris Olympics with a win yesterday, the U.S. beach team of Miles Evans and Chase Budinger dropped to 1-1 with a 2-0 (21-13, 21-15) loss to Stefan Boermans and Yorick de Groot of the Netherlands. Boermans/de Groot moved to 2-0.

Evans/Budinger complete pool play on Friday, August 2 against Pablo Herrera and Adrián Gavira of Spain.

Budinger finished the match with 12 points on 11 kills and an ace. Evans totaled 11 points on10 kills and an ace. The U.S. made 14 errors compared to five for their opponents.

Olympic Games Paris 2024 Beach Volleyball: schedule and results

PARIS, France, July 29, 2024.-Facing the silver medalists from the Tokyo Games, the U.S. beach team of Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss stayed unbeaten and Melissa Humana-Paredes alongside Brandie Wilkerson of Canada kick off with a win in the Paris Olympics

Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss stayed unbeaten with a 2-0 (21-16, 21-16) victory over Mariafe Artacho Del Solar and Taliqua Clancy of Australia on Monday. Kloth/Nuss are now 2-0, while the Australian team fell to 1-1.

The world’s No. 2 ranked team, Kloth and Nuss will conclude pool play against Xue Chen and Xia Xinyi of China on Thursday.

Nuss registered a double-double with 14 points (12 kills, 2 aces) and 16 digs. Kloth joined Nuss with 12 kills and added four digs. The U.S. benefited from 13 Australian errors.

“I truly think it is trusting your training,” said Kloth. “Trusting each other and trusting your coach that he trained us and we really did work very hard and did very meticulous training to get here.”

“For us it’s obviously very pressure-filled moments,” said Nuss. “I think sometimes it’s one person needs to rely on the other person and vice versa and I think that’s really important in a team dynamic, so we are just going to keep trying to do that.”

Fourth-seeded Melissa Humana-Paredes & Brandie Wilkerson of Canada did not allow any surprises in Monday’s Pool D match against rising Paraguayan stars Giuliana Poletti & Michelle Valiente, seeded 21, and hammered out a 2-0 (21-16, 21-12) shutout.

Brandie scored 16 points (12 kills, 2 blocks, 2 aces), while Melissa scored 15 points (13 kills, 2 aces) and ended with 13 successful digs. Canada benefited from 11 opponent errors and gave away 7.

Melissa and Brandie will be back under the Eiffel Tower on July 31 against Swiss Esmée/Zoe.

Olympic Games Paris 2024 Beach Volleyball: schedule and results

PARIS, France. July 29, 2024.- Playing before a sold-out crowd on the hottest day of the Paris Olympics so far, the U.S. beach team of Miles Evans and Chase Budinger began their Olympic journey with a 2-0 (21-14, 21-11) win over Youssef Krou and Arnaud Gauthier-Rat of host France.

The duo, which began partnering last year, comes right back tomorrow, July 30 to face Stefan Boermans and Yorick de Groot of the Netherlands.

Evans, whose passing had his team in system on nearly every rally, totaled 13 kills, two blocks and six digs. Budinger, whose presence at the net set the tone early, finished with six kills, four blocks and three service aces.

“It felt good against a good opponent,” Budinger said. “They have kind of had our number the last few times in a row so because of that we knew that we had to come out strong because they had that leverage over us.”

Evans/Budinger started the match quickly, scoring the first three points and seven of the first nine with Budinger, the first person in history to appear in an NBA regular season game and in the Olympics in beach volleyball, repeatedly thwarting Krou/Gauthier-Rat at the net. Evans capped a 7-1 by pushing a second ball into the open court and giving the U.S. tandem a 17-7 lead.

The France team responded with five consecutive points to force the U.S. to take its timeout but could not get any closer. Evans scored the team’s last three points to finish the set with 10 points on eight kills and two blocks.

“We came out strong,” Evans said. “It looked like we were a little more composed than they were. I think our game plan really went our way and our coach, Chase and I executed that game plan in a great way. I thought we passed really well and just kind of handled a lot of the nerves.”

After surrendering three of the first four points in the second set, Evans/Budinger regained the lead for good by scoring five of the next six points to take a 6-4 lead. At that point in the match, the French team had recorded eight kills and eight errors trying to find a way around Budinger’s presence at the net. A 6-1 U.S. run culminating with a Budinger block made it 12-6.

Krou/Gauthier-Rat got as close as they would get at 13-9, but Evans/Budinger ended the match on an 8-2 run. Budinger scored the team’s final four points, including his fourth block and third ace of the match.

Olympic Games Paris 2024 Beach Volleyball: schedule and results

PARIS, France, July 28, 2024.-  In their first Olympic match together, the U.S. beach team of Sara Hughes and Kelly Cheng, ranked No. 3 in the world, started rolling late in the first set and went on to defeat Barbora Hermannova and Marie-Sara Stochlova of Czechia, 2-0 (21-16, 21-11) on Sunday.

The reigning world champions and former college national champions at USC, who came back together as a team in 2022, return to the beach against Clémence Vieira and Aline Chamereau of the host country, France, on Tuesday, July 30 at 3 p.m. local.

Cheng totaled 18 points on 15 kills, two blocks and an ace. Hughes registered 12 points with 10 kills and two blocks, in addition to 16 digs.

“I wouldn’t want to do be doing it with anyone else,” said Hughes. “That chemistry, that unity, that communication, we have that and so to play on the worlds largest stage together feels good.”

The opening set featured 13 ties and was still deadlocked at 15-15 when the U.S. duo finished the set by scoring six of the last seven points. Cheng produced a kill while on the run, ended a strong rally with a shot down the line and scored again on the second ball of a great dig by Hughes to give the U.S. the first three-point lead by either team, 18-15. A Cheng block made it 19-15 and after a Czechia point, Cheng scored back-to-back points to end the set.

“We tried to overcommunicate. It’s different in that stadium, the ball moves a little bit different so we’re just trying to be calm, patient, and just communicating with each other every step of the way,” said Cheng. “We were a little jittery at the beginning of the first, but we settled in.”

Strong play by Cheng at the net and a cut shot by Hughes forced the Czechia team to use its timeout early at 5-2 in the second set. After a hitting error made it 6-2, Czechia scored three consecutive points to come within a point but were never able to even the score.

With a 9-8 lead, Hughes/Cheng went on a decisive 6-1 run with Hughes scoring four points in that stretch and finishing the run with an ace. Just as they did in the opening set, Hughes/Cheng ended the second set on a 6-1 run. A block and ace by Cheng made it 18-10. The match ended on a Hughes kill after an exhaustive rally. Hughes scored nine points on seven kills and a pair of aces, and Cheng added eight points on six kills, a block and an ace.

 Olympic Games Paris 2024 Beach Volleyball: schedule and results

TLAXCALA, Mexico, June 23, 2024. – Samuel Schachter and Daniel Dearing of Canada confirmed their talent by winning the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Continental Qualifying Tournament for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, winning the gold medal.

Schachter/Dearing triumphed with a decisive 21-13, 21-13 victory over the host team of Juan Virgen and Ricardo Galindo. Despite the support of the fans who filled the Jorge “El Ranchero” Aguilar bullring, the Mexican duo couldn’t stop the Canadians.

“This is incredible. It’s hard to describe. We’ve worked so hard to achieve this goal, and succeeding is an amazing feeling for us. Our entire team is part of our group and part of our victory, and I think everyone can share in this experience and the love,” said Sam Schachter.

“We are thrilled to go and showcase our best and represent our country on the Olympic stage,” he added. Reflecting on his teammate Dearing, he said, “These will be his first Olympic Games. So, we were obviously trying to prepare and manage all the emotions leading up to this match. He was incredibly resilient, even dealing with injuries. He’s so talented, and we have a great relationship and connection, which played a significant role in helping us come through under pressure and deliver our best performance.”

“I haven’t fully realized what we’ve accomplished yet. I focused on every match, every set, every point, and every breath. It feels amazing. We will celebrate tonight and truly feel all this joy, and then we’ll focus on Paris,” said Dearing.

“We were focused all year on the Beach Pro Tour. We had our ups and downs, discussed everything as a team, and aimed to prepare for this tournament. I think we did a great job.”

Schachter/Dearing advanced to the final by defeating Rubén Mora and Dany López of Nicaragua 2-0 (21-18, 21-16) in the semifinals. Meanwhile, the Mexican pair Galindo/Virgen comfortably overcame Christopher and Yoel Guardado from El Salvador 2-0 (21-13, 21-9).

The Guardado twins from El Salvador continued their impressive run by defeating Mora/López of Nicaragua 2-1 (12-21, 21-19, 15-12) to claim the bronze medal in their first Olympic qualifying event, the youngest pair in the competition.

Results Final Day

Gold Medal: Schachter/Dearing CAN d Galindo/Virgen MEX 2-0 (21-13, 21-13). Bronze Medal: Guardado Y./Guardado C. ESA d Mora/Lopez NCA 2-1 (12-21, 21-19, 15-12); 5th De Jesus/Martinez DOM d Mayer/Penberthy ISV 2-1 (21-13, 14-21, 15-4); 7th Blanco/Garcia GUA d D. Dyner/Varela CRC  2-0 (21-18, 21-17); 9th Torres/Rivera PUR  d Sporkslede/Pinas SUR  2-0 (21-7, 21-14); 11th Nage/Hodge SKN  d Theodore/Enile TTO 2-0 (22-20, 21-15)

Positions 5-8: Mayer/Penberthy ISV d D. Dyner/Varela CRC  2-1 (13-21, 21-14, 15-13)

De Jesus/Martinez DOM d Blanco/Garcia GUA 2-0 (21-17, 25-23)

Semifinals: Galindo/Virgen MEX d Guardado Y./Guardado C. ESA 2-0 (21-13, 21-9); Schachter/Dearing CAN d Mora/Lopez  NCA 2-0 (21-18, 21-16)

TLAXCALA, Mexico, June 22, 2024. – Mexico, Canada, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic continue their quest to reach the Olympics, moving int’ the women’s semifinals at the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Olympic Qualifier Tournament.

Canadian Olympian Heather Bansley and teammate Sophie Bukovec secured their spot in the semifinals by winning Pool B and then dominating Amber Bennett and Taylor Buchner from the U.S. Virgin Islands with a convincing 2-0 (21-6, 21-11) win in the quarterfinals.

Bansley and Bukovec have been competing in Beach Pro Tour events, including a recent tournament in Guadalajara, where they secured third place. Here in Tlaxcala semifinals, they will face the 2023 Central American and Caribbean champions, Allanis Navas and María González of Puerto Rico, who defeated Socorro López and Lolette Rodríguez of Nicaragua with a solid 2-0 (21-4, 21-14) victory in their quarterfinal match.

Navas and González have been training for over a year to achieve their Olympic dream. This year, they earned two silver medals and one bronze in the NORCECA Tour events held in the Dominican Republic and Cuba, finishing sixth at the Continental Final in the Dominican Republic.

In the other bracket, Mexico’s Atenas Gutiérrez and Susana Torres advanced undefeated from Pool A and secured their semifinal spot by beating Ximena Nuñez and Kianny Araya of Costa Rica 2-0 (21-12, 21-15) in the quarterfinals.

The Mexican pair trained extensively in Brazil and this year finished third in the NORCECA Tour event in the Dominican Republic and matched that position in the NORCECA Tour Final.

Their semifinal opponents will be the Dominicans Jubileth Payano and Martha Paniagua, who defeated Paola Alvarado and María Orellana of Guatemala 2-0 (21-18, 21-15) in the quarterfinals.

Payano and Paniagua are always ranked among the top six pairs in NORCECA, although they have yet to reach the podium. They missed out on the bronze medal at the third stop of the 2024 NORCECA Tour in the Dominican Republic, losing to Puerto Rico’s Navas and González.

Quarterfinal Results

Navas/González PUR d Lopez/Lolette NCA 2-0 (21-4, 21-14); Payano/Paniagua DOM d Alvarado/Orellana GUA 2-0 (21-18, 21-15); Gutiérrez/Torres MEX d Nuñez/Araya CRC 2-0 (21-12, 21-15); Bansley/Bukovec CAN d Bennett/Buckner ISV 2-0 (21-6, 21-11).

Saturday’s Results / Women’s pool-play

Pool A: Gutiérrez/Torres MEX d López/Lolette NCA 2-0 (21-6, 21-11); Bennett/Buckner ISV d Balkaran/Tammenga SUR 2-0 (21-9, 21-6).

Pool B: Bansley/Bukovec CAN d Nuñez/Araya CRC 2-0 (21-7, 21-9); Alvarado/Orellana GUA d Thornia/Stafford GRN 2-0 (21-17, 21-16)

Pool C: Navas/González PUR d Payano/Paniagua DOM 2-0 (21-17, 21-10); Vigil/Tobar ESA d A. Delapenha/B Delapenha CAY 2-0 (21-6, 21-7).

TLAXCALA, Mexico, June 20, 2024.– El Salvador pulled off an upset against Guatemala to join Mexico, Canada, and Nicaragua in the semifinals of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Olympic Qualification Tournament in Tlaxcala, Mexico.

The Guardado twins, Christopher and Yoel, from El Salvador, surprised everyone by defeating Andy Leonardo and Luis García of Guatemala 2-0 (21-16, 26-24) in the quarterfinals. This marks their debut in Olympic qualification, and they are undoubtedly the youngest duo in the tournament.

Meanwhile, hosts Juan Virgen and Ricardo Galindo took a significant step towards their aspirations by overcoming the Dominican pair Hayerling Goris and Oscar Martínez.

The experienced Mexican player Virgen, alongside Galindo, advanced to the semifinals with a hard-fought three-set victory over Goris/Martínez, winning 2-1 (21-11, 18-21, 15-11). Virgen, who holds the record for the most medals in the NORCECA Tour and was an Olympian at Rio 2016, is also the current Central American and Caribbean Games champion.

Virgen and Galindo are set to face the Guardado twins from El Salvador in the semifinals.

Olympian Samuel Schachter and his partner Daniel Dearing from Canada displayed their skills by securing the top spot in their pool and then defeated Costa Rica’s Daniel Dyner and Jhostin Varela 2-0 (21-9, 21-12) in the quarterfinals.

This year, the Canadian duo finished second in the NORCECA Continental Cup final in Juan Dolio and competed in the Beach Pro Tour in Xiamen, Saquarema, Recife, Doha, and Poland earlier this June, where they reached the round of 16 before losing to Cuba’s Noslen Diaz and Jorge Alayo.

Schachter and Dearing will meet Rubén Mora and Dany López of Nicaragua in the semifinals. Mora and López advanced by defeating Bryce Mayer and Tyler Penberthy of the U.S. Virgin Islands with a double 21-15.

Results Pool-Play

Pool A: Galindo/Virgen MEX d ISV Mayer/Penberthy 2-1 (19-21, 21-12, 18-16); Dyner/Varela CRC d Nage/Hodge SKN 2-0 (21-10, 21-14).

Pool B: Guardado Y./Guardado C. ESA  d Sporkslede/Pinas SUR 2-0 (21-9, 21-14); Schachter/Dearing CAN d De Jesus/Martinez DOM 2-0 (21-18, 21-16).

Pool C:  Blanco/García GUA d Theodore/Enile TTO 2-0 (21-17, 21-14); Mora/Lopez NCA d Torres/Rivera PUR 2-0 (24-22, 24-22).

Results Men’s Quarterfinals

Rubén Mora/Dany López (NCA) d Bryce Mayer/ Tyler Penberthy (ISV) 2-0 (21-15, 21-15); Samuel Schachter/ Daniel Dearing (CAN); Daniel Dyner/Jhostin Varela (CRC) 2-0 (21-9,21-12); Yoel Guardado/Christopher Guardado (ESA) d Andy Leonardo/Luis García (GUA) 2-0 (21-16, 26-24); Ricardo Galindo/Juan Virgen (MEX);  Hayerling Goris/Oscar Martínez (DOM); 2-1 (21-11, 18-21, 15-11).

TLAXCALA, Mexico, June 21, 2024.- Five women pairs secured two wins each on the opening day of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Olympic Qualifying Tournament, leaving the Round of 16 to be decided on Saturday in Tlaxcala, Mexico.

In Pool A, the local duo of Atenas Gutiérrez and Susana Torres defeated teams from the U.S. Virgin Islands and Suriname. Nicaraguans Socorro López and Lolette Rodríguez, also beat the same teams. The first place in the pool will be determined on Saturday at 10:00 a.m.

Atenas Gutiérrez from Mexico said: “We are happy to have secured the wins and are ready to take first place in the group tomorrow. We have met the goals we set for ourselves and are moving step by step with motivation and confidence”.

In Pool B, the Canadian duo of Heather Bansley and Sophie Bukovec started with comfortable wins against Guatemala and Grenada, while Paola Alvarado and María Orellana from Guatemala surprised Costa Rica.

Heather Bansley said: “We were very motivated to play today, it was really enjoyable, and we managed to make game adjustments considering the atmosphere here in Tlaxcala. The organizers did a great job, and we really enjoyed the vibe here. It’s great to be back in NORCECA; this is where I started playing, and it’s nice to see familiar faces. We are taking it one game at a time. We still have a pool-play match left, and that’s our approach, one match at a time”.

The Puerto Rican duo of Allanis Navas and María González dominated Pool C with wins over the Cayman Islands and El Salvador. They will compete for first place in their pool  against Jubileth Payano and Crismil Paniagua from the Dominican Republic, who also secured two wins against the same opponents.

María González from Puerto Rico commented: “It was a very good day. We came out strong to do our job, and we love the atmosphere. We’ve been here for a week and a half adapting, and we feel very prepared. We were aware of the altitude and the cold, which are factors, so we are ready for whatever comes next. We’ve been focused on this dream for a year and have worked for it very hard”.

Friday Results:

Pool A: Lopez/Lolette (NCA) d Bennet/Buckner (ISV) 2-1 (17-21, 21-14, 15-13); Gutiérrez/Torres MEX d Balkaran/Tammenga (SUR) 2-0 (21-12, 21-9); Lopez/Lolette (NCA) d Balkaran/Tammenga (SUR) 2-0 (21-16, 21-10);  Gutiérrez/Torres MEX d Bennet/Buckner (ISV) 2-0 (21-5, 21-9).

Pool B: Alvarado/Orellana (GUA) d Nuñez/Quesada (CRC) 2-1 (21-18, 10-21, 15-10); Bansley/Bukovec (CAN) d Thornia/Stafford (GRN) 2-0 (21-9, 21-5); Nuñez/Quesada (CRC) d Thornia/Stafford (GRN) 2-0 (21-7, 21-14); Bansley/Bukovec (CAN) d Alvarado/Orellana (GUA) 2-0 (21-9, 21-13).

Pool C: Payano/Paniagua (DOM) d Vigil/Tobar (ESA) 2-0 (21-13, 21-13);  Navas/González (PUR) d A. Delapenha/ B Delapenha (CAY) 2-0 (21-1, 21-7);  Navas/González (PUR) d Vigil/Tobar (ESA) 2-0 (21-8, 21-8); Payano/Paniagua (DOM) d A. Delapenha/ B Delapenha (CAY) 2-0 (21-6, 21-5).

TLAXCALA, Mexico, June 21, 2024.- Suspense dominated the first day of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Olympic Qualifying Tournament in the men’s division, with Canada, Mexico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Nicaragua remaining undefeated under intense pressure from their opponents.

In Pool A, Mexico’s duo Juan Virgen and Ricardo Galindo, along with Bryce Mayer and Tyler Penberthy from the U.S. Virgin Islands, are unbeaten.

Virgen/Galindo won a hard-fought three-set match against Costa Rica and also defeated Saint Kitts and Nevis. Mayer/Tyler Penberthy surprised by also beating Costa Rica and Saint Kitts and Nevis.

On Saturday, Mexico and the U.S. Virgin Islands will face off to determine who advances to the quarterfinals as pool top finisher, while Costa Rica will aim to secure a spot as one of the best third-place teams.

Bryce Mayer from the U.S. Virgin Islands said, “It feels great to get these wins today, and we are ready for tomorrow’s match against Mexico. Costa Rica is a very good team; they play really well. I think beating them was important for boosting our morale and looking forward to bigger things. We are very excited to play against Mexico”.

In Pool B, Samuel Schachter and Daniel Dearing from Canada defeated El Salvador and Suriname. They will play against the Dominican Republic on Saturday, who lost to El Salvador and need a victory to reach the quarterfinals.

In Pool C, Nicaragua’s Rubén Mora and Danny López secured two wins, against Trinidad and Tobago and Guatemala’s Andy Leonardo and Luis García, who had earlier defeated Arnaldo Torres and William Rivera from Puerto Rico. Mora/López will aim to secure the top spot in the group when they face Torres/Rivera.

Rubén Mora from Nicaragua said: “First, I want to thank God for being here once again at an Olympic Qualifier and especially for starting the competition with these two wins. We are physically well-prepared and have quickly adapted to the altitude here in Tlaxcala, as we were here last year for the Beach Volleyball World Championship. Tomorrow, we have a very important game against Puerto Rico, and we will give it our all on the court because with each victory we achieve, we are closer to our Olympic dream.”

Friday Results:

Pool A: Galindo/Virgen (MEX) d Nage/Hodge (SKN) 2-0 (21-13, 21-6); Mayer/Penberthy ISV d D. Dyner/Varela (CRC) 2-0 (21-17, 1-16); Galindo/Virgen (MEX) d D. Dyner/Varela (CRC) 2-1 (17-21, 21-16, 15-11); Mayer/Penberthy ISV d Nage/Hodge (SKN) 2-0 (21-17, 21-16)

Pool B:  Guardado/Guardado (ESA) d De Jesús/Martínez (DOM) 2-1 (18-21, 21-19, 15-13); Schachter/Dearing (CAN) d Sporkslede/Dwarkasing (SUR) 2-0 (21-13, 21-14); De Jesús/Martínez (DOM) d Sporkslede/Dwarkasing (SUR) 2-0 (21-11, 21-11); Schachter/Dearing (CAN) d Guardado/Guardado (ESA) 2-0 (21-15, 21-13)

Pool C

Blanco/García (GUA) d Torres/Rivera (PUR) 2-0 (21-16, 21-17): Mora/López (NCA) d Theodore/Enile (TTO) 2-0 (21-11, 21-13); Torres/Rivera (PUR) d Theodore/Enile (TTO) 2-0 (21-8, 21-12); Mora/López (NCA) d Blanco/García (GUA) 2-0 (21-17, 21-18)

TLAXCALA, Mexico, June 20, 2024. – This Thursday officially marked the start of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Tlaxcala, which will award one berth in both the men and women for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The registration of the pairs and the court training were part of the kickoff for the most important Olympic event in the NORCECA Confederation.

In the men’s category, NORCECA has already secured berths vie world ranking for the Cuban team of Jorge Alayo/Noslen Díaz and two U.S. pairs: Andy Benesh/Miles Partain and Chase Budinger/Miles Evans.

Thus, the remaining spot will be contested by 12 pairs from the same number of countries starting this Friday, all vying for the ticket to Paris.

Samuel Schachter/Daniel Dearing from Canada are among the most experienced teams in this qualifier. Schachter competed in the 2016 Olympic Games with Josh Binstock. Schachter is seeking redemption after being eliminated in the final of the Olympic qualifying tournament for Tokyo 2020 by Mexico (each country played with two pairs).

Meanwhile, Rio 2016 Olympian and Mexico’s most decorated player in the NORCECA Tour, Juan Virgen, who recently won the Central American and Caribbean Games 2023 and has multiple medals from these games, will team up this time with young talent Ricardo Galindo.

Other strong teams are Rubén Mora/Danny López (NCA), Andy Leonardo/Luis García (GUA), the Dominican duo Hayerling Goris/Oscar Martínez, and Puerto Ricans Arnaldo Torres/William Rivera.

The remaining pairs are: Daniel Dyner/Jhostin Varela (CRC); Yoel Guardado/Christopher Guardado (ESA); Nage Hendrickson/St Clair Hodge (SKN); Keven Sporkslede/Joshua Dwarkasing (SUR); Joel Theodore/Stephen Enile (TTO); Bryce Mayer/Tyler Penberthy (ISV).

Pool A consists of Galindo/Virgen (MEX), Mayer/Penberthy (ISV), D. Dyner/Varela (CRC), and Nage/Hodge (SKN).

Pool B includes De Jesús/Martínez (DOM), Guardado/Guardado (ESA), Schachter/Dearing (CAN), and Sporkslede/Dwarkasing (SUR).

Pool C features Torres/Rivera (PUR), Blanco/García (GUA), Mora/López (NCA), and Theodore/Enile (TTO).

The competition system will be a preliminary poo-play, with the top two teams from each pool  and the two best third-place teams advancing to the quarterfinals.

The matches will begin at 9:00 a.m. at the Jorge “El Ranchero” Aguilar Bullring and the MAT court.

TLAXCALA, Mexico, June 20, 2024. – The NORCECA Beach Volleyball Olympic Qualifying Women’s Tournament is set for a thrilling competition, promising a competition full of excitement.

With only one ticket to Paris available for the NORCECA Confederation, the participating countries have come a long way over three years to reach this Olympic qualifier stage and have no intention of falling short now.

The Canadian pair Heather Bansley/Sophie Bukovec are eager to join their compatriots Melissa Humana-Paredes/Brandie Wilkerson, who secured their spot in Paris vie the world rankings.

Bansley competed in the 2016 London Olympics, winning all pool-play matches with her former teammate Sarah Pavan.

The United States has already qualified their maximum of two pairs (Taryn Kloth/Kristen Nuss and Kelly Cheng/Sara Hughes).

Among Bansley and Bukovec’s strong competitors are the Mexican duo of Atenas Gutiérrez/Susana Torres and the Puerto Rican duo Allanis Navas/María González, who are gold medalists from the Central American and Caribbean Games and have multiple medals in the NORCECA Tour.

The teams are divided into three pools.

Pool A consists of Atenas Gutiérrez/Susana Torres (MEX), Socorro López/Lolette Rodríguez (NCA), Amber Bennett/Taylor Buchner (ISV), and Balkaran/Tammenga (SUR).

Pool B includes Núñez/Quesada (CRC), Paola Alvarado/María Andrea Orellana (GUA), Bansley/Bukovec (CAN), and Thornia Mitchell/Renisha Stafford (GRN).

Pool C features the teams of Payano/Paniagua (DOM), Daniela Vigil/Karla Tovar (ESA), Navas/González (PUR), and Anija Delapenha/Brianna Delapenha (CAY).

The top two teams from each pool, along with the two best third-placed teams, will advance to the quarterfinals.

The women’s matches will start at 9:00 a.m. at the Jorge “El Ranchero” Aguilar Bullring and the MAT court, continuing until 11:00 a.m., and will resume action at 3:00 p.m. at both venues.