JUAN DOLIO, Dominican Republic, July 9, 2025.- The American duo of Jordyn Scribner and Ella Grimes captured the women’s gold medal at the NORCECA U18 Beach Volleyball Qualifier, defeating Mexico’s Angela Pérez and Melina Román in straight sets 2-0 (22-20, 21-17) in the final held on the sands of Juan Dolio.
The bronze medal went to Canada’s Ruby Cochrane and Sophie Hancock, who battled through a three-set victory over Puerto Rico’s Itzamar Arana and Yamila González, winning 2-1 (21-10, 15-21, 15-10).
The final available berth to the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship 2025 was claimed by Nicaragua’s Yulimar Alvarado and Brisa Bermúdez, who defeated El Salvador’s Fátima Rendón and Devora Medina in a thrilling match 2-0 (23-21, 21-16).
Winners
The five teams qualified for the FIVB World Championship are: United States, Mexico, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Nicaragua.
In other results, Guatemala’s Harumi Monney and Mónica Cano finished seventh after a 2-0 (21-8, 21-16) win over the Dominican Republic’s Zoe Paniagua and Steyce Turbi.
Costa Rica’s Mariana Vindas and Luciana Soto took ninth place by defeating Bermuda’s Olivia Gazzard and Sophie Weikl 2-0 (22-20, 21-19).
Luna Ebanks and Krisi Smith of the Cayman Islands secured 11th place with a 2-0 (21-9, 21-8) victory over Antigua’s Philisha Burnette and Nevaeh Robertson.
Finally, Anguilla’s duo of Cynne’ Liburd and Cayla Jno-Baptiste placed 13th after beating Sarah Mohammed and Jenissa Morrison of Trinidad and Tobago 2-0 (21-10, 21-11).
Other results of the day were: ESA Rendon/Medina d GUA Monney/Cano 2-0 (21-17, 21-14), NCA Alvarado/Bermúdez d DOM Paniagua/Turbi 2-0 (21-9, 21-18), USA Scribner/Grimes d CAN Cochrane/Hancock 2-1 (23-25, 21-12, 15-11), MEX Pérez/Román d PUR Arana/González 2-0 (21-16, 21-10).
JUAN DOLIO, Dominican Republic, July 9, 2025.- The American duo of Matix Williams and Colten Mortensen claimed the gold medal at the NORCECA U18 Beach Volleyball Qualifier, defeating Canada’s Misha Panasiouk and Bryce Kim in straight sets 2-0 (21-15, 21-15) on the sands of Juan Dolio.
The bronze medal went to Mexico’s Eduardo Escoto and José Bojórquez, who overcame Nicaragua’s Justin Barrios and Edgar Holmann 2-0 (21-15, 21-19).
The fifth and final berth to the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship 2025 was secured by Guatemala’s Fredy Luna and Robin Oliva, who beat Dylan Lynee and William Duty of the Cayman Islands 2-0 (21-10, 21-16).
The Winners
The five teams qualified for the FIVB World Championship are: United States, Mexico, Canada, Nicaragua, and Guatemala.
In other results, Dominican Republic’s Wayner Comprés and Franklin Segura finished in seventh place after Costa Rica withdrew due to injury.
Mauro Morales and Rocco Figueroa took ninth place after a hard-fought three-set victory over Trinidad and Tobago’s Darion Sparks and Josie Cedeño 2-1 (21-11, 20-22, 15-12).
Meanwhile, Kymani Greenidge and Merchant A’Jahnai of the U.S. Virgin Islands secured 11th place with a 2-0 (21-10, 21-14) win over Julien Simon and Kaiden Smith of Grenada.
Finally, Dominica’s Anthony Caisto and Kailo Robinson placed 13th via bye.
Other results of the day were: CAY Lynee/Duty d CRC Josué Durán/Angel Carranza 2-1 (21-12, 19-21, 15-11), GUA Luna/Oliva d DOM Comprés/Segura 2-0 (21-17, 23-21), CAN Panasiouk/Kim d MEX Escoto/Bojorquez 2-1 (14-21, 21-18, 15-12), USA Williams/Mortensen d NCA Barrios/Holmann 2-0 (21-11, 21-10).
JUAN DOLIO, Dominican Republic, July 8, 2025.- The pairs from the United States (Jordyn Scribes/Ella Grimes), Canada (Ruby Cochrane/Sophie Hancock), Puerto Rico (Itzamar Arana/Yamila González), and Mexico (Angela Pérez/Melina Román) advanced to the semifinals of the NORCECA U18 Beach Volleyball Qualifier, securing their spots at the FIVB World Championship to be held October 7-11 in Doha, Qatar.
The U.S. duo Scribes/Grimes reached the semifinals by defeating Guatemala’s Harumi Monney/Mónica Cano in straight sets 2-0 (21-16, 21-8). They will face Canada’s Cochrane/Hancock, who earned their spot with a 2-0 (21-17, 21-14) victory over El Salvador’s Fátima Rendon/Devora Medina.
Angela Perez of Mexico
In the other quarterfinal matches, Puerto Rico’s Arana/González cruised past the local team of Zoe Paniagua/Steyce Turbi 2-0 (21-12, 21-10) and will meet Mexico’s Pérez/Román in the semifinals. The Mexican duo defeated Nicaragua’s Yulimar Alvarado/Brisa Bermúdez 2-0 (21-18, 21-11).
In the classification matches for 9th to 12th place, Bermuda’s Olivia Gazzard/Sophie Weikl defeated Antigua’s Philisha Burnette/Nevaeh Robertson 2-0 (21-14, 21-17), while Costa Rica’s Mariana Vindas/Luciana Soto swept Cayman Islands’ Luna Ebanks/Krisi Smith 2-0 (21-13, 21-15).
The semifinals and placement matches will be held on Wednesday morning, followed by the bronze and gold medal matches in the afternoon.
Other day results included: DOM Paniagua/Turbi d ANT Burnette/Robertson 2-0 (21-5, 21-6), CRC Vindas/Soto d TTO Sarah Mohammed/Jenissa Morrison 2-0 (21-4, 21-7), PUR Arana/González d ESA Rendon/Medina 2-1 (21-17, 19-21, 15-12), NCA Alvarado/Bermúdez d CAY Ebanks/Smith 2-0 (21-9, 21-13), USA Scribner/Grimes d BER Gazzard/Weikl 2-0 (21-3, 21-10), MEX Pérez/Román d AGU Cynne´ Liburd/Cayla Jno-Baptiste 2-0 (21-4, 21-5).
JUAN DOLIO, Dominican Republic, July 8, 2025.- The men’s pairs from Nicaragua, Canada, Mexico, and the United States advanced on Tuesday to the semifinals of the NORCECA U18 Beach Volleyball Qualifier, securing their spots at the FIVB World Championship to be held October 7-11 in Doa, Qatar.
Nicaragua’s duo Justin Barrios/Edgar Holmann cruised past Dominican Republic’ s Wayner Comprés/Franklin Segura in straight sets 2-0 (21-10, 21-10). They will face the U.S. team of Matix Williams and Colten Mortensen in the semifinals, after the Americans defeated Guatemala’s Fredy Luna/Robin Oliva 2-0 (21-17, 21-6).
Edgar Holmann of Nicaraua
Canada’s Misha Panasiouk/Bryce Kyim earned their semifinal spot with a 2-0 (21-17, 21-13) quarterfinal win over Costa Rica’s Josué Durán/Angel Carranza. They will meet Mexico’s Eduardo Escoto and José Bojorquez, who needed just two sets to overpower Dylan Lynee/William Duty of the Cayman Islands 2-0 (21-9, 21-7).
In the classification matches for 9th to 12th place, Darion Sparks/Josie Cedeno of Trinidad and Tobago beat the U.S. Virgin Islands team of Kymani Greeidge/Merchant A’jahani 2-0 (21-6, 21-19), while Puerto Rico’s Mauro Morales/Rocco Figueroa defeated Julien Simon/Kaiden Smith of Grenada in straight sets 2-0 (21-9, 21-12).
Semifinals and placement matches will take place Wednesday morning, followed by the bronze and gold medal matches in the afternoon.
Other results of the day were: DOM Comprés/Segura d GRN Simon/Smith 2-0 (21-5, 21-11), NCA Barrios/Holmann d ISV Greenidge/Merchant 2-0 (21-17, 21-14), GUA Luna/Oliva d TTO Sparks/Cedeno 2-0 (21-5, 21-13), USA Williams/Mortensen d DMA Anthony Caiston/Kailo Robinson 2-0 (21-3, 21-8), MEX Escoto/Bojorquez d PUR Morales/Figueroa 2-0 (21-6, 21-14).
JUAN DOLIO, Dominican Republic, July 7, 2025.- The women’s pairs from Canada (Ruby Cochrane/Sophie Hancock), El Salvador (Fátima Rendón/Devora Medina), Puerto Rico (Itzamar Martínez/Yamila González), Nicaragua (Yulimar Alvarado/Brisa Bermúdez), and the United States (Jordyn Scribner/Ella Grimes) kicked off the NORCECA U18 Beach Volleyball Qualifier with strong, undefeated performances on the first day of competition. The event is being held on the sands of Juan Dolio Beach in the Dominican Republic and serves as a qualifier for the FIVB U18 World Championship.
Canada’s Cochrane/Hancock were unstoppable in Pool A, winning both of their matches in straight sets. They defeated Philisha Brunette/Nevae Robertson of Antigua 2-0 (21-7, 21-2), and then Dominican Republic’s Zoe Paniagua/Steyce Turbi 2-0 (21-4, 21-11).
El Salvador
In Pool B, El Salvador’s Rendón/Medina secured two wins, first over Sarah Mohammed/Jenissa Morrison of Trinidad & Tobago 2-0 (21-3, 21-8), and then against Costa Rica’s Mariana Jiménez/Luciana Soto 2-0 (21-19, 21-16). In the same pool, Puerto Rico’s Martínez/González matched their success, defeating Jiménez/Soto (CRC) 2-0 (21-11, 21-18) and Mohammed/Morrison (TTO) 2-0 (21-7, 21-9).
In Pool C, Nicaragua’s Alvarado/Bermúdez beat Vernecia Caines/Verneeci Caines of the U.S. Virgin Islands in straight sets, 2-0 (21-16, 21-16), and then won a hard-fought three-setter against Guatemala’s Harumi Monney/Mónica Cano 2-1 (21-14, 19-21, 15-8).
Finally, in Pool D, the U.S. team of Scribner/Grimes earned a dominant 2-0 (21-5, 21-3) win over Cynne’ Liburd/Cayla Jno-Baptiste of Anguilla and followed up with a 2-0 (21-18, 21-15) victory over Mexico’s Ángela Pérez/Melina Román.
This tournament awards five qualification spots per gender to the FIVB U18 Beach Volleyball World Championship, scheduled for October 7–11 in Doha, Qatar.
Other results of the day were: GUA Monney/Cano and CAY Luna Ebanks/Krisi Smith 2-0 (21-16, 21-9); MEX Pérez/Román and BER Olivia Gazzard/Sophie Weikl 2-0 (21-8, 21-4); BER Gazzard/Weikl and AGU Liburd/Jno-Baptiste 2-0 (21-14, 21-11).
JUAN DOLIO, Dominican Republic, July 7, 2025.– Five men’s pairs delivered strong performances to remain undefeated on the opening day of the NORCECA U18 Beach Volleyball Qualifier, being held on the stunning sands of Juan Dolio Beach in the Dominican Republic.
The unbeaten duos are Misha Panasiouk/Bryce Kim (CAN), Justin Barrios/Edgar Holman (NCA), Fredy Luna/Robin Oliva (GUA), Darion Sparks/Josie Cedeno (TTO), and Eduardo Escoto/José Bojorques (MEX).
In Pool A, Canada’s Panasiouk/Kim easily defeated Julien Simon/Kaiden Smith of Grenada in straight sets 2-0 (21-9, 21-4), followed by another 2-0 win over Dominican Republic’s home team Wayner Comprés/Franklin Segura (21-13, 21-14).
Mexico
Nicaragua’s Barrios/Holman opened Pool B with a solid 2-0 (21-19, 21-16) victory over Costa Rica’s Josué Durán/Ángel Carranza. They had a bye in their second match of the day.
In Pool C, Guatemala’s Luna/Oliva battled past Cayman Islands’ Dylan Lynee/William Duty in three sets, 2-1 (21-17, 12-21, 15-7). Their second match was a bye. In the same pool, Trinidad and Tobago’s Sparks/Cedeno also defeated Lynee/Duty in straight sets, 2-0 (24-22, 21-13), and had a bye as well.
In Pool D, Mexico’s Escoto/Bojorques opened with a comfortable 2-0 (21-15, 21-14) win over Dominica’s Anthony Caiston/Robinson Kailo. They then had to dig deep to overcome the U.S. duo Matix Williams/Colten Mortensen in three sets, 2-1 (14-21, 21-17, 19-17).
This tournament awards five spots per gender to the FIVB U18 Beach Volleyball World Championship, set to take place October 7-11 in Doha, Qatar.
Other results of the day were: CRC Durán/Carranza d ISV Kymani Greenidge/Merchant A’jahnai 2-0 (21-16, 21-9); PUR Mauro Morales/Rocco Figueroa d DMA Caiston/Kailo 2-1 (20-22, 21-18, 15-13); USA Williams/Mortensen d PUR Morales/Figueroa 2-0 (21-12, 21-11).
JUAN DOLIO, Dominican Republic, July 6, 2025.- A total of 17 countries will compete in the NORCECA U18 Beach Volleyball Qualifier, the official event to secure spots at the 2025 FIVB U18 World Championship. The tournament kicks off this Monday on the sand courts set up along the beach of Juan Dolio, Dominican Republic.
During Sunday’s preliminary inspections, 15 women’s teams and 13 men’s teams were registered, all aiming to advance from the group stage, which begins Monday at 8:00 a.m. local time.
The opening day will feature 24 matches: 10 in the men’s division and 14 in the women’s. The group stage will conclude Tuesday morning, followed by quarterfinals and the loser’s bracket matches in the afternoon. Semifinals, medal matches, and placement games will be played on Wednesday.
The top five teams per gender will earn direct qualification to the FIVB U18 World Championship, set to take place October 7-11 in Doha, Qatar.
JUAN DOLIO, Dominican Republic, July 6, 2025.- The American duo of Malachi Brewington and Titus Lance claimed the gold medal at the NORCECA U21 Beach Volleyball Qualifier, defeating Costa Rica’s Julián Araya and Esteban González in straight sets (21-14, 21-14) in the final held on the sands of Juan Dolio.
The bronze medal went to the host team from the Dominican Republic, as Melvin de Jesús and Ramón de Jesús delivered a solid performance to beat Louis Charbonneau and Henry Heider of Canada 2-0 (21-18, 21-12).
The final berth to the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship 2025 was secured by Rafael Vargas and Fernando Ortíz of El Salvador, who won a thrilling three-set battle against Julián Bristol and Jedediah Pencheon of Saint Kitts and Nevis 2-1 (21-17, 18-21, 15-10).
Award
The five men’s teams qualified to the FIVB World Championship are: United States, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Canada, and El Salvador.
In other results, Justin Barrios and Deyner López of Nicaragua finished in seventh place after defeating Jerome Morrison and Jahreef Miguel of Trinidad and Tobago 2-0 (21-16, 21-6).
Mervin Mingo and Bill Frederic of Dominica placed ninth, overcoming Nkoya Williams and Aaron Taylor of Barbados 2-0 (23-21, 21-18).
Ignacio Peraza and Reyko Figueroa of Puerto Rico finished 11th, defeating Fredy Luna and José Guevara of Guatemala 2-0 (21-14, 21-19).
Meanwhile, Jaden Victor and Peter Emmanuel of Saint Lucia closed out in 13th place with a hard-fought 2-1 (21-17, 14-21, 15-12) win over Stephen Watson and Dylan Lynee of the Cayman Islands.
Finally, Zerick Walcott and Kibose Hamilton of Grenada also placed 13th, advancing by bye.
Other results of the day were: ESA Rafael Vargas/Fernando Ortiz d TTO Jerome Morrison/Jahreef Miguel 2-0 (21-17, 21-17), SKN Julian Bristol/Jedediah Pencheon d NCA Justin Barrios/Deyner Lopez 2-1 (15-21, 22-20, 15-11), USA Malachi Brewington/Titus Lance d CAN Louis Charbonneau/Henry Heider 2-1 (20-22, 21-10, 15-11), CRC Julian Araya/Victorio Gonzalez d DOM Melvin de Jesus/Ramon de Jesus 2-0 (21-17, 21-14).
JUAN DOLIO, Dominican Republic, July 6, 2025.- The American duo of Zoey Henson and Sarah Wood claimed the gold medal at the NORCECA U21 Beach Volleyball Qualifier, defeating Puerto Rico’s Miabella Musignac and Alanis Nieves in straight sets 2-0 (21-13, 21-11) on the sands of Juan Dolio.
The bronze went to Canada’s Ofure Odigie and Ruby Sorra, who beat Laura Molina and Sofía Vega of Costa Rica in straight sets 21-15, 21-18.
The fifth and final ticket to the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship 2025 was secured by Guatemala’s Danna Aguilar and Naomi Monney, who overcame Nicaragua’s Yuliana Chávez and Ella Resau in a tight battle, winning 2-0 (24-22, 21-16).
United States
The five women’s teams qualified to the World Championship are: United States, Costa Rica, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Guatemala.
In other results, Daniela Vigil and Ashley Rauda of El Salvador finished seventh, edging out Dominican Republic’s Crismil Paniagua and Daneyi Arias in three sets, 2-1 (21-9, 8-21, 15-12).
Isabelle Phillip and Ericka Gaspard of Saint Lucia claimed ninth place, defeating Destiny Lane and Sierra Rayside of Barbados 2-0 (21-19, 21-19).
In 11th place, Joanna Robinson and Brianna Delapenha of the Cayman Islands beat Jassania Joseph and Jaya Carr from Antigua and Barbuda 2-0 (21-6, 21-10).
Deandra Fleming and Lavesha Richardson of Anguilla took 13th place after a 2-1 (21-14, 18-21, 15-10) win over Brookling Donovan and D’Keisha Jordan of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Finally, Sarah Mohammed and Bianca Perkins of Trinidad and Tobago also placed 13th, advancing via bye.
Other results of the day were: NCA Yuliana Chavezz/Ella Resau d ESA Daniela Vigil/Ashley Rauda 2-0 (21-19, 21-15), GUA Danna Aguilar/Naomi Monney d DOM Crismil Paniagua/Daneyi Arias 2-0 (21-12, 21-14), USA Zoey Henson/Sarah Wood d CAN Ofure Odigie/Ruby Sorra 2-0 (22-20, 25-23), PUR Miabella Musignac/Alanis Nieves d CRC Laura Molina/Sofia Vega 2-0 (21-13, 21-19).
JUAN DOLIO, Dominican Republic, July 5, 2025.- The women’s duos from the United States, Canada, Costa Rica, and Puerto Rico have secured their spots in the semifinals of the NORCECA U21 Beach Volleyball Qualifier, also earning qualification to the FIVB World Championship, set to take place from October 15 to 19 in Puebla, Mexico.
The U.S. team of Zoey Henson and Sarah Wood claimed a dominant win over Nicaragua’s Yuliana Chávez and Ella Resau with set scores of 21-5 and 21-12. In the semifinals, they will face the Canadian pair Ofure Odigie and Ruby Sorra, who advanced by defeating El Salvador’s Daniela Vigil and Ashley Rauda 2-0 (21-17, 21-16).
Miabella Musignac of Puerto Rico
Laura Molina and Sofía Vega of Costa Rica advanced with authority, defeating Dominicans Crismil Paniagua and Daneyi Arias 2-0 (21-5, 21-6). They will meet Puerto Rico’s Miabella Musignac and Alanis Nieves in the other semifinal after the Puerto Rican duo beat Danna Aguilar and Naomi Monney of Guatemala 2-0 (21-18, 21-19).
In the classification round for 9th to 12th place, Isabelle Phillip and Ericka Gaspard of Saint Lucia topped Jassania López and Jaya Carr of Antigua 2-0 (21-17, 21-17), while Destiny Layne and Sierra Rayside of Barbados edged past the Cayman Islands’ Joanna Robinson and Brianna Delapenha in a tight 2-1 battle (21-19, 18-21, 19-17).
For 13th to 16th place, Brooklyn Donovan and D’Keisha Jordan of the U.S. Virgin Islands defeated Sarah Mohammed and Bianca Perkins of Trinidad and Tobago 2-0 (21-16, 21-16). Deandra Fleming and Lavesha Jordan of Anguilla advanced via bye.
Semifinals and classification matches will take place on Sunday morning, followed by the bronze and gold medal matches in the afternoon.
Other results of the day: DOM Crismil Paniagua/Daneyi Arias d ANT Jassania Jospeh/Jaya Carr 2-0 (21-8, 21-19), CRC Laura Molina/Sofía Vigil d ISV Brooklin Donovan/D’Keisha Jordan 2-0 (21-10, 21-6), ESA Daniela Vigil/Ashley Rauda d CAY Joanna Robinson/Brianna Delapenha 2-0 (21-14, 21-18), GUA Danna Aguilar/Naomi Monney d BAR Destiny Layne/Sierra Rayside 2-0 (21-12, 21-13), NCA Yuliana Chávez/Ella Resau d TTO Sarah Mohammed/Bianca Perkins 2-0 (21-4, 21-2), USA Zoey Henson/Sarah Wood d LCA Isabelle Phillip/Ericka Gaspard 2-0 (21-6, 21-7), PUR Miabella Musignac/Alanis Nieves d AGU Deandra Fleming/Lavesha Richardson 2-0 (21-10, 21-7).
JUAN DOLIO, Dominican Republic, July 5, 2025.- The men’s pairs from the Dominican Republic, United States, Canada, and Costa Rica secured spots in the semifinals of the NORCECA U21 Beach Volleyball Qualifier on Saturday, earning their qualification to the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship, scheduled for October 15-19 in Puebla, Mexico.
In a thrilling quarterfinal match, Dominican duo Melvin de Jesús and Ramón de Jesús defeated Nicaragua’s Justin Barrios and Deyner López in three sets, 2-1 (21-18, 19-21, 15-13). They will face Costa Rica’s Julián Araya and Victorio González, who earned a convincing 2-0 (21-16, 21-11) win over Julián Bristol and Jedediah Pencheon of Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Malachi Brewington of United States
Meanwhile, the American team of Malachi Brewington and Titus Lance overcame Jerome Morrison and Jahreef Miguel of Trinidad and Tobago with set scores of 24-22 and 21-7. In the semifinals, they will go up against Canada’s Louis Charbonneau and Henry Heider, who came from behind to defeat Rafael Vargas and Fernando Ortiz of El Salvador in a hard-fought 2-1 match (13-21, 22-20, 15-13).
In the 9th-12th place bracket, Mervin Mingo and Bill Frederic defeated Puerto Rico’s Ignacio Pedraza and Reyko Figueroa 2-1 (16-21, 21-15, 15-11), while Nkoya Williams and Aaron Taylor of Barbados outlasted Guatemala’s Fredy Luna and José Guevara in another three-set battle (21-17, 19-21, 15-13).
For the 13th-16th classification, Stephen Watson and Dylan Lynee of the Cayman Islands comfortably beat Zerick Walcott and Kibose Hamilton of Grenada 2-0 (21-9, 21-10). The pair Jaden Victor and Peter Emmanuel of Saint Lucia advanced via bye.
Semifinals and classification matches will be played on Sunday morning, followed by the bronze and gold medal matches in the afternoon.
Other results were: DOM Melvin de Jesus/Ramon de Jesus d DMA Mervin Mingo/Bill Frederic 2-0 (21-13, 21-12), NCA Justin Barrios/Deyner Lopez d BAR Nkoya Williams/Aaron Taylor 2-0 (21-13, 21-11), ESA Rafael Vargas/Fernando Ortiz d GRN Zerick Walcott/Kibose Hamilton 2-0 (21-14, 21-16), TTO Jerome Morrison/Jahreef Miguel d GUA Fredy Luna/Jose Guevara 2-0 (21-18, 21-11), CRC Julian Araya/Victorio Gonzalez d CAY Stephen Watson/Dylan Lynee 2-0 (21-9, 21-12), USA Malachi Brewington/Titus Lance d SKN Julian Bristol/Jedediah Pencheon 2-0 (21-13, 21-14), PUR Ignacio Pedraza/Reyko Figueroa d LCA Jaden Victor/Peter Emmanuel 2-1 (15-21, 21-15, 15-13).
JUAN DOLIO, Dominican Republic, July 4, 2025.- The women’s pairs from USA (Zoey Henson/Sarah Wood), Canada (Ofure Odigie/Ruby Sorra), Costa Rica (Laura Molina/Sofía Vigil), and Guatemala (Danna Aguilar/Naomi Monney) had a strong and undefeated start on the opening day of the NORCECA U21 Beach Volleyball Qualifier for the FIVB World Championship, taking place on the sands of Juan Dolio, Dominican Republic.
The U.S. duo Henson/Wood dominated Pool D easily, defeating Deandra Fleming/Lavesha Richardson of Anguilla 2-0 (21-5, 21-4) and Miabella Musignac/Alanis Nieves of Puerto Rico 2-0 (21-10, 21-11).
In Pool A, Canada’s Odigie/Sorra also picked up two wins, first over Jassania Joseph/Jaya Carr of Antigua 2-0 (21-9, 21-11), and then against Dominican duo Crismil Paniagua/Daneyi Arias 2-0 (21-5, 21-19).
CRC
Costa Ricans Molina/Vega claimed two victories in Pool B, beating Joanna Robinson/Briana Delapenha of the Cayman Islands 2-0 (21-18, 21-10) and El Salvador’s Daniela Vigil/Ashley Rauda 2-0 (21-17, 21-12).
Finally, in Pool C, Guatemala’s Aguilar/Monney opened with a dominant 2-0 win (21-4, 21-4) against Sarah Mohammed/Bianca Perkins of Trinidad and Tobago, followed by a 2-0 victory (21-18, 21-17) over Yuliana Chávez/Ella Resau of Nicaragua.
This event awards five spots per gender to the FIVB U21 World Championship, scheduled to take place from October 15 to 19 in Puebla, Mexico.
Other results of the day were: ESA Vigil/Rauda d ISV Brooklin Donovan/D’Keisha Jordan 2-0 (21-10, 21-10), CAY Robinson/Delapenha d ISV Donovan/Jordan 2-0 (21-10, 21-12), NCA Chávez/Resau d BAR Destiny Layne/Sierra Rayside 2-0 (21-16, 21-16), BAR Layne/Rayside d TTO Mohammed/Perkins 2-0 (21-11, 21-17), PUR Musignac/Nieves d LCA Isabelle Phillip/Ericka Gaspard 2-0 (21-14, 21-8) and LCA Phillip/Gaspard d AGU Deandra Fleming/Lavesha Richardson 2-0 (21-13, 21-12).
JUAN DOLIO, Dominican Republic, July 4, 2025.- Five men’s teams wrapped up the opening day of the NORCECA U21 Beach Volleyball Qualifier for the FIVB World Championship, with perfect records on the sand courts of Juan Dolio, Dominican Republic.
The unbeaten duos were: Malachi Brewington/Titus Lance (USA), Louis Charbonneau/Henry Heider (CAN), Justin Barrios/Deyner López (NCA), Julián Araya/Victorio González (CRC), and Julián Bristol/Jedediah Pencheon (SKN).
In Pool D, USA’s Brewington/Lance defeated Jaden Victor/Peter Emmanuel of Saint Lucia 2-0 (21-11, 21-17) and Puerto Rico’s Ignacio Pedraza/Reyko Figueroa 2-0 (21-15, 21-11). In the same group, Saint Kitts and Nevis’ Bristol/Pencheon edged out Pedraza/Figueroa 2-1 (22-24, 21-16, 15-12) and also beat Victor/Emmanuel 2-0 (21-10, 21-16).
CAN
In Pool A, Canadians Charbonneau/Heider overcame Mervin Mingo/Bill Frederic of Dominica 2-0 (21-17, 21-14) and outlasted Dominicans Melvin De Jesús/Ramón De Jesús 2-1 (21-13, 19-21, 15-12).
In Pool B, Nicaragua’s Barrios/López swept Zerik Walcott/Kibose Hamilton of Grenada 2-0 (21-12, 21-16) and El Salvador’s Rafael Vargas/Fernando Ortiz also in two sets (21-13, 21-16).
Finally, in Pool C, Costa Rica’s Araya/González dominated Jerome Morrison/Jahreef Miguel of Trinidad & Tobago 2-0 (23-21, 21-7) and Fredy Luna/José Guevara of Guatemala 2-0 (21-15, 21-12).
This tournament awards five spots per gender for the FIVB U21 World Championship, set to take place from October 15 to 19 in Puebla, Mexico.
Other results of the day were: ESA Vargas/Ortiz d BAR Nkoya Williams/Aaron Taylor 2-0 (21-16, 21-7), BAR Williams/Taylor d GRN Walcott/Hamilton 2-0 (21-14, 21-15), GUA Luna/Guevara d CAY Stephen Watson/Dylan Lynee 2-1 (14-21, 21-17, 15-9), TTO Morrison/Miguel d CAY Watson/Lynee 2-0 (21-19, 21-16).
JUAN DOLIO, Dominican Republic, July 3, 2025. – A total of 18 countries will compete in the NORCECA U21 Beach Volleyball Championship, the official qualification tournament for the 2025 FIVB Age-Group World Championships, which begins this Friday on the beautiful sand courts of Juan Dolio Beach in the Dominican Republic. This event offers a great opportunity to witness the region’s rising beach volleyball stars showcasing their talent and passion.
Fifteen teams per gender were registered during Thursday’s preliminary inspections, all aiming to advance from the preliminary pool play, which starts Friday at 8:00 a.m. local time.
A total of 28 matches are scheduled for Friday, 14 in the men’s division and 14 in the women’s. The preliminary round will conclude on Saturday morning, followed by the quarterfinals and the losers’ bracket in the afternoon. Semifinals, medal matches, and placement matches will be played on Sunday.
El Salvador
The top four teams per gender will earn direct qualification to the FIVB U21 World Championship, set to take place from October 15 to 19 in Puebla, Mexico.
Men’s Teams: DOM Melvin De Jesús/Ramón De Jesús; NCA Justin Barrios/Deyner López; TTO Jerome Morrison/Jahreef Miguel; SKN Julián Bristol/Jedediah Pencheon; USA Malachi Brewington/Titus Lance; GUA Fredy Luna/José Guevara; BAR Nkoya Williams/Aaron Taylor; DMA Mervin Mingo/Bill Frederick; CAN Louis Charbonneau/Henry Heider; ESA Rafael Vargas/Fernando Ortiz; CAY Stephen Watson/Dylan Lynee; LCA Jaden Victor/Peter Emmanuel; PUR Ignacio Pedraza/Reyko Figueroa; CRC Julián Araya/Victorio González; GRN Zerick Walcott/Kibose Hamilton.
Women’s Teams: DOM Crismil Paniagua/Daneyi Arias; CRC Laura Molina/Sofía Vega; BAR Destiny Layne/Sierra Rayside; LCA Isaballe Phillip/Ericka Gaspard; USA Zoey Henson/Sarah Wood; GUA Danna Aguilar/Naomi Monney; ISV Brooklyn Donovan/D’Keisha Jordan; ANT Jassania Joseph/Jaya Carr; CAN Ofure Odigie/Ruby Sorra; ESA Daniela Vigil/Ashley Rauda; TTO Sarah Mohammed/Bianca Perkins; AGU Deandra Fleming/Lavesha Richardson; PUR Miabella Musignac/Alanys Nieves; NCA Yuliana Chávez/Ella Resau; CAY Joanna Robinson/Brianna Delapenha.
Juan Dolio, Dominican Republic, July 2025. – The shores of Juan Dolio Beach in the Dominican Republic are set to take center stage as the region’s most promising young athletes compete in the NORCECA U21 and U18 Beach Volleyball Championships, official qualification tournaments on the road to the 2025 FIVB Age-Group World Championships.
The vibrant coastal setting will serve as the backdrop for intense competition and rising talent, marking a key milestone in the journey of future stars aiming for global success.
Both tournaments will bring together national teams from across the NORCECA Zonal Associations, including AFECAVOL, CAZOVA, ECVA, and the Central Zone, all vying for a place on the world stage.
The competition will begin with the U21 tournament, taking place from July 3 to 7, with official matches scheduled from July 4 to 6. This will be followed immediately by the U18 championship from July 7 to 9.
The top four teams per gender in each event will earn direct qualification to the main draw of the respective world tournaments.
The FIVB U18 World Championship is scheduled to take place in Doha, Qatar, from October 7 to 11, while the FIVB U21 World Championship will be held in Puebla, Mexico, from October 15 to 19.
With the eyes on Juan Dolio, these tournaments represent a key milestone in the development of young talent and a unique chance for teams to secure their place among the world’s best.
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, July 1, 2025. – The NORCECA-FIVB Volleyball Development Center announces two important international coaching courses, aimed at continuing to strengthen technical skills and the development of volleyball in the region.
From July 21 to 25, the FIVB Beach Volleyball Coaches Course Level 1 will take place, led by FIVB Instructor Mauro Hernández, who is widely recognized for his extensive experience in teaching and developing beach volleyball at the international level.
Later, from September 17 to 21, the FIVB Volleyball Coaches Course Level 2 will be held, designed for experienced coaches looking to advance their knowledge and skills in indoor volleyball. The instructor for this course will be announced soon.
Both courses will be held at the NORCECA-FIVB Volleyball Development Center in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and are officially certified by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB).
For more information and registration, interested participants can contact the Center directly via email: centrofivb_rdom@yahoo.es.
PUERTO CORTÉS, Honduras, June 29, 2025.- Puerto Rico’s women’s duo, Allanis Navas and María González, were crowned undefeated champions of the third stop of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour, held from June 27 to 29 at Playa Municipal El Porvenir in Puerto Cortés, Honduras.
The Puerto Ricans delivered an impeccable performance, dropping only one set throughout the entire tournament. That lone setback came in the semifinals against the U.S. pair of Emma Donley and Portia Sherman, whom they defeated in three sets 2-1 (21-8, 18-21, 15-11). They won all their other matches in straight sets.
In the final, Navas and González showcased their strength, defeating Mexico’s Susana Torres and Atenas Gutiérrez 2-0 (21-16, 21-17). The Mexican duo had advanced to the gold medal match after beating Canada’s Maya McNabney and Emma Kunaus in straight sets 2-0 (21-15, 21-19).
Meanwhile, the bronze medal match was one of the most competitive of the day. Donley and Sherman from the United States claimed the podium after defeating Canada’s McNabney and Kunaus in three sets (21-18, 16-21, 15-9).
Final placement matches:
5/6: Vidaurrazaga/Ramirez MEX vs Valenciana/Buckner ISV (21-12, 21-16)
7/8: Rivera/Bruhier HON vs Vigil/Rauda ESA (21-12, 21-16)
9/10: Ramírez/Quesada CRC vs Silva/N. Brenes NCA (21-13, 21-19)
11/12: Molina/Sofi V CRC vs Murillo/Clarke HON (21-12, 21-5)
13/14: Simmonds/Cudmore CAN vs Aguilar/Arevalo GUA (21-7, 21-9)
15/16: Smith/Lumsden JAM vs Villegas/Rodriguez HON (21-18, 21-13)
Final Positions
1.Allanis Navas/María Claudia González PUR 2. Susana Torres/Atenas Gutiérrez MEX 3. Emma Donley/Portia Sherman USA 4. Maya McNabney/Emma Kunaus CAN 5. Yamilet Vidaurrazaga/María Jimena Ramírez MEX 6. Melanie Valenciana/Taylor Buckner ISV 7. Shanna Rivera/Reizel Bruhier HON 8. Daniela Vigil/Fabiola Rauda ESA 9. Eugenia Ramírez/Kianny Quesada CRC 10. Nahima Silva/Norma Brenes NCA 11. Laura Molina/Sofia Vega CRC 12. Nicolle Murillo/Shanttle Siliezar HON 13. Claire Simmonds/Emma Cudmore CAN 14. Mariela Aguilar/Ana Sofia Arévalo GUA 15. Petal Smith/Kristina Lumsden JAM 16. Ruth Villegas/Alejandra Rodríguez HON 17. Fátima Rendon/Devora Medina ESA
PUERTO CORTÉS, June 29, 2025. – Antonio Vargas Lares and Carlos Andrés Ayala clinched the title for Mexico at the third stop of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour, held at Playa Municipal El Porvenir in Puerto Cortés, Honduras, from June 27 to 29.
The Mexican duo delivered a solid and efficient performance in the final, defeating the American pair Troy Field and Ryan Wilcox in straight sets, 21-17 and 21-18, with no major difficulties.
Mexico also claimed the bronze medal thanks to Miguel Sarabia and Jorman Osuna, who came from behind to defeat Americans James Drost and Robert Harrison in an exciting match that ended 16-21, 21-18, 15-13.
The all-Mexican semifinal was grueling, leaving Sarabia and Osuna physically drained after falling to Lares and Ayala in a hard-fought battle that extended to three sets, 29-27, 25-27, 15-7.
Meanwhile, the semifinal between the two U.S. pairs was also closely contested, with Field and Wilcox prevailing over Drost and Harrison in straight but competitive sets, 21-16 and 21-18.
Final placement matches:
5/6: Rahnavard/Gannett CAN vs Mora/López NCA (21-19, 21-15)
7/8: Araya/Varela CRC vs Ratter/Van Siclen ISV (21-14, 21-17)
9/10: Encarnación/Rivera PUR vs Cascante/López NCA (21-15, 18-21, 15-6)
11/12: Licht/de Greeff CAN vs Morton/Nage SKN (21-15, 21-13)
13/14: Leonardo/Maldonado GUA vs Izaguirre/Penagos GUA (21-11, 21-18)
15/16: Reyes/Serrano HON vs R Vargas/Ponce ESA (21-17, 21-15)
17/18: Esteban/Solano CRC vs Theodore/Enile TTO (21-14, 21-19)
Final Positions
1. Antonio Vargas Lares/Carlos Andrés Ayala MEX 2. Troy Field/Ryan Wilcox USA 3. Miguel Sarabia/Jorman Osuna MEX 4. James Drost/Robert Harrison USA 5. Rouzbeh Rohnavard/Tynan Gannett CAN 6. Rubén Mora/Danny López NCA 7. Julián Araya/Jhostin Varela CRC 8. Kendall Ratter/Devin Van Siclen ISV 9. Cristian Encarnacion/William Rivera PUR 10. Jefferson Cascante/Denis López NCA 11. Martin Lich/Luke de Greeff CAN 12. Elkreen Morton/Nage Hendrickson SKN 13. Andy Leonardo/Edgar Maldonado GUA 14. Jose Miguel Izaguirre/Santiago Penagos GUA 15. Armando Reyes/Manuel Serrano HON 16. Rafael Vargas/Fernando Ortiz ESA 17. Esteban González/Justin Solano CRC 18. Joel Theodore/Stephen Enile TTO 19. Kevin Herrera/Isaac Méndez HON
PUERTO CORTÉS, Honduras, June 28, 2025.- Women’s teams from Puerto Rico, United States, Canada, and Mexico advanced to the semifinals of the third stop of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour, taking place at Playa Municipal El Porvenir in Puerto Cortés, Honduras.
In the quarterfinals, the Puerto Rican duo of Allanis Navas and María González had no major difficulties defeating Melanie Valenciana and Taylor Buckner from the U.S. Virgin Islands with dominant scores of 21-5 and 21-12.
McNabney-kanaus CAN (9)
Similarly, the American pair Emma Donley and Portia Sherman controlled their match against Daniela Vigil and Ashley Rauda of El Salvador, winning comfortably 21-7 and 21-16.
Later in the afternoon, Canada’s Maya McNabney and Emma Kunaus overcame the home team, Shanna Rivera and Reizel Bruhier, with straight sets 21-11 and 21-12. In the evening, the all-Mexican showdown went to Susana Torres and Atenas Gutiérrez, who defeated Yeray Vidaurrazaga and María Jimena Ramírez with scores of 21-13 and 21-14.
The women’s semifinals on Sunday will feature: Navas/González (PUR) vs Donley/Sherman (USA) and McNabney/Kunaus (CAN) vs Torres/Gutiérrez (MEX)
Action kicks off Sunday at 8:00 a.m. (local time), with the medal matches scheduled for the afternoon.
Torres-Gutierrez MEX
Final positions group phase
Group A: 1. Navas/González PUR, 2. Vidaurrazaga/Ramírez MEX, 3. Molina/Sofi V CRC, 4. Simmonds/Cudmore CAN, 5. Rendon/Medina ESA
PUERTO CORTÉS, Honduras, June 28, 2025.- Both duos from the United States and both duos from Mexico advanced to the men’s semifinals at the third stop of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour on Saturday in Puerto Cortés, Honduras.
The American duo of James Drost and Robert Harrison battled their way to a hard-fought quarterfinal victory over Rouzbeh Rahnavard and Tynan Gannett of Canada in a thrilling three-set match, winning 21-18, 19-21, 18-16.
Meanwhile, the other U.S. pair, Troy Field and Ryan Wilcox, eliminated defending champions Rubén Mora and Dany López of Nicaragua with a dominant performance, posting scores of 21-12 and 21-11.
The Mexican teams also secured their spots in the semifinals. Miguel Sarabia and Jorman Osuna overcame Costa Rica’s Julian Araya and Jhostin Varela in a tight match, winning 21-18, 21-18. On the other side, Inés Lares and Carlos Andrés had little trouble defeating Kendall Ratter and Devin Van Siclen from the U.S. Virgin Islands in straight sets, 21-12, 21-14.
Miguel Sarabia MEX
The semifinals between compatriots: Drost/Harrison (USA) vs Field/Wilcox (USA) and Sarabia/Osuna (MEX) vs Lares/Carlos Andrés (MEX)
The final day of the competition starts Sunday at 8:00 a.m. (local time), with the medal matches scheduled for the afternoon.
Group B: 1. Drost/Harrison USA, 2. lugar Araya/Varela CRC, 3. Cascante/Lopez NCA, 4. Izaguirre/Penagos GUA, 5. Theodore/Enile TTO
Group C: 1. Lares/Carlos Andres MEX, 2. Mora/Lopez NCA, 3. Licht/de Greeff CAN, 4. R Vargas/Ponce ESA, 5. Herrera/Mendez HON.
Group D: 1. Field/Wilcox USA, 2. Ratter/Van Siclen ISV, 3. Morton/Nage SKN, 4. Reyes/Serrano HON
Results position matches:
Clasification pos. 17-20: Esteban/Solano CRC vs Herrera/Méndez HON 2-0 (21-14, 21-11)
Clasification pos. 13-16: Izaguirre/Penagos GUA vs R Vargas/Ponce ESA 2-0 (21-17, 21-12); Leonardo/Maldonado GUA vs Reyes/Serrano HON 2-0 (21-17, 21-17).
Clasification pos. 9-12: Cascante/Lopez NCA vs Licht/de Greeff CAN 2-0 (21-12, 21-12).
PUERTO CORTÉS, Honduras, June 27, 2025. –The teams from Puerto Rico (Navas/González), U.S. Virgin Islands (Valenciana/Buckner), Mexico 1 (Torres/Gutiérrez), Honduras 1 (Rivera/Bruhier), Canada (McNabney/Kunaus), and the United States (Donley/Sherman) remain unbeaten after day one of the third stop of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour in Puerto Cortés, Honduras.
Allanis Navas and María González of Puerto Rico went undefeated in Pool A. However, the pool is currently led by Yamilet Vidaurrazaga and María Jimena Ramírez of Mexico. Puerto Rico holds 4 points from two wins, while Mexico leads with 5 points after earning two wins and one loss.
Allanis Navas of Puerto Rico said, “This is our first time in Honduras. The stadium is amazing; there are three courts, which makes the schedule move faster. We have a pretty long pool phase since we’re in the only group with five teams. We are taking it match by match and always aiming for the maximum, chasing that gold medal once again. The Puerto Rican duo comes off winning the second stop of the NORCECA Tour held in Juan Dolio.
Donley-Sherman USA
In Pool B, Melanie Valenciana and Taylor Buckner from the U.S. Virgin Islands remain undefeated with three wins, while Mexico’s Susana Torres and Atenas Gutiérrez finished the day with two victories. The two teams will battle for the top spot in the final pool match scheduled for 12:40 p.m. (local time) on Saturday.
In Pool C, Honduras’ Shanna Rivera and Reizel Bruhier also finished undefeated with two wins but sit in third place in the standings. This is due to Nicaragua’s Silva/N. Brenes and El Salvador’s Vigil/Rauda playing three matches (one more than Honduras), both finishing with two wins and one loss for a total of 5 points.
Pool D is set for an exciting North American showdown on Saturday. Canada’s Maya McNabney and Emma Kunaus lead with three wins, followed by the U.S. team of Emma Donley and Portia Sherman with two victories. Canada and the United States will face each other on Saturday, no earlier than 1:20 p.m. (local time).
Complete results from Friday, June 27
Group A:Navas/González PUR vs Simmonds/Cudmore CAN (21-6, 21-8); Vidaurrazaga/Ramírez MEX vs Molina/Sofi V CRC (18-21, 21-7, 15-5); Navas/González PUR vs Vidaurrazaga/Ramírez MEX (21-15, 21-13); Simmonds/Cudmore CAN vs Rendon/Medina ESA (22-20, 21-11); Molina/Sofi V CRC vs Rendon/Medina ESA (17-21, 21-14, 15-10); Vidaurrazaga/Ramírez MEX vs Simmonds/Cudmore CAN (21-19, 21-13)
Group B: Torres/Gutiérrez MEX vs Bye (21-0, 21-0); Valenciana/Buckner ISV vs Murillo/Clarke HON (21-16, 21-4); Torres/Gutiérrez MEX vs Murillo/Clarke HON (21-8, 21-11); Aguilar/Arévalo GUA vs Bye (21-0, 21-0); Valenciana/Buckner ISV vs Aguilar/Arévalo GUA (21-18, 21-10); Murillo/Clarke HON vs Bye (21-0, 21-0)
Group C: Rivera/Bruhier HON vs Bye (21-0, 21-0); Vigil/RAUDA ESA vs Silva/N. Brenes NCA (21-18, 22-20); Rivera/Bruhier HON vs Vigil/Rauda ESA (21-17, 20-22, 15-10); Smith/Lumsden JAM vs Bye (21-0, 21-0); Silva/N. Brenes NCA vs Smith/Lumsden JAM (21-6, 21-16); Vigil/Rauda ESA vs Bye (21-0, 21-0)
Group D: Donley/Sherman USA vs Bye (21-0, 21-0); McNabney/Kunaus CAN vs Ramírez/Quesada CRC (21-17, 12-21, 15-11); Donley/Sherman USA vs Ramírez/Quesada CRC (21-14, 21-9); Villegas/Rodríguez HON vs Bye (21-0, 21-0); McNabney/Kunaus CAN vs Villegas/Rodríguez HON (21-6, 21-7); Ramírez/Quesada CRC vs Bye (21-0, 21-0)
PUERTO CORTÉS, June 27, 2025.– After a long day due to the large number of registered teams at the third stop of the NORCECA Tour, at Playa Municipal El Porvenir in Puerto Cortés, the dominant teams on the first day were Costa Rica, both United States pairs, and both Mexican pairs.
Group A was led by the Mexican duo of Miguel Sarabia and Jorman Osuna, who won both of their matches, defeating Esteban/Solano from Costa Rica 21-15, 21-16 and Rahnavard/Gannett from Canada 22-20, 21-13.
Jorman Osuna of Mexico said, “This is my first time in Honduras, and the organization, the courts, and the level are very good and beautiful. This is our fourth adventure on the NORCECA Tour. We’ve won two stops, and we hope to win gold again at this one.”
Miguel Sarabia added, “The quality of players at this tournament is exactly what we expected. Strong pairs like the ones from the United States, Canada, and Nicaragua raise the level. We won the last stop of last year in Costa Rica and the one in Juan Dolio this year, and we hope to repeat here in Puerto Cortés”.
Osuna MEX
In Group B, Araya/Varela from Costa Rica and Drost/Harrison from the United States both finished with a 2-0 record. These two teams will face each other on Saturday at 10:40 a.m.
The Mexican pair of Antonio Vargas and Carlos Andrés Ayala dominated with two victories, including a surprise win over last year’s champions at this stop, Mora/López from Nicaragua, defeating them 2-0 (21-18, 21-13).
The United States team of Troy Field and Ryan Wilcox also finished undefeated in Group D of the tournament.
Results of Friday, June 27
Group A: Sarabia/Osuna MEX vs Esteban/Solano CRC (21-15, 21-16); Rahnavard/Gannett CAN vs Encarnación/Rivera PUR (12-21, 21-13, 15-6); Sarabia/Osuna MEX vs Rahnavard/Gannett CAN (22-20, 21-13); Leonardo/Maldonado GUA vs Esteban/Solano CRC (21-18, 21-15); Encarnación/Rivera PUR vs Leonardo/Maldonado GUA (21-8, 21-19); Rahnavard/Gannett CAN vs Esteban/Solano CRC (21-0, 21-0)
Group B: Drost/Harrison USA vs Izaguirre/Penagos GUA (21-13, 21-9); Araya/Varela CRC vs Cascante/López NCA (21-19, 21-16); Drost/Harrison USA vs Cascante/López NCA (19-21, 21-15, 15-13); Izaguirre/Penagos GUA vs Theodore/Enile TTO (21-19, 21-19); Araya/Varela CRC vs Theodore/Enile TTO (21-14, 21-7); Cascante/Lopez NCA vs Izaguirre/Penagos GUA (21-6, 21-16)
Group C: Mora/López NCA vs Herrera/Méndez HON (21-7, 21-3); Lares/Carlos Andrés Ayala MEX vs Licht/de Greeff CAN (21-19, 17-21, 15-11); Lares/Carlos Andrés MEX vs Mora/López NCA (21-18, 21-13); R Vargas/Ponce ESA vs Herrera/Méndez HON (21-18, 17-21, 15-7); Licht/de Greeff CAN vs R Vargas/Ponce ESA (21-15, 21-5); Lares/Carlos Andrés MEX vs Herrera/Méndez HON (21-12, 21-12)
Group D: Reyes/Serrano HON vs Bye (21-0, 21-0); Field/Wilcox USA vs Ratter/Van Siclen ISV (21-18, 21-14); Field/Wilcox USA vs Reyes/Serrano HON (21-13, 21-17); Morton/Nage SKN vs Bye (21-0, 21-0); Ratter/Van Siclen ISV vs Morton/Nage SKN (21-19, 21-17).
PUERTO CORTÉS, June 26, 2025. – The Nicaraguan duo of Rubén Mora and Dany López arrives at the third stop of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour hoping to repeat the feat they achieved in 2024, when they were crowned champions in Puerto Cortés.
Dany López commented, “We are participating in this third stop of the NORCECA Tour, which is very special for us because last year we won the gold medal here. We hope we can once again achieve a satisfying result.”
Rubén Mora added, “Last year I think it was a bit easier since there were only about 10 teams. This year the competition has nearly doubled, with around 20 teams. It’s going to be a very tough tournament. In fact, this entire season has been challenging from the very first stop, since every event has had more than 15 teams,” he pointed out.
Control committee
This year, the groups are divided as follows:
Pool A: Andy Blanco/Edgar Maldonado (GUA), Rouzbeh Rahnavard/Tynan Gannett (CAN), Miguel Sarabia/Jorman Osuna (MEX), Sarabia is the Central American and Caribbean champion and the pair won gold at the second stop in Juan Dolio, Cristian Encarnación/Diego Rosich (PUR), and Esteban González/Justin Solano (CRC).
Pool B: Joel Theodore/Stephen Enile (TTO), Jefferson Cascante/Denis López (NCA), James Drost/Harrison (USA) – Drost is a veteran of the world tour, having competed in FIVB and NORCECA tournaments since 2011, Julián Araya/Jhostin Varela (CRC), and José Izaguirre/Santiago Penagos (GUA).
Pool C: Rafael Vargas/Ponce (ESA), Lares/Carlos Andrés (MEX), Rubén Mora/Dany López (NCA), Martin Licht/Luke de Greeff (CAN), and Herrera/Méndez (HON).
Pool D: Elkreen Morton/Nage Hendrickson (SKN), Troy Field/Ryan Wilcox (USA), Irvin Reyes/Manuel Serrano (HON), and Kendall Ratter/Devin Van Siclen (ISV).
Just like the women’s competition, the men’s event will start at 8:00 a.m. (local time) with the opening match between Mexico’s Sarabia/Osuna and Costa Rica’s Esteban/Solano.
PUERTO CORTÉS, June 26, 2025.– The third stop of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour kicks off this Friday at the El Porvenir Municipal Beach in Puerto Cortés, featuring 17 women’s teams divided into four pools, one with five teams and three with four teams each.
Canada’s number 1 duo, Emma Kunaus and Maya MacNabney, are feeling confident and hope to improve on their previous fifth-place finish. Emma shared, “I’m really excited for this tournament because there’s strong international competition. My partner (Maya) and I are looking to reach the podium after having a good tournament last time in Juan Dolio, where we finished fifth. Puerto Rico and Mexico are definitely the teams to beat, they give great competition, and we’re very excited to face them again this weekend.”
Canada
Puerto Rico’s Allanis Navas and María González, reigning Central American and Caribbean champions and gold medalists at the second stop in Juan Dolio, will lead Pool A, which also includes Laura Molina/Sofía Vega from Costa Rica, Fátima Rendón/Devora Medina from El Salvador, Yeray Vidaurrazaga/María Jimena Ramírez from Mexico, and Claire Simmonds/Emma Cudmore from Canada.
The Mexican duo of Susana Torres and Atenas Gutiérrez, who earned silver medals at both the first stop in Varadero and the second in Juan Dolio, aim to dominate Pool B. Joining them are Melanie Valenciana/Taylor Buckner from the U.S. Virgin Islands, Danna Aguilar/Ana Sofía Arévalo from Guatemala, and Xue Murillo/Clark from Honduras.
Pools C and D are set as follows: Pool C: HON (Shanna Rivera/Reizel Bruhier), NCA (Nahima Silva/Norma Brenes), JAM (Petal Smith/Kristina Lumsden), ESA 2 (Daniela Vigil/Ashley Rauda) and Pool D: USA (Emma Donley/Portia Sherman), CAN (Maya MacNabney/Emma Kunaus), HON 2 (Ruth Villegas/Valery Rodríguez), CRC 2 (Eugenia Ramírez/Quezada)
PUERTO CORTÉS, Honduras, June 25, 2025.– The heart of the Honduran Caribbean will once again come alive with world-class beach volleyball. For the second consecutive year, Puerto Cortés will host a stop of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour, welcoming the third leg of the 2025 circuit, set to take place from June 27 to 29 at El Porvenir Municipal Beach.
There is high anticipation for the event, with 37 teams from 13 pre-registered countries, all aiming to collect crucial ranking points. The final list of participating teams and pool distribution will be officially confirmed during the preliminary meeting scheduled for Thursday, June 26.
The list is highlighted by Nicaragua’s Rubén Mora and Danny López, current champions of Puerto Cortés and silver medalists at the first stop of the 2025 season in Varadero, Cuba. Also, Mexico’s Miguel Sarabia and Jorman Osuna, along with Inés Vargas Lares and Carlos Andrés Ayala, who captured gold and silver medals, respectively, at the second stop of the Tour in Juan Dolio.
On the women’s side, standouts include Puerto Rico’s Allanis Navas and María González, gold medalists at the second stop of the Tour in Juan Dolio, Dominican Republic, as well as Mexico’s Susana Torres and Atenas Gutiérrez, who have reached the podium with silver medals at both of the first two stops of the 2025 NORCECA Tour.
Puerto Cortés continues to establish itself as one of the key destinations for the growth and development of beach volleyball in the region, offering a splendid venue on the shores of the Caribbean Sea. The event promises a top-level sporting spectacle for both the athletes and the local and visiting fans.
The competition will feature the best men’s and women’s pairs from the NORCECA region, who will not only battle for a place on the podium but also strive to earn points towards major international competitions, including the Santo Domingo 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games.
SEVEN MILE BEACH, Cayman Islands, June 22, 2025.- Costa Rica’s Julian Araya and Jhostin Varela successfully defended their title, claiming back-to-back gold medals at the NORCECA U23 Beach Volleyball Tour with a decisive 2-0 (21-19, 21-15) win over El Salvador’s Christopher and Yoel Guardado in Sunday’s final at the iconic Seven Mile Beach.
Araya and Varela showed composure throughout the competition, overcoming a thrilling semifinal against the USA’s Ayden Keeter and Carson Barnes. After dropping the first set and facing two set points in the second, the Costa Rican duo rallied for a remarkable comeback, winning 2-1 (15-21, 26-24, 15-10) to advance to the gold medal match.
CRC Gold
Asking what it took to get to the final and win, Jhostin remarked “It was hard work, after winning a couple of weeks ago in the Dominican Republic, we trained for this”.
“It’s been many days and hours of practice, training hard to be in good condition is difficult and we are very proud of winning another gold medal” Julian added.
The Guardado twins of El Salvador also earned their place in the final with a gritty 2-1 (18-21, 21-15, 15-12) victory over Canada’s Brandon Burnside and Reed Venning, staying calm under pressure to force and win a decisive third set.
ESA Silver
In one of the most exciting matches of the tournament, Keeter and Barnes bounced back from their semifinal disappointment to take the bronze medal with a hard-fought 2-1 (18-21, 21-17, 15-12) win over the Canadian pair Burnside/Venning. The match was packed with momentum swings and drew strong applause from the local crowd.
In the battle for fifth place, Canada’s Charles Ellinas and Colin Lash delivered a dominant performance, defeating Julian Briston and Clarique Ward of St. Kitts and Nevis in straight sets, 2-0 (21-9, 21-16).
Seventh place went to the Cayman Islands’ Stephen Watson and Dylan Lynee, who secured a close victory over Daniel Delgado and José Guevara of Guatemala. The local pair held on in the second set to win 2-0 (21-13, 23-21).
USA BRONZE
For ninth place, Miguel and Morrison of Trinidad and Tobago staged an impressive comeback to defeat Nkoya and Taylor of Barbados in three sets, 2-1 (17-21, 21-17, 15-13).
Jamaica’s Blake and Softley claimed eleventh place with a solid 2-0 (21-16, 21-17) win over the Aruban duo of Coutinho and Kock.
The U.S. Virgin Islands’ Anderson and Rojas finished in thirteenth place after defeating Van Dam and Chisholm of the Cayman Islands in straight sets, 2-0 (21-15, 21-17).In the final placement match, Cayman Islands’ Duty and Cardenas closed the tournament with a 2-0 (21-19, 21-15) win against Brown and Wathey from the U.S. Virgin Islands to secure fifteenth place.
Results Classification 5/8: Ellinas/Lash CAN d Watson/Lynee CAY 2-0 (22-20, 21-15); Bristol/Ward SKN 2-0 d Delgado/Guevara GUA (21-19, 12-21, 15-8)
SEVEN MILE BEACH, Cayman Islands, June 21, 2025.- The semifinal women’s lineup is set at the U23 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour in the Cayman Islands, with teams from Barbados, Costa Rica, the United States, and El Salvador earning their places after standout performances in Saturday’s quarterfinal action.
In front of an enthusiastic crowd on the iconic sands of Seven Mile Beach, the Barbadian duo of Sierra Rayside and Destiny Layne booked their semifinal ticket after a hard-fought 2-1 victory (21-15, 18-21, 15-10) over Cayman Islands’ Anjia Delapenha and Joanna Robinson.
Costa Rica’s Sofia Vega and Laura Molina delivered a commanding performance against Canada’s Ariel Forgarty and Bailey Royston, winning in straight sets (21-8, 21-7) to secure their place in the final four.
Americans Alexis Durish and Audrey Koenig continued their dominant form with a swift 2-0 (21-3, 21-4) triumph over Bermuda’s Megan Hands and Hailey Moss, advancing with authority to the semifinals.
USA
Completing the semifinal quartet are El Salvador’s Karla Tovar and Daniela Vigil, who earned a 2-0 (21-17, 21-11) win over Guatemala’s Ana Sofía Arévalo and Danna Aguilar.
Earlier in pool play, the Cayman Islands’ duo A. Delapenha/J. Robinson mounted a strong comeback to defeat L’fe Roberts and Meeka Johnson of Trinidad and Tobago in a three-set thriller (19-21, 21-8, 15-10).
In Pool B, the American pair Durish/Koenig delivered a dominant performance, sweeping Brooklyn Donovan and D’Keisha Jordan of the U.S. Virgin Islands with a commanding 21-4, 21-0.
El Salvador’s Tovar and Vigil, featured a key win over Canada’s Ariel Forgarty and Bailey Royston in straight sets (21-15, 21-18) in Pool C. Meanwhile, Cayman Islands’ Luna Ebanks and Brianna Delapenha secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Jamaica’s Brandy McCarthy and Damia Sibblies (17-21, 21-8, 15-8).
In Pool D, Costa Rica’s Sofi V/Molina opened the day with a thrillin 2-1 win (21-10, 18-21, 15-8) over Ana Sofía Arévalo and Danna Aguilar of Guatemala. Canada’s Claire Neagle and Nolyn Houben also picked up a straight-sets win, defeating Celina Alwani and Jontelle Hensley Philip of St. Kitts and Nevis (21-11, 21-9).
Sunday’s action will begin with placement matches before the semifinal clashes take center stage. The winners will face off later in the day in the gold medal match.
Position matches:
9/12: Jordan/Donovan ISV d L. Ebanks /B Delapenha CAY (forfeit); Neagle/Houben CAN d Johnson/Roberts TTO 2-1 (19-21, 21-17, 15-12)
SEVEN MILE BEACH, Cayman Islands, June 21, 2025.- The semifinal matchups are set at the U23 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour in the Cayman Islands, and they will see North America take on Central America as teams from the USA and Canada go head-to-head with El Salvador and Costa Rica on the stunning shores of Seven Mile Beach.
Following a competitive round of quarterfinals on Saturday, El Salvador’s twin brothers Christopher and Yoel Guardado continued their undefeated run, dispatching St. Kitts and Nevis’ Julian Bristol and Clerique Ward in straight sets, 21-11, 21-16.
The Salvadoran duo will now take on the American team of Ayden Keeter and Carson Barnes, who maintained their dominance with a 2-0 (21-19, 21-15) win over Canada’s Charles Ellinas and Colin Lash.
On the other side of the bracket, Canada’s Brandon Burnside and Reed Venning battled past Guatemala’s Daniel Delgado and Jose Guevara in a thrilling three-setter, 2-1 (21-16, 19-21, 15-8).
The Canadians now face Julian Araya and Jhostin Varela of Costa Rica, who put in a convincing 2-0 (21-15, 21-14) victory over local favorites Stephen Watson and Dylan Lynee of the Cayman Islands.
Costa Rica
In pool play, all four semifinalist teams showed early signs of strength. The Guardado brothers of El Salvador overcame Canada’s Ellinas/Lash in a tough Pool D battle (21-13, 18-21, 15-13), while Araya/Varela of Costa Rica earned a solid win over Guatemala’s Delgado/Guevara in Pool B (21-17, 21-15). Keeter/Barnes of USA breezed past St. Kitts and Nevis (21-17, 21-15) in Pool C, and Canada’s Burnside/Venning dominated U.S. Virgin Islands of Anderson/Rojas 2-0 (21-2, 21-10) in Pool A.
Also standing out in earlier matches were Aruba’s Jeandre Kock and Thelion Coutinho, who beat the Cayman Islands’ D. Van Dam/Chisholm in Pool B 2-0 (21-15, 21-16), and Barbados’ Nkoya Williams-Bailey and Aaron Taylor, who secured a strong 2-0 (21-11, 21-13) win in Pool C over Brown/Wathey of the U.S. Virgin Islands . Jamaica’s Love-Let Blake and Ithran Softley were victorious in Pool D, defeating Duty/Cardenas of Cayman Islands 2-0 (21-10, 21-15).
Sunday’s schedule starts with position matchups, followed by the semifinals. The semifinal winners will meet later in the day to battle for gold on the iconic sands of Seven Mile Beach.
Position Matches:
13/16: Anderson/Rojas ISV d Duty/Cardenas CAY 2-1 (12-21, 21-19, 15-11); D. Van Dam/Chisholm CAY d Brown/Wathey ISV 2-0 (21-16, 21-13)
9/12: Miguel/Morrison TTO d Blake/Softley JAM 2-0 (21-10, 21-12); Nkoya/Taylor BAR d Kock/Coutinho ARU 2-0 (21-17, 23-21)
SEVEN MILE BEACH, Cayman Islands, June 20, 2025. – Women’s duos from El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Guatemala along with Canada-1 enjoyed a perfect start at the 2025 NORCECA U23 Beach Volleyball Tour, each securing two victories on opening day at the picturesque Seven Mile Beach in the Cayman Islands.
El Salvador’s Karla Tovar and Daniela Vigil, Costa Rica’s Sofia Vega and Laura Molina, Guatemala’s Ana Sofía Arévalo and Danna Aguilar, along with Ariel Forgarty and Bailey Royston of Canada-1, all remained unbeaten with two wins in as many matches.
El Salvador’s Tovar/Vigil were in top form in Pool C, winning both of their matches in straight sets. First against Jamaica’s Brandy McCarthy and Damia Sibblies (21-11, 21-4), and then against Cayman Islands’ Luna Ebanks and Brianna Delapenha (21-9, 21-7). Canada’s Forgarty/Royston edged out Ebanks/Delapenha in a tight 2-1 (20-22, 21-19, 18-16) thriller and later defeated McCarthy/Sibblies 2-0 (21-11, 21-8).
BER #2 Moss In defense
In Pool D, Costa Rica’s Sofia V/Molina overpowered with convincing victories, starting with a 2-0 (21-7, 21-7) over St. Kitts and Nevis’ Celina Alwani and Jontelle Hensley Philip, and then a 2-0 (21-17, 21-8) over Canada’s Claire Neagle and Nolyn Houben. Guatemala’s Arévalo/Aguilar were equally dominant, defeating Neagle/Houben in a highly-competitive 2-0 (21-12, 23-21) and then taking down Alwani/Hensley Philip 2-0 (21-18, 21-7).
In other results, Cayman Islands’ Anjia Delapenha and Joanna Robinson claimed a hard-fought 2-1 victory (17-21, 21-17, 15-5) over Bermuda’s Megan Hands and Hailey Moss in Pool A. Earlier in the day, the Bermudian duo had opened with a straight-set win, 2-0 (21-7, 21-15), against L’fe Roberts and Meeka Johnson of Trinidad and Tobago.
In Pool B, Americans Alexis Durish and Audrey Koenig delivered a commanding 2-0 (21-4, 21-3) win over Barbados’ Sierra Rayside and Destiny Layne. Earlier, the Rayside/Layne had opened strong with a 2-0 (21-11, 21-5) victory against Brooklyn Donovan and D’Keisha Jordan of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Pool play continues Saturday morning, followed by the quarterfinal round and classification matchups for positions.
SEVEN MILE BEACH, Cayman Islands, June 20, 2025.– The Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) hosted a dynamic one-day Under-21 Beach Volleyball Championship on June 19, on the beautiful sands of Seven Mile Beach, bringing together top youth teams from across the region in a vibrant competing atmosphere.
The event served as a qualifier for the 2025 NORCECA U21 and U18 Beach Volleyball Championships and marked a key milestone on the path to the FIVB Age-Group World Championships, with the U18 event scheduled in Doha, Qatar, from October 7 to 11 and the U21 tournament set for Puebla, Mexico from October 15-19.
In a highly competitive tournament featuring both men’s and women’s divisions, the top three ranked countries in each category secured qualification for the NORCECA World Championship Qualifiers. The U21 event is set for July 3–7, and the U18 tournament will follow from July 6–10, with both taking place in the Dominican Republic.
In the women’s division, the top three teams, Cayman Islands, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago, along with the men’s teams from Barbados, Cayman Islands, and Trinidad and Tobago, qualified for the NORCECA qualifying tournaments to be held in the Dominican Republic.
CAZOVA President Mushtaque Mohammed, present at the event, expressed his delight, with the hosting conditions, calling it “one of the best-organizers of beach events in NORCECA.” He praised the participating federations and teams for their commitment to the historic first CAZOVA youth beach volleyball tournament, “This signals the growth of beach volleyball in CAZOVA and the future development of the sport within each National Federation” he added.
The next CAZOVA underage beach Volleyball event will be held in Tobago, Trinidad and Tobago for the U18 teams in preparation for the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympics.
With great weather and exciting matches all day, the CAZOVA U21 Beach Volleyball Championship was a big success, showcasing the region’s rising talent and building momentum for upcoming international competitions.
SEVEN MILE BEACH, Cayman Islands, June 20, 2025. – Seven men’s duos were off to an undefeated start on the opening day of the 2025 NORCECA U23 Beach Volleyball Tour at the stunning Seven Mile Beach. Both Canadian pairs, the U.S. team, St. Kitts and Nevis and all three Central American duos, each delivered dominant performances, winning their two matches in straight sets.
Canada’s two duos Brandon Burnside/Reed Venning and Charles Ellinas/Colin Lash delivered strong performances in Pool A and Pool D respectively.
Brandon Burnside and Reed Venning prevailed over their two opponents, first overpowering host team Cayman Islands’ Stephen Watson and Dylan Lynee 2-0 (21-4, 21-12) and then defeating Trinidad & Tobago’s Jerome Morrison and Jahreef Miguel with an identical 2-0 (21-11, 21-11) win.
Charles Ellinas and Colin Lash opened with a 2-0 (21-13, 21-5) win against William Duty and Dimitri Cardenas from the Cayman Islands, and followed that up with a 2-0 (21-9, 21-10) sweep over Jamaica’s Love-Let Blake and Ithran Softley.
CAN #1 Burnside with the poke set
In Pool C, Ayden Keeter and Carson Barnes from USA, opened with a convincing 2-0 (21-10, 21-7) win over Anderson and Aden Rojas of the U.S. Virgin Islands, then controlled the game in a 2-0 (21-11, 21-10) victory over Nkoya Williams-Bailey and Aaron Taylor from Barbados.
Also in Pool C, Julian Bristol and Clerique Ward of St. Kitts and Nevis defeated Nkoya/Taylor 2-0 (21-16, 21-18) in a tight contest, and later secured a 2-0 (21-11, 21-15) win over Brown/Wathey .
The three Central American teams, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and El Salvador, also remained perfect.
Daniel Delgado and Jose Guevara from Guatemala, in Pool B, defeated Aruba’s Jeandre Kock and Thelion Coutinho 2-0 (21-12, 21-18), and Cayman Islands’ Liam Chisholm and Declan Van Dam 2-0 (21-13, 21-12).
Costa Rica’s Julian Araya and Jhostin Varela were equally dominant in the same pool, sweeping D. Van Dam/Chisholm (2-0, 21-10, 21-9) and Coutinho /Kock (2-0, 21-9, 21-8) without trouble.
Christopher and Yoel Guardado from El Salvador, beat Jamaica’s Blake/Softley 2-0 (21-6, 21-11) and Cayman Islands’ William Duty/Dimitri Cardenas 2-0 (21-9, 21-11) without complications in Pool D
Pool-play clashes will conclude on Saturday, followed by the quarterfinal matchups and classification matches for positions.
SEVEN MILE BEACH, Cayman Islands, June 19, 2025.– After claiming gold in the opening stop of the 2025 NORCECA U23 Beach Volleyball Tour, Costa Rica’s Julián Araya and Jhostin Varela arrive in the Cayman Islands as the team to watch for the second leg of the tour, which will take place from June 20 to 22 on the iconic shores of Seven Mile Beach.
Araya and Varela were crowned men’s champions in the first stage of the tour held in May at Juan Dolio beach, Dominican Republic. They triumphed in a thrilling three-set final against the United States’ Gage Basey and Thomas Hurst, winning 2-1 (19-21, 21-18, 15-12).
All eyes now turn to the second stage of the tour, where 14 women’s teams and 16 men’s teams representing 13 countries will compete over three days. A total of 28 matches are expected on the opening day alone.
The tournament serves as a crucial stepping stone for rising beach volleyball athletes aiming to compete at major international events, including the 2025 Junior Pan American Games in Asunción, Paraguay.
The competition begins at 9:00 a.m. (local time) on Friday with pool play and continues Saturday with the quarterfinals and classification matches. The event concludes on Sunday with semifinals and medal matches, promising a weekend full of high-level action and emerging talent on the sand.
Pool distribution
WOMEN
POOL A: Anjia Delapenha/Joanna Robinson CAY-1, Meeka Johnson/L’fe Roberts TTO, Megan Hands/Hailey Moss BER
POOL B: Alexis Durish/Audrey Koenig USA, Brooklyn Donovan/D’Keisha Jordan ISV, Destiny Layne/Sierra Rayside BAR
POOL C: Ariel Forgarty/Bailey Royston CAN-1, Karla Tovar/Daniela Vigil ESA, Brandy McCarthy/Damia Sibblies JAM, Brianna Delapenha/Luna Ebanks CAY2
POOL D: Ana Sofía Arevalo/Danna Aguilar GUA, Sofia Vega/Laura Molina CRC, Celina Alwani Jontelle Hensley Philip SKN, Claire Neagle/Nolyn Houben CAN2
MEN
POOL A: Stephen Watson/Dylan Lynee CAY, Jerome Morrison/Jahreef Miguel TTO, Armani Anderson/Aden Rojas ISV-1, Brandon Burnside/Reed Venning CAN-2
POOL B: Julian Araya/Jhostin Varela CRC, Daniel Delgado/Jose Guevara GUA, Jeandre Kock/ Thelion Coutinho ARU, Liam Chisholm/Declan Van Dam CAY-3
POOL C: Ayden Keeter/Carson Barnes USA, Julian Bristol/Clerique Ward SKN, Nkoya Williams-Bailey/Aaron Taylor BAR, Armani Anderson/Aden Rojas ISV-2
POOL D: Charles Ellinas/Colin Lash CAN, Christopher Guardado/Yoel Guardado ESA, Love-Let Blake/Ithran Softley JAM, William Duty/Dimitri Cardenas CAY-2
SEVEN MILE BEACH, Cayman Islands, June 19, 2025. – In a thrilling display of skill and resilience on home sand, Brianna Delapenha and Luna Ebanks clinched the women’s gold medal at the inaugural CAZOVA U21 Beach Volleyball Championship.
The Cayman Islands duo edged out Barbados’ Destiny Layne and Sierra Rayside in a hard-fought three-set final, sealed dramatically with a service ace by Brianna for a 2-1 victory (21-10, 14-21, 15-9).
In the bronze medal match, Anjia Delapenha and Joanna Robinson gave the Cayman Islands a double podium finish, defeating Trinidad and Tobago’s L’fe Roberts and Meeka Johnson in straight sets, 21-18, 21-6.
The top three ranked countries in the event, Cayman Islands, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago, earned a berth to compete in the NORCECA Qualifier Tournament for the World Championship.
Brianna Delapenha and Luna Ebanks triumphed in the all-Cayman Islands semifinal showdown, rallying past Anjia Delapenha and Joanna Robinson 2-1 (18-21, 21-19, 15-5).
Meanwhile, Barbados’ Destiny Layne and Sierra Rayside secured their spot in the final with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Trinidad and Tobago’s L’fe Roberts and Meeka Johnson (21-9, 17-21, 15-9).
top 3 Qualifiers
Sibblies/Brandy of Jamaica finished fifth place with a 2-0 (21-11, 21-15) victory over the U.S. Virgin Islands’ Jordan/Donovan.
In pool play action, both Cayman Islands’ teams delivered dominant performances to top their respective groups and advance with confidence.
In Pool A, Anjia Delapenha/Joanna Robinson overcame a strong challenge from Barbados’ Destiny Layne/Sierra Rayside in a tight 2-1 win (21-15, 18-21, 15-10), before cruising past Jamaica’s Brandy McCarthy/Damia Sibblies in straight sets (21-5, 21-9). Meanwhile, in Pool B, Brianna Delapenha and Luna Ebanks were equally impressive, defeating the U.S. Virgin Islands’ Brooklyn Donovan and D’Keisha Jordan (21-9, 21-9), and following up with another straight sets win over Trinidad and Tobago’s Lfe Roberts and Meeka Johnson (21-19, 21-13).
SEVEN MILE BEACH, Cayman Islands, June 19, 2025. – Nkoya Williams and Aaron Taylor of Barbados claimed the men’s gold medal at the inaugural CAZOVA U21 Beach Volleyball Championship, prevailing in the final over Cayman Islands’ Stephen Watson and Dylan Lynee.
Williams/Taylor bounced back after dropping the first set, winning the second and then sealing the match when an injury forced their opponents to withdraw, with a final score of 2-1 (19-21, 21-13, 15-0).
In the bronze medal match, Trinidad and Tobago’s Jerome Morrison and Jahreef Miguel delivered a strong performance to defeat Jamaica’s Love-Let Blake and Ithran Softley in straight sets, 21-15, 21-12.
BAR Champions
The top three ranked countries in the event, Barbados, Cayman Islands, and Trinidad and Tobago, earned a berth to compete in the NORCECA Qualifier Tournament for the World Championship.
In the semifinals, Nkoya Williamsand Aaron Taylor of Barbados staged a comeback to defeat Jamaica’s Love-Let Blake and Ithran Softley in a thrilling three-set match, 2-1 (16-21, 21-19, 15-6).
While Stephen Watson and Dylan Lynee from the Cayman Islands also rallied after dropping the first set, overcoming Trinidad and Tobago’s Jerome Morrison and Jahreef Miguel 2-1 (21-23, 21-15, 15-8) to advance to the final.
Anderson/Rojas of the U.S. Virgin Islands overcame a three-set battle 2-1 (17-21, 21-16, 15-8) against Duty/Cardenas of Cayman Islands for fifth place.
all awardees
Pool play featured intense matchups, with all teams battling for a spot in the knockout rounds.
Cayman Islands’ Stephen Watson/Dylan Lynee secured two victories in Pool A, defeating the U.S. Virgin Islands’ Armani Anderson/Aden Rojas in straight sets (21-14, 21-6) before edging out Barbados’ Nkoya Williams and Aaron Taylor in a thrilling three-setter (15-21, 21-19, 15-12). Barbados bounced back with a 2-0 win over the U.S. Virgin Islands (21-13, 22-20) to finish second in the group.
In Pool B, Cayman Islands’ William Duty/Dimitri Cardenas opened with a straight-sets win over Jamaica’s Love-Let Blake/Ithran Softley (21-15, 21-17) but fell to Trinidad and Tobago’s Jerome Morrison/Jahreef Miguel (21-13, 21-15), who went on to top the group after also defeating Jamaica 2-0 (21-19, 21-14).
SEVEN MILE BEACH, Cayman Islands, June 16, 2025.– The inaugural Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Under-21 Beach Volleyball Championship is set to take place on June 19 at the iconic Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman.
This one-day tournament will feature 12 teams representing Barbados, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Host nation Cayman Islands will field two teams per gender.
Teams are divided into two pools per gender, competing in round-robin play, followed by semifinals and finals, all packed into a single day of high-energy action.
Team Cayman Ladies
The top three teams in both the men’s and women’s competitions will qualify for NORCECA World Championship Qualifier Tournament in Juan Dolio, advancing on the international stage.
“This championship is not just a qualifier, it’s a celebration of youth beach volleyball in our region,” said CAZOVA President Mushtaque Mohammed.
SEVEN MILE BEACH, Cayman Islands, June 17, 2025. – The famous shores of Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, are set to become the epicenter of regional beach volleyball this week, as two important international competitions take place back-to-back.
Kicking off the action on June 19 is the CAZOVA Under-21 Beach Volleyball Championship, a one-day event organized by the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association. This high-stakes tournament serves as CAZOVA qualifier for the 2025 NORCECA U21 Championships, a key step towards qualification for the FIVB U21 World Championships later this year.
The top three teams in both the men’s and women’s competitions will compete at the NORCECA World Championship Qualifier, which will be held from 3 to 7 July in Juan Dolio, Dominican Republic.
This event reflects CAZOVA’s dedication to developing young beach volleyball talent and expanding competitive opportunities for athletes across the Caribbean.
Immediately following, from June 20 to 23, the spotlight remains on Seven Mile Beach as it hosts the second stage of the 2025 NORCECA U23 Beach Volleyball Tour. Aimed at up-and-coming players, this developmental tournament offers crucial international experience and ranking points. The competition also plays a key role in preparing athletes for future events, such as the 2025 Junior Pan American Games in Asunción, Paraguay.
The back-to-back tournaments not only showcase Seven Mile Beach as a prime venue for elite beach volleyball but also reinforce NORCECA’s commitment to athlete growth and the sport’s continued expansion across the North, Central America and the Caribbean region.
BASSETERRE, Saint Kitts and Nevis, June 9, 2025.- The 2025 Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) U21 Beach Volleyball Championships came to a thrilling conclusion after three days of intense action, excitement, and competition on one of the most beautiful venues. Held from June 6 to 8 on the scenic shores of Saint Kitts and Nevis, the event featured a magnificent court layout with four competition courts and two warm-up courts, perfectly blending sport with scenery.
The championship brought together 24 teams from 10 countries, all showcasing the best of U21 beach volleyball talent in a setting that wowed both athletes and fans alike. Against the backdrop of turquoise waters and golden sands, two teams emerged victorious with standout performances.
In the men’s division, Dominica’s Mervin Mingo and Bill Frederick successfully defended their crown, becoming back-to-back ECVA U21 Beach Volleyball Champions. Their chemistry and tactical execution powered them through a competitive field, solidifying their status as one of the region’s premier pairs.
In the women’s division, St. Lucia’s Ericka Gaspard and Clio Phillip turned in a flawless 5-0 run, capturing gold without dropping a single set. Their dominance, paired with remarkable composure, set the tone for an unforgettable tournament.
“This year’s championship was more than just a tournament—it was a celebration of youth, excellence, and the unmatched beauty of the Caribbean,” said the ECVA President, Glenn Quinlan. “The court setup along the Saint Kitts and Nevis coastline was truly spectacular and raised the bar for future ECVA events.”
The top three teams in each gender category, Dominica, St. Lucia and Grenada in men, and St. Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica in women, will now move forward to represent ECVA at the NORCECA World Championship Qualifier Tournament, taking the next step on their international journey.
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts & Nevis, June 8, 2025.- St. Lucia’s Ericka Gaspard and Clio Phillip delivered a flawless performance at the ECVA U21 Beach Volleyball Championship, capturing the women’s gold medal with an undefeated 5-0 record and without dropping a single set.
In the final, Phillip and Ericka overpowered Antigua and Barbuda’s Jassania Joseph and Jaya Carr in straight sets, 2-0 (21-11, 23-21), sealing their championship run in dominant fashion on the sands of Saint Kitts and Nevis.
The St. Lucian duo controlled the opening set with authority but had to dig deep in the second after trailing 19-20. With calm under pressure and sharp execution, Phillip and Ericka rallied to close the match 23-21, completing their perfect tournament and claiming the gold medal.
ALL MEDALLISTS U21 ECVA BEACH
In an interview after the victory, Phillip said “We feel great, we are excited, we are happy. This is what we came to do, win the Gold!”
Speaking about the match, Ericka said “We really had to work hard in the last set. Our confidence allowed us to push through the last points”.
Dominica’s Alyssa Bully and Joyan Pascal secured an exciting bronze medal victory in three sets over Anguilla’s Deandra Fleming and Lavesha Richardson. Bully/Pascal came out strong to take the first set 21-14, but Fleming/Richardson fought back in a tight second set, edging it 22-20 to force a decider. In the third, Bully and Pascal regained control with a dominant 15-7 finish to clinch the 2-1 win and a spot on the podium.
The top three finishers of the event move on to represent the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) at the NORCECA World Championships Qualifier Tournament.
St. Lucia’s Ericka/Phillip advanced to the championship match, with consistent play, to earn a straight-set 2-0 (21-16, 21-17) victory over Deandra Fleming and Lavesha Richardson of Anguilla.
In a hard-fought semifinal, Joseph and Carr edged Dominica’s Bully and Pascal 2-1 (21-12, 15-21, 15-12). After splitting the first two sets, Joseph and Carr led 13-9 in the decider before withstanding a late Dominican rally to secure their spot in the final.
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts & Nevis, June 8, 2025.- Dominica’s Mervin Mingo and Bill Frederick were crowned ECVA U21 Men’s Beach Volleyball Champions for the second year in a row, delivering a confident 2-0 win (21-17, 21-15) over St. Lucia’s Victor Rio and Peter Emmanuel in Sunday’s gold medal match at the scenic shores of Saint Kitts and Nevis.
The Dominican duo reaffirmed their dominance in the region with another stellar performance, despite going through the round of 12 after finishing second in Pool A of the preliminary round, coincidently losing to St. Lucia’s duo Rio/Emmanuel.
In the championship match, Mingo and Frederick displayed control, keeping their composure under pressure and dictating the pace of the match. Their consistency and experience proved too much for the St. Lucian team, who fought hard but couldn’t break through.
ALL PLAYERS U23 ECVA BEACH
Speaking after winning the gold medal, Frederick said “We feel very excited, because it’s another accomplishment in our books and I can’t even explain it, I am flabbergasted”.
Mervin Mingo added a warm thank you to their parents, coaches and fans “their support was very important for us”.
In an exciting bronze medal match, Grenada’s Walcott Zerick and Kibose Hamilton battled past home favorites Jedediah Pencheon and Vikash Sundar of St. Kitts and Nevis in a thrilling 2-1 victory (21-17, 12-21, 15-11). After taking the opening set, Zerick and Hamilton faced a fierce response in the second but regrouped with determination to seal the deciding set and claim the bronze medal.
Mervin Mingo and Bill Frederick of Dominica took a confident step toward back-to-back titles with a straight-sets semifinal victory 2-0 (21-18, 21-15) against Grenada’s Walcott Zerick and Kibose Hamilton. The Dominican pair showcased their experience and composure in key moments.
St. Lucia’s duo, Rio/Emmanuel, secured a swift and convincing 2-0 (21-11, 21-11) victory in their semifinal match against the home team of Sundar and Puncheon. They took both sets by comfortable margins, while Rio was particularly effective at the net, consistently shutting down St. Kitts’ scoring efforts.
Positioning matches:
POS 11-12: Dos Santos Martin/Mello BER vs. Hassel/De Jesus EUX 2-0 (21-19, 21-15)
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts & Nevis, June 7, 2025.- The duos of Jassania Joseph/Jaya Carr of Antigua and Barbuda, Deandra Fleming/Lavesha Richardson of Anguilla, St. Lucia’s Ericka Gaspard/Clio Phillip and Dominica’s Alyssa Bully/Joyan Pascal are the final four women’s teams at the 2025 ECVA U21 Beach Volleyball Championship being held in St. Kitts and Nevis.
Sunday’s semifinal matchups will see Jassania Joseph and Jaya Carr of Antigua and Barbuda go head-to-head with Dominica’s Alyssa Bully and Joyan Pascal, while St. Lucia’s Ericka Gaspard and Clio Phillip will clash with Deandra Fleming and Lavesha Richardson of Anguilla for a place in the championship final.
Joseph/Carr of Antigua and Barbuda overcame a slow start and battled through rain and strong winds to claim a hard-fought 2-1 (18-21, 21-15, 15-12) victory over Bermuda’s Kayley Hamilton and Hailey Moss. Despite losing the opening set, the Antiguan pair adjusted their game and showed resilience under the challenging weather conditions to secure the win.
Richardson and Fleming of Anguilla advanced to the semifinals with a straight-sets victory over Gereliva Spanner and Gercia Brown of St. Eustatius, winning 2-0 (21-14, 21-11) in the quarterfinals
St. Lucia’s Phillip/Ericka delivered a dominant performance in the quarterfinals, displaying confidence to overpower the home team of Celina Awlani and Hensley Phillip 2-0 (21-12, 21-6).
Dominica’s Bully and Pascal delivered a solid performance in the final quarterfinal match of the day. The duo secured a straight-set victory over Grenada’s Xenia Collins and Teasia Jones, winning 2-0 (21-14, 21-12) to punch their ticket to the semifinals.
In the Round of 12, Awlani/Hensley Phillip of St. Kitts and Nevis (SKN) claimed a straight-set victory over Dryaton/Farington of the British Virgin Islands 2-0 (21-19, 21-11). Teasia and Collins of Grenada edged out Amritt/Pinney from SKN in a tightly contested match, winning 2-1 (21-9, 18-21, 16-14). Spanner and Brown of Sint Eustatius cruised past Andrew/Campbell, also from SKN, with a convincing 2-0 (21-7, 21-15). Meanwhile, Joseph/Carr from Antigua and Barbuda bounced back after dropping the first set to defeat Gibson/Matthews of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2-1 (21-23, 21-6, 15-10).
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts & Nevis, June 7, 2025.- Despite intermittent rain and strong winds, Defending champions Mervin Mingo/Bill Frederick of Dominica, Jedediah Pencheon/Vikash Sundar of St. Kitts and Nevis, Grenada’s Walcott Zerick/Kibose Hamilton, along with St. Lucia’s Victor Rio and Peter Emmanuel, emerged as the top four men’s teams of the 2025 ECVA U21 Beach Volleyball Championship.
Sunday’s semifinals will see Jedediah Pencheon and Vikash Sundar of St. Kitts and Nevis face Victor Rio and Peter Emmanuel of St. Lucia, while Dominica’s Mervin Mingo and Bill Frederick take on Walcott Zerick and Kibose Hamilton of Grenada.
Sundar/Pencheon of St. Kitts and Nevis thrilled the home crowd with a commanding performance, defeating Antigua and Barbuda’s Khaliq Joseph and Miguel Lugo in straight sets, 2-0 (22-20, 21-13), in the quarterfinals.
Dominica’s Mingo/Frederick delivered a powerful performance in their quarterfinal match, defeating Alex Lall and Joash Walters of St. Kitts and Nevis in straight sets, 2-0 (21-17, 21-7). After a competitive first set, the Dominican duo tightened their grip on the match, dominating the second set with a decisive scoreline to advance to the semifinals.
Zerick and Hamilton of Grenada showed composure and consistency throughout the quarterfinal clash, earning their spot in the semifinals with a 2-0 (21-19, 21-16) victory over the British Virgin Islands duo, Maduro Dunkley and Alexander Wheatley.
Finally, St. Lucia’s team Rio/Emmanuel clinched the last spot in the semifinals with a composed and efficient 2-0 (21-17, 21-17) victory over Julian Bristol and Komarr Fraties of St. Kitts and Nevis, sealing their place among the tournament’s top four teams.
Earlier in the day, in the Round of 12, Lugo/Joseph of Antigua and Barbuda dominated D’jario Hassell/De Jesus of Sint Eustatius with a commanding 2-0 win (21-10, 21-10). Mingo/Frederick of Dominica also secured a straight-set victory, defeating Bermuda’s Dos Santos Martin/Mello Kyle Mello 2-0 (21-11, 21-9). Bristol/Fraties from St. Kitts and Nevis overpowered Smith/Reid of Anguilla, also with a 2-0 score (21-12, 21-12). In a more competitive encounter, Maduro Dunkley Maduro/Wheatley of the British Virgin Islands edged past Alexander/Stephen from St. Vincent and the Grenadines in three sets, 2-1 (21-16, 19-21, 15-10).
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts and Nevis, June 6, 2025.- Defending champions Deandra Fleming and Lavesha Richardson of Anguilla won Pool A defeating the local duo of Celina Alwani and Jontelle Hensley Philip and Roneika Gibson alongside Veronique Matthews of St. Vincent and the Grenadines on day one of the Women’s 2025 ECVA U21 Beach Volleyball Championship in St. Kitts and Nevis.
Joining Richardson/Fleming in the quarterfinals are St. Lucia’s Ericka Gaspard and Clio Phillip, Kayley Hamilton and Hailey Moss of Bermuda, and Dominica’s Alyssa Bully and Joyan Pascal.
Anguilla’s Deandra Fleming and Lavesha Richardson secured a 2-0 victory (21-12, 23-21) over Celina Alwani and Jontelle Hensley Philip of St. Kitts and Nevis to win Pool A. Earlier in the day, Richardson/Fleming had also defeated St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Gibson/Matthews in straight sets (21-18, 21-15), while Alwani/Hensley Philip claimed a 2-0 win (21-8, 21-14) over the same Vincentian duo.
St. Lucia’s Ericka Gaspard and Clio Phillip dominated Pool B to finish at the top with two commanding victories. They opened with a dominant 2-0 win (21-4, 21-7) over St. Kitts and Nevis’ Jahzara Andrew and Asia Campbell, then sealed first place by defeating Grenada’s Xenia Collins and Teasia Jones in straight sets (21-14, 21-14). Earlier, Teasia/Collins had swept Andrew/Campbell 2-0 (21-13, 21-11).
Kayley Hamilton and Hailey Moss of Bermuda emerged as the winners of Pool C with a flawless performance, winning both of their matches in straight sets. The pair displayed dominance throughout, first defeating Azarraha Amritt and Shaylee Pinney of St. Kitts and Nevis 2-0 (21-4, 21-10) and then overpowering Gereliva Spanner and Gercia Brown of St. Eustatius 2-0 (21-8, 21-9). Spanner/Brown were coming from a three-set victory 2-1 (4-21, 21-16, 15-12) against Amritt/Pinney.
Dominica’s Alyssa Bully and Joyan Pascal claimed the top spot in Pool D with back-to-back three-set victories. They opened the day by rallying from a set down to defeat the British Virgin Islands’ Natalia Drayton and Megan Farrington 2-1 (16-21, 21-16, 15-10). Bully and Pascal then secured the pool win with a gritty 2-1 triumph (21-15, 23-21, 15-6) over Antigua and Barbuda’s Jassania Joseph and Jaya Carr. Earlier, Joseph and Carr swept Drayton and Farrington 2-0 (21-11, 21-14).
Day two of the event will start with round of 12 to determine the quarterfinal matchups.
BASSETERRE, Saint Kitts and Nevis, June 6, 2025.- Dominica’s Mervin Mingo and Bill Frederick lost to Victor Rio and Peter Emmanuel of St. Lucia in a hard-fought 2-1 battle (17-21, 21-19, 15-12) in Pool A on opening day of the Men’s 2025 ECVA U21 Beach Volleyball Championship in Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Victor Rio and Peter Emmanuel of St. Lucia, along with Jedediah Puncheon/Vikash Sundar and Alex Lall/Joash Walters of St. Kitts and Nevis, and Grenada’s Zerick Walcott and Kibose Hamilton advanced to quarterfinals after winning their respective pools.
Pool A was claimed by Victor Rio and Peter Emmanuel of St. Lucia, who rallied to defeat Dominica’s Mervin Mingo and Bill Frederick. Both teams advanced to the pool-deciding match by defeating Anguilla’s Trevon Smith and Shaquoy Reid in straight sets. Mingo and Frederick won their matchup 2-0 (21-8, 21-14), while Rio and Emmanuel dominated with a 2-0 victory (21-7, 21-13).
Host country duos Jedediah Puncheon/Vikash Sundar and Alex Lall/Joash Walters emerged as winners of Pools B and C, respectively.
Jedediah Puncheon and Vikash Sundar clinched first place in Pool B with a straight-sets victory over St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Dishawn Alexander and Stephen Woods, 2-0 (21-12, 25-23). Earlier in the day, both pairs had secured wins against St. Eustatius’ D’jario Hassell and Zjondre De Jesus. Puncheon and Sundar triumphed 2-0 (21-8, 21-12), while Alexander and Woods also posted a 2-0 result (21-4, 21-10).
Alex Lall and Joash Walters faced a tougher road to claim the top spot in Pool C. They opened their campaign with a hard-fought three-set win (21-18, 16-21, 15-10) over the British Virgin Islands duo of Maduro Dunkley and Alexander Wheatley. In the decisive match, Lall and Walters battled fiercely to secure a straight-sets victory (21-19, 22-20) against Antigua and Barbuda’s Khaliq Joseph and Miguel Lugo, who had previously swept Wheatley and Dunkley 2-0 (21-12, 21-16).
Grenada’s Zerick Walcott and Kibose Hamilton opened Pool D play with a commanding 2-0 win (21-8, 21-13) over Bermuda’s Kyle Mello and Anijahe Dos Santo Martin. The home team, Julian Bristol and Komarr Fraties, also swept Bermuda in straight sets (21-8, 21-16). In a thrilling pool-deciding showdown, Walcott and Hamilton edged out Bristol and Fraties 2-0 (24-22, 23-21) to claim the top spot in Pool D.
Saturday starts with the round of 12, the winner will face group winners in the quarterfinal round.
Saint Kitts and Nevis, June 5, 2025.- The Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) U21 Beach Volleyball Championship is set to begin on Friday at the Marriott Beach, North Frigate Bay on the beautiful shores of Saint Kitts and Nevis.
This prestigious tournament will showcase twenty-four talented young teams, twelve per gender, representing ten different countries across the region, promoting sportsmanship and competition.
The top three teams in both genders will qualify for the NORCECA World Championship Qualifier Tournament in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, from July 3-7.
Crucial preparatory activities took place on the eve of the event, including registration process, ensuring their eligibility and documentation are in order. All teams had the opportunity to utilize the four tournament courts for training sessions, allowing them to acclimatize to the environment and fine-tune their strategies. Finally, Glenn Quinlan, ECVA President, presided over the general technical meeting to discuss the tournament schedule, regulations and specific guidelines.
Teams are distributed in four groups. Pool play will be completed on the first day of the competition, where the winner of each group advances directly to Saturday’s quarterfinals. On day two, the round of 12 will decide who advances to the next round. The tournament will conclude on Sunday with position matches, semifinals and medal matches.
WOMEN
Pool A: Deandra Fleming/Lavesha Richardson (AGU); Roneika Gibson/Veronique Matthews (VIN); Celina Alwani/Jontelle Hensley Philip (SKN).
Pool B: Ericka Gaspard/Clio Phillip (LCA); Xenia Collins/Teasia Jones (GRN); Jahzara Andrew/Asia Campbell (SKN).
Pool C: Kayley Hamilton/Hailey Moss (BER); Gereliva Spanner/Gercia Brown (EUX); Azarraha Amritt/Shaylee Pinney (SKN).
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, May 25, 2025 – The American duo of Emma Donley and Portia Sherman were crowned champions of the NORCECA U23 Beach Volleyball Tour after a commanding 2-0 (21-14, 21-12) victory over Canada’s Sophie Hancock and Emma Cudmore in the final, held at the sand courts of beautiful Juan Dolio beach.
Donley/Sherman advanced to the gold medal match by defeating Nicaragua’s Nahima Silva and Norma Brenes with a dominant 2-0 (21-12, 21-12) win in the semifinals. Meanwhile, Hancock/Cudmore reached the final by taking down the Dominican team of Crismil Paniagua and Yari Cleto, also in straight sets (21-17, 21-16).
The podium was completed by Dominicans Paniagua and Cleto, who claimed the bronze medal after beating Silva/Brenes with scores of 21-15 and 21-18.
In the battle for fifth place, Guatemala’s Danna Aguilar and Naomi Monney edged Honduras’ Shanna Rivera and Reizel Bruhier in a three-set thriller (21-19, 21-13, 16-14).
Seventh place went to Costa Rica’s Aliza Aguilar and Sofía Vega, who secured a 2-0 (21-9, 21-19) win over Joanna Robinson and Luna Ebanks from the Cayman Islands.
El Salvador’s Ashley Rauda and Keiry Guzmán took ninth place by defeating the Virgin Islands’ Kirra Lambert and Sophia Peifer, 2-0 (21-13, 21-18).
Dominicans Zoe Paniagua and Steyce Turbi finished in eleventh place after a 2-0 (21-14, 21-13) win over Trinidad and Tobago’s Kristiana Richards and Adalia Badroe. Meanwhile, Canada’s Claire Neagle and Nolyn Houben placed thirteenth.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, May 25, 2025.– Julián Araya and Jhostin Varela of Costa Rica were crowned champions of the first stage of the NORCECA U23 Tour, held on the spectacular beach of Juan Dolio, Dominican Republic. They clinched the title in a thrilling three-set match 2-1 (19-21, 21-18, 15-12) against Americans Gage Basey and Thomas Hurst.
Araya and Varela reached the gold medal match after defeating Nicaragua’s Josué Meneses and Jesy Umaña in the semifinals in straight sets (21-15, 21-18). On the other side, Hasey and Hurst advanced to the final after beating Dominican duo Ramón De Jesús and Rolvin Maldonado 2-0 (21-12, 21-16).
Third place went to Meneses and Umaña, who claimed the bronze medal by defeating De Jesús and Maldonado 2-0 (21-19, 21-14).
Fifth place was secured by Canadians Connor Dorsey and Aiden Hilkowitz, who beat El Salvador’s Gabriel Vargas and Carlos Mejía 2-0 (21-8, 27-25).
In the battle for seventh place, fellow Canadians Aidan Labossiere and Mason Doering earned a solid 2-0 victory (21-18, 21-12) over Stephen Watson and Dylan Lynee of the Cayman Islands. Ninth place went to Hondurans Jairo Gálvez and Isaac Méndez, who came from behind to defeat Barbados’ Julián Bristol and Jedediah Pencheon in three sets, 2-1 (13-21, 21-19, 17-15).
Daniel Delgado and José Guevara of Guatemala finished in eleventh place after a straight-set win over Trinidad and Tobago’s Jerome Morrison and Jahreef Miguel, 2-0 (21-16, 21-16).
Thirteenth place was claimed by Suriname’s Jamal Atman and Guy Lieveld, who defeated Kymani Greenidge and Cole Sommer of the Virgin Islands 2-0 (21-16, 21-19). Finally, Jared Brown and Kanif Wathey of the U.S. Virgin Islands finished in fifteenth place.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, May 24, 2025.- The Dominican duo of Crismil Paniagua and Yari Cleto, Canada’s Sophie Hancock and Emma Cudmore, USA’s Emma Donley and Portia Sherman, and Nicaragua’s Nahima Silva and Norma Brenes have all advanced to the women’s semifinals of the 2025 NORCECA U23 Beach Volleyball Tour, taking place on the beautiful shores of Juan Dolio.
The host team, Paniagua and Cleto, will face Hancock and Cudmore from Canada in the first semifinal. In the other matchup, Donley and Sherman of the United States will go head-to-head with Nicaragua’s Silva and Brenes.
Portia Sherman of United States
In the quarterfinals, Paniagua and Cleto cruised past Guatemala’s Danna Aguilar and Naomi Monney in straight sets, 21-8, 21-14. Hancock and Cudmore followed with a dominant 2-0 win (21-12, 21-10) over Aliza Aguilar and Sofía Vega of Costa Rica. Donley and Sherman overpowered Honduras’ Shanna Rivera and Reizel Bruhier 21-15, 21-9, while Silva and Brenes took a convincing 2-0 (21-8, 21-10) victory over Joanna Robinson and Luna Banks of the Cayman Islands.
Earlier in the competition, all four semifinalist teams topped their respective groups in pool play.
In the classification matches for 9th to 12th place, El Salvador’s Ashley Rauda and Keiry Guzmán defeated Kristiana Richards and Adalia Badroe of Trinidad & Tobago 2-0 (21-10, 21-13), while the U.S. Virgin Islands’ Kirra Lambert and Sophia Peifer beat Dominicans Zoe Paniagua and Steyce Turbi 2-0 (21-16, 21-13).
For 13th to 16th place classification, Canada’s Claire Neagle and Nolyn Houben advanced by a bye.
Semifinals and placement matches will take place on Sunday morning, with the bronze and gold medal matches scheduled for the afternoon.
Other results:
Hancock/Cudmore (CAN) d Richards/Badroe (TTO) 2-0 (21-16, 21-3); Silva/Brenes (NCA) d Aguilar/Vega (CRC) 2-0 (21-18, 21-5); Donley/Sherman (USA) d Aguilar/Monney 2-0 821-14, 21-12); Paniagua/Cleto (DOM) d Rauda/Guzmán (ESA) 2-0 (21-7, 21-9); Rivera/Bruhier (HON) d Neagle/Houben (CAN) 2-0 (21-13, 21-6).
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, May 24, 2025.- The men’s teams of Ramón De Jesús/Rolvin Maldonado of Dominican Republic, USA’s Gage Basey/Thomas Hurst, Julián Araya/Jhostin Varela of Costa Rica and Josué Meneses/Jesy Umaña of Nicaragua secured their spots in the semifinals of the NORCECA U23 Beach Volleyball Tour, currently taking place on the sand courts set up along the beach in Juan Dolio.
In Sunday’s semifinals, De Jesús and Maldonado (DOM) will face Basey and Hurst (USA), while Meneses and Umaña (NCA) will meet Araya and Varela (CRC).
Thomas Hurst of United States
In the quarterfinals, the Dominican duo De Jesús/Maldonado won a thrilling match against Canada’s Aidan Labossiere and Mason Doering in three sets, 2-1 (21-18, 18-21, 15-12). Meanwhile, Americans Basey and Hurst claimed a convincing 2-0 victory (21-12, 21-14) over Canadians Connor Dorsey and Aiden Hilkowitz. Costa Rica’s Araya and Varela were dominant over Stephen Watson and Dylan Lynee of the Cayman Islands 2-0 (21-8, 21-10), while Nicaragua’s Meneses and Umaña earned a solid 2-0 win (21-17, 21-14) over El Salvador’s Gabriel Vargas and Carlos Mejía.
Just like in the women’s competition, the four men’s semifinalist duos also topped their respective pools in the preliminary round.
In classification matches for 9th to 12th place, Honduras’ Jairo Gálvez and Isaac Méndez defeated Daniel Delgado and José Guevara of Guatemala 2-0 (21-11, 21-12).
In the battle for 13th to 16th place, Suriname’s Jamal Atman and Guy Lieveld advanced via bye, while Kymani Greenidge and Cole Sommer of the U.S. Virgin Islands defeated compatriots Jared Brown and Kanif Wathey 2-0 (21-15, 21-12).
The semifinals and placement matches will be played Sunday morning, followed by the bronze and gold medal matches in the afternoon.
Other results:
De Jesús/Maldonado (DOM) d Delgado/Guevara (GUA) 2-0 (21-10, 21-11); Araya/Varela (CRC) d Julián Bristol/Jedediah Pencheon (SKN) 2-0 )21-11, 21-8); Labossiere/Doering (CAN) d Brown/Wathey (ISV) 2-0 (21-5, 21-7); Meneses/Umaña (NCA) d Dorsey/Hilkowitz (CAN) 2-1 (11-21, 21-13, 15-11); Jerome Morrison/Jahreef Miguel (TTO) d Greenidge/Sommer (ISV) 2-0 (21-16, 21-6); Basey Hurst (USA) d Vargas/Mejía (ESA) 2-0 (21-19, 22-20); Gálvez/Méndez (HON) d Atman/Lieveld (SUR) 2-0 (21-8, 21-5).
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, May 23, 2025.- Six women’s pairs finished undefeated on the opening day of the NORCECA U23 Beach Volleyball Tour, which kicked off Friday at the beautiful Juan Dolio Beach in the Dominican Republic.
In Pool A, the Canadian duo of Sophie Hancock and Emma Cudmore earned a win over Joanna Robinson and Luna Ebanks of Cayman Islands 2-0 (21-10, 21-11), while their second match was a bye.
Costa Rica’s Aliza Aguilar and Sofia Vega, along with Nicaragua’s Nahima Silva and Norma Brenes, ended the day undefeated in Pool B. Both teams defeated Kirra Lambert and Sofia Peifer from the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Aguilar and Vega dominated Lambert/Peifer 2-0 (21-10, 21-5), while Silva and Brenes also secured a straight-sets victory (21-11, 21-12).
In Pool C, the U.S. pair of Emma Donley and Portia Sherman defeated Dominican duo Zoe Paniagua and Steyce Turbi 2-0 (21-6, 21-8). Guatemala’s Danna Aguilar and Naomi Monney also triumphed over Paniagua/Turbi, winning 2-0 (21-5, 21-4).
Dominicans Crismil Paniagua and Yari Cleto, in Pool D, beat Honduras’ Shanna Rivera and Reizel Bruhier 2-0 (21-14, 25-23). Canada’s Claire Neagle and Nolyn Houben also defeated the Honduran team 2-0 (21-17, 21-9).
Other results:
Joanna Robinson/Luna Ebanks (CAY) d TTO Kristiana Richards/Adalia Badroe 2-1 (21-9, 22-24, 15-8), Ashley Rauda/Keiry Guzmán (ESA) d Claier Neagle/Nolyn Houben 2-0 (21-14, 21-9), and Shanna Rivera/Reizel Bruhier (HON) d Rauda/Guzmán (ESA) 2-1 (21-6, 19-21, 15-10).
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, May 23, 2025.- The teams from Costa Rica, Canada, Nicaragua, the United States, and El Salvador had a strong start at the NORCECA U23 Beach Volleyball Tour in Juan Dolio, each closing the opening day of the men’s competition with two wins in as many matches.
In Pool B, Costa Rica’s duo of Julián Araya and Jhostin Varela delivered commanding performances in their two outings. They first defeated Canada’s Aidan Labossiere and Mason Doering 2-0 (21-10, 21-13), then followed up with a convincing 2-0 victory (21-5, 21-9) over Jared Brown and Kanif Wathey of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
In Pool C, Canadians Connor Dorsey and Aiden Hilkowitz claimed two straight-set victories; 2-0 (21-7, 21-10) against Kymani Greenidge and Cole Sommer of the U.S. Virgin Islands, and 2-0 (21-18, 21-14) over Trinidad and Tobago’s Jerome Morrison and Jahreef Miguel.
Nicaragua’s team, Josué Meneses and Jesy Umaña, also enjoyed a strong start in the same pool. They defeated Morrison/Miguel (TTO) 2-0 (21-12, 21-11) and then Greenidge/Sommer (ISV) 2-0 (21-10, 21-6).
In Pool D, Gage Basey and Thomas Hurst of the United States dominated their two matches, first against Honduras’ Jairo Gálvez and Isaac Méndez (2-0, 21-10, 21-7), and then against Suriname’s Atman and Guy Lieveld (2-0, 21-8, 21-12).
Likewise, El Salvador’s Gabriel Vargas and Carlos Mejía had a successful debut, defeating Gálvez/Méndez (HON) 2-0 (21-13, 21-13) and then overcoming Suriname’s Atman/Lieveld 2-0 (21-18, 21-8).
In Pool A, the Dominican duo of Ramón De Jesús and Rolvin Maldonado secured a victory over Cayman Islands’ Stephen Watson and Dylan Lynee with a score of 2-0 (21-10, 21-17).
Other results:
Stephen Watson/Dylan Lynee (CAY) d Daniel Delgado/José Guevara (GUA) 2-1 (18-21, 21-13, 15-9), Julián Bristo/Jedediah Pencheon (SKN) d Jared Brown/Kanif Wathey (ISV) 2-0 (21-10, 21-11), Aidan Labossiere/Mason Doering (CAN) d Bristol/Pencheon (SKN) 2-0 (22-20, 21-16).
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, May 22, 2025.- The opening event of the 2025 NORCECA U23 Beach Volleyball Tour will feature 28 teams from 13 countries. The competition will take place from May 23 to 25 on the beautiful sand courts of Juan Dolio Beach, Dominican Republic.
The NORCECA U23 Tour is a great opportunity to watch the beach volleyball rising stars in action and enjoy a tournament full of talent and energy. It also serves as preparation for the 2025 Junior Pan American Games in Asunción.
Fifteen men’s teams and thirteen women’s teams registered during Thursday’s preliminary inspections, all aiming to advance from the group stage, which begins this Friday at 8:00 a.m. local time.
Team of United States
A total of 24 matches are scheduled for Friday, 14 in the men’s division and 10 in the women’s. The preliminary round will conclude Saturday morning, followed by the quarterfinals and the losers’ bracket in the afternoon. Semifinals and medal matches will be played on Sunday, along with classification matches.
Men’s Teams: DOM Ramón De Jesús/Rolvin Maldonad; CRC Julián Araya/Jhostin Varela; USA Gage Basey/Thomas Hurst; NCA Josue Meneses/Jesy Umaña; SKN Julián Bristol/Jedediah Pencheon; CAY Stephen Watson/Dylan Lynee; ISV Jared Brown/Kanif Wathey, Kymani Greenidge/Cole Sommer; TTO Jerome Morrison/Jahreef Miguel; HON Jairo Galvez/Isaac Villalobos; SUR Joshua Dwarkasing/Dean Kasdi; ESA Gabriel Vargas/Carlos Mejía; GUA Daniel Delgado/José Guevara; CAN Connor Dorsey/Aiden Holkowitz, Aidan Labossiere/Mason Doering.
Women’s Teams: CRC Aliza Aguilar/Sofía Vega; USA Emma Donley/Portia Sherman; DOM Crismil Paniagua/Yari Cleto, Zoe Paniagua/Steyce Turbi ; ESA Ashley Rauda/Keiry Guzmán; NCA Nahima Silva/Norma Brenes; TTO Kristianna Richards/Adalia Badroe; CAY Joanna Robinson/Luna Ebanks; ISV Kirra Lambert/Sophia Peifer; HON Shanna Rivera/Reizel Bruhier; GUA Danna Aguilar/Naomi Monney; CAN Sophie Hancock/Emma-Joy Cudmore, Claire Neagle/Nolyn Houben.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, May 18, 2025.- Puerto Ricans Allanis Navas and María González claimed the gold medal after defeating Mexico’s Susana Torres and Atenas Rodríguez in a thrilling match 2-0 (21-19, 21-19) in the second stage of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Continental Tour, held on the beach of Juan Dolio in the Dominican Republic.
The bronze medal went to Mexico’s Yeray Vidaurruzaga and María Ramírez, who bounced back after dropping the first set to defeat Corine Quiggle and Megan Rice from the United States 2-1 (18-21, 21-19, 15-12).
Fifth place was claimed by Canada’s Maya McNabney and Emma Kunaus, who needed three sets to overcome Dominicans Yari Cleto and Crismil Paniagua 2-1 (21-12, 20-22, 15-13).
In the match for seventh place, Americans Kelly Kool and Tiffany Svenssohn outlasted Dominican duo Julibeth Payano and Bethania Almanzar 2-1 (21-19, 18-21, 15-8), while Canada’s Emily Anderson and Amanda Harnett secured ninth place by defeating Nicaragua’s Socorro López and Lolette Rodríguez 2-0 (21-13, 21-7).
Eleventh place went to Melanie Valenciana and T’ara Austin of the U.S. Virgin Islands, who beat Cayman Islands’ Deajra Tulloch and Maryn McCoombs 2-0 (21-17, 21-12). Venezuela’s Oriana Granadilla and Reibeth Artigas claimed 13th place after a 2-0 (21-19, 21-13) victory over Costa Rica’s Aliza Aguilar and Sofía Vega.
El Salvador’s Donnina Argueta and Keiry Guzmán finished in 15th place with a 2-0 (21-12, 21-4) win over Trinidad and Tobago’s Meeka Johnson and Paige Alexander, while Guatemala’s Laura Quiñones and Naomi Monney took 17th place.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, May 18, 2025.- The Mexican duo of Miguel Sarabia and Jorman Osuna claimed top honors in the second stop of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Tour after outlasting Americans Timothy Brewster and Ryan Ierna in a hard-fought three-set battle, 2-1 (21-19, 18-21, 15-12).
The bronze medal went to fellow Mexicans Antonio Lares and Carlos Ayala, who came from behind to defeat Nicaragua’s Rubén Mora and Dany López 2-1 (16-21, 21-15, 15-13).
Fifth place was secured by Americans Lev Priima and Brian Miller, who beat U.S. Virgin Islands’ Garrett Bucklin and Devin Van Siclen 2-0 (25-23, 21-14).
Canada’s Dylan Devecseri and Rouzbeh Rahnavard took seventh place after a 2-1 (21-12, 18-21, 15-11) win over Costa Rica’s Julián Araya and Jhostin Varela. In ninth place were Puerto Ricans Richard Timm and Diego Rosich, who topped Dominican duo Hayerlin De Jesús and Rolvin Maldonado 2-0 (21-15, 21-17).
Guatemala’s Luis García and Edgar Maldonado finished in 11th place due to a withdrawal by the team from Trinidad and Tobago. Canada’s Cameron Chadwick and Robert Kemp claimed 13th place by defeating Dominicans R. De Jesús and Alexander Wilmore 2-0 (21-12, 21-15).
El Salvador’s Gabriel Vargas and Carlos Mejía earned 15th place with a 2-0 (21-13, 21-12) win over Saint Kitts and Nevis’ Julián Bristol and Jedediah Pencheon. Venezuela’s Harrison Riveros and Luis Méndez took 17th place by defeating Cayman Islands’ Stephen Watson and Ricardas Kazinec 2-0 (21-13, 21-19), while Guy Lieveld and Jamal Atman of Suriname finished in 19th place.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, May 17, 2025.- The duos of Corine Quiggle and Megan Rice from the United States, Allanis Navas and María González of Puerto Rico, and Mexico’s Susana Torres with Atenas Gutiérrez, along with Yeray Vidaurruzaga and María Ramírez, have all advanced to the semifinals of the second stage of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Continental Tour. The event is taking place on the beautiful sandy courts of Juan Dolio Beach in the Dominican Republic.
The American pair Quiggle/Rice, champions of the first stage held in Varadero, secured their semifinal berth by defeating the Dominican duo of Julibeth Payano and Bethania Ramírez in straight sets 2-0 (21-14, 21-13).
Puerto Rico’s Allanis Navas and María González, playing their first event of the 2025 NORCECA Tour, cruised past the U.S. team of Kelly Kool and Tiffany Svenssohn with a dominant 2-0 (21-7, 21-9) win.
Corinne Quiggle of United States
Meanwhile, Mexico’s Susana Torres and Atenas Gutiérrez comfortably overcame Canada’s Maya McNabney and Emma Kunaus 2-0 (21-15, 21-10), and their compatriots Yeray Vidaurruzaga and María Ramírez defeated the Dominican pair Yari Cleto and Crismil Paniagua 2-0 (21-13, 21-11) to reach the next round.
In the semifinals, Quiggle/Rice from the United States will face Puerto Rico’s Navas/González, while the other semifinal will feature a repeat of the all-Mexican clash from Varadero between Torres/Gutiérrez and Vidaurruzaga/Ramírez.
The tournament concludes this Sunday with placement matches, the semifinals, and the grand finale.
Other results of the day were:
DOM Payano/Almanzar d GUA Quiñones/Monney 2-0 (21-16, 21-8), MEX Vidaurrazaga/María d VEN Granadilla/Artigas 2-0 (21-13, 21-16), DOM Payano/Almanzar d VEN Granadilla/Artigas 2-0 (21-15, 21-13), CAN Anderson/Harnett d GUA Quiñones/Monney 2-0 (21-7, 21-15), USA Quiggle/Rice d ISV Valenciana/Austin 2-0 (21-12, 21-16), USA Quiggle/Rice d TTO Johnson/Alexander 2-0 (21-3, 21-7), DOM Cleto/Paniagua d ISV Valenciana/Austin 2-0 (21-18, 21-17), MEX Torres/Gutierrez d CRC Aguilar/Vega 2-0 (21-7, 21-15), USA Kool/Svenssohn d CRC Aguilar/Vega 2-0 (21-14, 21-9), MEX Torres/Gutierrez d NCA López/Rodríguez 2-0 (21-6, 21-12), CAN McNabney/Kunaus d ESA Argueta/Guzmán 2-0 (21-11, 21-8), PUR Navas/González d CAN McNabney/Kunaus 2-0 (21-10, 21-15), CAY Tulloch/McCoombs d Argueta/Guzmán 2-0 (21-12, 21-19).
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, May 17, 2025.- Teams from the United States, Nicaragua, and Mexico have secured their spots in the semifinals of the second stop of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour, after claiming victory in their respective quarterfinal matches on Saturday. The event takes place on the sandy courts set up along the beach in Juan Dolio.
The U.S. duo of Timothy Brewster and Ryan Ierna advanced to the next round with a dominant straight set win over Garrett Bucklin and Devin Van Siclen of the U.S. Virgin Islands, 2-0 (21-14, 21-18).
In a tightly contested Central American battle, Nicaragua’s Rubén Mora and Dany López emerged victorious over Costa Rica’s Julián Araya and Jhostin Varela, rallying for a 2-1 win with scores of 19-21, 21-17, 15-11.
Miguel Sarabia of Mexico
Mexico’s Miguel Sarabia and Jorman Osuna moved on to the next round after staging an impressive comeback against Americans Lev Priima and Brian Miller, taking the match in three exciting sets, 2-1 (16-21, 21-18, 15-11).
Meanwhile, the other Mexican pair, Antonio Lares and Carlos Ayala, booked their place in the semifinals with a determined performance, defeating Canada’s Dylan Devecseri and Rouzbeh Rahnavard in another three-set battle, 2-1 (17-21, 21-18, 15-12).
The first semifinal will be an all-Mexican showdown, as Sarabia and Osuna face their compatriots Lares and Ayala, guaranteeing a spot in the final for Mexico.
In the second semifinal, the United States duo Timothy Brewster and Ryan Ierna will face Nicaragua´s Rubén Mora and Dany López, who will be aiming to reach the final once again, just as they did in the first stage of the NORCECA Tour held in Varadero.
Sunday’s schedule includes placement matches, the semifinals, and the tournament final.
Other results of the day:
DOM H. De Jesús/Maldonado d VEN Riveros/Méndez 2-0 (21-19, 21-19), CRC Araya/Varela d CAN Chadwick/Kemp 2-1 (19-21, 21-19, 15-9), USA Priima/Miller d VEN Riveros/Méndez 2-0 (21-17, 21-16), CRC Araya Varela d SUN H. De Jesús/Maldonado 2-1 (21-17, 18-21, 15-11), NCA Mora/López d TTO Theodore/Enile 2-0 (21-14, 21-14), MEX Sarabia/Osuna d NCA Mora/López 2-1 (21-15, 16-21, 16-14), TTO Theodore/Enile d CAY Watson/Kazinec 2-0 (21-19, 21-17), MEX Sarabia/Osuna d DOM R. De Jesús/Wilmore 2-0 (21-14, 21-14), PUR Tiim/ Rosich d SUR Lieveld/Atman 2-0 (21-6, 21-9), MEX Lares/Ayala d ISV Bucklin/Van Siclen 2-0 (21-8, 21-15), SKN Bristol/Pencheon d SUR Lieveld/Atman 2-0 (21-9, 21-18), ISV Bucklin/Van Siclen d PUR Tiim/Rosich 2-0 (21-16, 21.15), USA Brewster/Ierna d GUA García/Maldonado 2-0 (21-13, 21-16), USA Brewster/Ierna d CAN Devecseri/Rahnavard 2-0 (21-15, 21-15), GuUA García/Maldonado d ESA Vargas/Mejía 2-0 (21-13, 21-18).
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, May 16, 2025.- Women’s duos from the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Mexico remained undefeated on the first day of competition in the second stage of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour. Their performances showcased the high level of competition and talent present at the tournament, which is taking place on the beautiful sand courts set up at Juan Dolio beach in the Dominican Republic, a setting that surely adds a special touch to the event.
In Pool A, Mexico’s Yeray Vidaurrazaga and María Ramírez defeated the Dominican duo Julibeth Payano/Bethania Almanzar 2-1 (16-21, 21-14, 15-12), Guatemala’s Laura Quiñones/Naomi Monney 2-0 (21-13, 21-12), and Canada’s Emily Anderson/Amanda Harnett 2-0 (21-16, 21-17).
Aliza Aguilar of Costa Rica
Winners of the first stage in Varadero, Americans Corine Quiggle and Megan Rice, topped Pool B by beating Dominican pair Yari Cleto/Crismil Paniagua 2-0 (21-13, 21-12). Their second scheduled match was a bye. Meanwhile, Melanie Valenciana and Austin T’ara of the U.S. Virgin Islands defeated Trinidad and Tobago’s Meeka Johnson/Paige Alexander 2-0 (21-9, 21-5), with their other match also a bye.
In Pool C, Mexicans Susana Torres and Atenas Rodríguez, silver medalists in the Varadero stop, overcame Americans Kelly Kool and Tiffany Svenssohn 2-0 (21-17, 21-12), while their second match was a bye.
Puerto Rico’s Allanis Navas and María González, gold medalists at the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games in El Salvador, earned two dominant victories in Pool D. They first beat Deajra Tulloch and Joanna Robinson of the Cayman Islands 2-0 (21-8, 21-7), then took down El Salvador’s Donnina Argueta and Keiry Guzmán 2-0 (21-7, 21-7). Additionally, Canada’s Maya McNabney and Emma Kunaus defeated Tulloch/Robinson 2-0 (21-9, 21-11), with their second match resulting in a bye.
The competition continues Saturday at 8:00 a.m. (local time) with the remainder of the preliminary round, followed by the quarterfinals and the loser’s bracket.
Other results from the opening day are:
CAN Emily Anderson/Amanda Harnett d VEN Oriana Granadilla/Reibeth Artigas 2-1 (17-21, 21-12, 15-12), DOM Julibeth Payano/Bethania Almanzar d CAN Anderson/Harnett 2-1 (23-21, 17-21, 15-13), VEN Granadilla/Artigas d GUA Laura Quiñones/Naomi Monney 2-0 (21-8, 21-16), DOM Yari Cleto/Crismil Paniagua d TTO Meeka Johnson/Paige Alexander 2-0 (21-8, 21-7), USA Kelly Kool/Tiffany Svenssohn d NCA Socorro López/Lolette Rodríguez 2-0 (21-7, 21-7), NCA López/Rodríguez d CRC Aliza Aguilar/Sofía Vega 2-0 (21-16, 21-8).
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, May 16, 2025.- Teams from the United States, Canada, Mexico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica remain undefeated in the preliminary round of the second stage of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Continental Tour. This highlights the strength and talent of these squads, who are giving it their all to advance in the tournament being held at the beautiful Juan Dolio beach in the Dominican Republic, a perfect setting for this thrilling event.
Timothy Brewster/Ryan Ierna of the United States easily defeated El Salvador’s Gabriel Vargas/Carlos Mejía 2-0 (21-11, 21-13), while their second match was a bye. Meanwhile, Canada’s Dylan Devecseri/Rouzbeh Rahnavard beat Guatemala’s Luis García/Edgar Maldonado 2-0 (21-13, 21-16) and also overcame Vargas/Mejía from El Salvador 2-1 (21-14, 14-21, 17-15).
Julian Araya and Jhostin Varela of Costa Rica
Mexico’s Antonio Lares/Carlos Ayala secured victories over Puerto Rico’s Richard Timm/Diego Rosich 2-0 (21-15, 21-17), Saint Kitts and Nevis’ Julián Bristol/Jedediah Pencheon 2-0 (21-11, 21-14), and Suriname’s Guy Lieveld/Jamal Atman 2-0 (21-10, 21-6). The other Mexican duo, Miguel Sarabia/Jorman Osuna, defeated Stephen Watson/Ricardas Kazinec of the Cayman Islands 2-0 (21-11, 21-12) and also beat Trinidad and Tobago’s Joel Theodore/Stephen Enile 2-0 (21-12, 21-13).
Garrett Bucklin/Devin Van Siclen of the U.S. Virgin Islands won their matches against Bristol/Pencheon 2-0 (21-17, 21-8) and Lieveld/Atman 2-0 (21-12, 21-10). Nicaragua’s Rubén Mora/Dany López triumphed over the Dominican pair Ramón De Jesús/Alexander Wilmore 2-0 (21-17, 21-6) and beat Watson/Kazinec 2-0 (21-13, 21-11).
Another undefeated team was Costa Rica’s Julián Araya/Jhostin Varela, who prevailed over Lev Priima/Brian Miller of the United States 2-1 (21-14, 16-21, 15-9), and defeated Venezuela’s Harrison Riveros/Luis Méndez 2-0 (21-18, 27-25).
The preliminary round continues Saturday, followed by the quarterfinals and the loser’s bracket.
Other results of the day were:
DOM Hayerlin De Jesús/Rolvin Maldonado d CAN Cameron Chadwick/Robert Kemp 2-1 (16-21, 21-19, 15-13), USA Lev Priima/Brian Miller d DOM H. De Jesús/Maldonado 2-0 (21-16, 21-18), CAN Chadwick/Kemp d VEN Harrison Rivers/Luis Méndez 2-1 (21-19, 25-27, 15-8), TTO Joel Theodore/Stephen Enile d DOM R. De Jesús/Wilmore 2-1 (20-22, 21-19, 15-12), DOM R. De Jesús/Wilmore d CAY Stephen Watson/Ricardas Kazinec 2-0 (21-11, 21-14), PUR Richard Timm/Diego Rosich d SKN Julián Bristol/Jedediah Pencheon 2-0 (21-12, 21-15).
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, May 15, 2025.- A total of 36 duos from 19 different countries will compete in the second stage of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour, set to take place from May 16 to 18 on the beautiful beach of Juan Dolio in the Dominican Republic.
Undoubtedly, it will be an event full of talent, energy, and excitement in a paradisiacal setting, featuring 19 men’s teams and 17 women’s teams that confirmed their participation during Thursday’s preliminary meeting.
All teams will give their best in the preliminary round, which kicks off Friday at 8:00 AM, as they aim to advance from the group stage to the knockout round.
Team of United States
On the opening day, 36 group matches will be played, 21 in the men’s division and 15 in the women’s. The preliminary round will conclude on Saturday, along with the quarterfinal matches. Sunday promises to be a spectacular day, featuring the semifinals, the consolation matches, and the grand finale to crown the champions.
Teams:
Men’s Teams: DOM Hayerling De Jesús/Rolvin Maldonado, Ramón De Jesús/Alexander Wilmore; NCA Ruben Mora/Dany López; PUR William Rivera/Cristian Encarnación; USA Timothy Brewster/Ryan Ierna, Lev Priima/Bryan Miller; CAN Dylan Devecseri/Rouzbeh Rahnavard, Cameron Chadwick/Robert Kemp; ISV Garrett Buckling/Devin Van Siclen; MEX Miguel Sarabia/Jorman Osuna, Ines Vargas/Carlos Ayala; CRC Julian Araya/Jhostin Varela; VEN Harrison Riveros/Luis Mendez; TTO Joel Theodore/Stephen Enile; SUR Joshua Dwarkasing/Dean Kasdi; GUA Edgar Maldonado/Luis Garcia; ESA Gabriel Vargas/Carlos Mejia; SKN Julian Bristol/Jededia Pencheon; CAY Stephen Watson/Ricardas Kaziznec.
Women’s Teams: DOM Julibeth Payano/Bethania Almanzar, Yari Cleto/Crismil Paniagua; USA Terese Cannon/Megan Kraft, Hailey Harward/Kelley Kolinske; MEX Susana Torres/Atenas Gutierrez, Yeray Vidaurrazaga, Maria Ramirez; CAN Maya McNabney/Emma Kunaus, Emily Anderson/Amanda Harnett; PUR Allanis Navas/Maria Gonzalez; NCA Socorro Lopez/Lolette Rodriguez; TTO Apphia Glasgow/La Teisha Joseph; VEN Oriana Granadilla/Luisiana Linares; GUA Laura Quiñones/Naomi Monney; ISV Melanie Valenciana/T’ara Austin; CRC Aliza Aguilar/Sofía Vega; ESA Donnina Argueta/Keiry Guzmán; CAY Deajra Tulloch/Maryn McCoombs.
CUL- DE- SAC, St Lucia, May 4, 2025.- St Lucia’s durable duo of Joseph Clercent and Sheldon Descartes has champed the 2025 Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Senior Beach Volleyball Championship here at the Cul- de- Sac Bay.
A come from behind, 2-1 (18-21, 21-16, 15-8) win over Bermuda’s Benjamin Barnet and Sean Tucker, gave Clercent and Descartes their third straight lien on the title.
Reflecting on their continued success in the championships, Joseph said, “It is an honour to win again, because we put in the work, and in order to get the results, you have to put in the work. I am glad that the youngsters want to challenge us and that is good for the sport in this region”.
On behalf of silver medalist – Bermuda, Tucker expressed delight in at least being ranked in the top two of the championships.
“It is deflating to lose in the gold medal match. We really wanted to win, but second is big for Bermuda in general and we are really proud of how we performed. Coming up against the home country, back-to-back champions in the final, they gave us a big challenge, and ended up prevailing, as they are a very skillful team”.
The finalists emerged from the semi-finals in contrasting styles over their opponents.
Clercent/ Descartes beat St Kitts and Nevis’ Bristol /Pencheon 2-1(18-21, 21-16, 15-8), while Barnett/ Tucker outlasted Mervin Mingo and Bill Frederick of Dominica Two, 2-0 (32-30, 21-16).
The Bristol/ Pencheon pair went on to secure third place and the bronze medal for their country, by defeating Mingo/ Frederick 2-1(21-19, 10-21, 15-11).
CUL- DE- SAC, St Lucia, May 4, 2025.- The St. Kitts and Nevis combination of Shajunee Gumbs and Shanicia Dyer have champed the Women’s segment of the 2025 Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Senior Beach Volleyball Championship here at the Cul- de- Sac Bay.
Gumbs and Dyer registered a 2-0 (21-14, 22-20) win over Bermuda’s Hailey Moss and Megan Hands in the gold medal match.
Before facing off in the final, Gumbs/ Dyer had overcome Clio Phillip/ Tenayestlni Joseph of St. Lucia Team Three 2-0(21-15, 21-18), while Moss/ Hands ensured that there will be a new champion, by defeating Grenada Team One of Thornia Mitchell/ Renisha Stafford, 2-0(26-24, 21-15).
However, Mitchell/ Stafford did not leave empty handed, as they got the better of Phillip/ Joseph, 2-0 (22-20, 21-13), to claim the bronze.
Elated on the country’s triumph, Dyer said: “I am very, very happy for the win, more so my partner, who is relatively new to Beach Volleyball. It is more gratifying as we learned each other’s style of play along the way”.
“We did not win any of our matches in the pool round, but we kept saying that since we can win a set, we can win a match, and we went unbeaten from the Round of 12, straight to the final”.
Magnanimous in their defeat, both Moss/ Hands believed that they are better players, after the three days of competing in the championship.
Moss thus summed up, “ We are proud of how we played and our improvement throughout the Championships. After all, it is an improvement from last year’s showing. We gained a lot of experience, especially how to lift ourselves from the low points”
VARADERO, Cuba, May 4, 2025.- Corinne Quiggle and Megan Rice of the United States earned their first international podium finish by winning the women’s tournament of the opening stage of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour, held in this renowned resort destination.
The American duo accomplished the goal they had set for themselves by convincingly defeating Mexico’s Susana Torres and Atenas Gutiérrez in straight sets, 21-12 and 21-18, to return home with the desirable top prize.
“We’re very happy because this is only our second international event. We set this goal, and we achieved it. I first came to Varadero in 2016 with a different partner and we finished fifth. I’m thrilled,” said Corinne.
USA Corinne Quiggle-Megan Rice
Her partner, Megan, added, “We’ve felt great here. The beaches are beautiful, and so are the people. There’s a strong culture and Cuban athletes are very professional and full of warmth.”
The bronze medal went to local favorites Kailin Garrido and Maykelin Drik, who battled hard against Mexico’s Yeray Vidaurrazaga and María Ramírez in a match that went to a tie-break, finishing 21-18, 12-21, 15-8.
Earlier on Sunday in the semifinals, Corinne and Megan defeated Kailin and Maykelin 2-0 (21-15, 21-18), showcasing a level of play that confirmed their title chances at a venue where Quiggle placed fifth back in 2016.
In the all-Mexican semifinal, Susana and Atenas beat Yeray and María in straight sets (21-16, 26-24). A foot injury briefly paused the match in the second set, but Atenas recovered and helped seal the win.
Canada’s Amy Ozee and Darby Dunn took fifth place after an injury forced a withdrawal by one of their compatriots, Dana Roskic or Katarina Pantovic, from the opposing team.
Seventh place went to Puerto Rico’s Camila Nazario and Karla Sánchez after a 2-1 victory (18-21, 21-12, 15-12) over Honduras’ Zoe Ebanks and Shanna Rivera, one of only five matches in the tournament to go to three sets.
Cuba’s second team, Amanda Armenteros and Selena Spek, finished ninth after defeating Nicaragua’s Socorro López and Lolette Rodríguez in straight sets (21-12, 21-13).
Rounding out the standings were Suriname’s Chagnaz Frankel and Sharon Balkaran in 11th place after defeating Trinidad and Tobago’s Apphia Glasgow and La Teisha Joseph 2-0 (21-12, 22-20), and Venezuela’s Oriana Bermúdez and Luisiana Linares in 13th, after dominating Dominican Republic’s Crismil Paniagua and Yari Cleto 2-0 (21-16, 21-12).
VARADERO, Cuba, May 4, 2025.- Cubans Noslen Díaz and Jorge Luis Alayo were crowned kings of the first stage of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Circuit, successfully held at this traditional venue since 2011.
Díaz and Alayo, ranked in the FIVB world top ten, claimed their first gold on home soil by convincingly defeating the experienced Nicaraguan duo of Rubén Mora and Dany López in two easy sets, 21-10 and 21-12.
“For us, this medal carries a tremendous sense of honor, pride, and sacrifice, it’s a gift to the Cuban people, and we’re incredibly happy. Playing here is very motivating; it’s a chance to be seen in our homeland and have our family and friends cheering nearby,” said an passionate Alayo to the press.
CUB Noslen Diaz-Jorge Luis Alayo
His towering partner added, “This means a lot to us. We’ve wanted to win gold here for four years. We’ve earned five medals on the world tour, but never in Varadero. This is our gift to the people and all who support us. We’ll keep fighting to bring more victories, and we’re thrilled that the final stage of this circuit is scheduled to be held right here on this wonderful beach.”
The bronze medal went to their compatriots Damián Gómez and Eblis Veranes, who dominated Puerto Rico’s Arnaldo Y. Torres and Cristian Encarnación in straight sets, 21-10 and 21-9, a remarkable achievement considering they debuted in Varadero just a year ago with a ninth-place finish.
In the semifinals, Noslen and Jorge Luis defeated Damián and Eblis 2-0 (21-16, 21-10), while the Nicaraguans Rubén and Dany edged out the Puerto Ricans Torres and Encarnación in a hard-fought 2-1 (21-16, 19-21, 17-15) battle, with the Caribbean pair pushing them to the limit in a thrilling tie-break that could have gone either way.
Fifth place went to Americans Troy Field and Ryan Wilcox, who outplayed Canada’s Steven Abrams and Tynan Gannett 2-0 (21-15, 21-19).
Seventh place was secured by fellow Americans Charles Siragusa and Dexter Campbell after defeating William Clements and Devin Van Siclen of the U.S. Virgin Islands in straight sets, 21-15 and 21-16.
Mexico’s Miguel Sarabia and Jorman Osuna finished ninth by nonattendance after one of the players of the Canadian duo, Martin Licht and Luke de Greeff, was injured and unable to compete. The eleventh position went to Costa Rica’s Justin Solano and Jevan Coronado, who overcame Honduras’ Jairo Gálvez and Irvin Reyes 2-0 (21-18, 21-10).
Mexico’s Antonio Vargas and Carlos Andrés Ayala defeated Venezuela’s Enyenser Delgado and Juliangel Zaid in a tight 2-1 match (21-23, 21-19, 20-18) to claim 13th place.
They were followed by Trinidad and Tobago’s Stephen Enile and Joel Theodore, who beat Suriname’s Joshua Dwarkasing and Dean Kasdi 2-0 (21-15, 21-11), and the Dominican Republic duo Hayerling De Jesús and Rolvin Maldonado, who won over Guatemala’s Andy Blanco and Luis García 2-0 (21-15, 21-18) to round out the standings from 15th to 18th place.
VARADERO, Cuba, May 3, 2025.- Both Cuban duos, along with teams from Nicaragua and Puerto Rico, secured their spots in the men’s semifinal round of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour, taking place on the courts near the Barceló Arenas Blancas Hotel.
The highest-ranked team in the tournament, Cubans Noslen Díaz and Jorge Luis Alayo, will face fellow countrymen Damián Gómez and Eblis Veranes, young, energetic players who have made remarkable progress since their debut last year at this same venue.
The other semifinal will feature Nicaragua’s Rubén Mora and Dany López against Puerto Rico’s Arnaldo Y. Torres and Cristian Encarnación.
NCA-Mora (1) – Lopez (2)
For Olympians Díaz and Alayo, this semifinal is particularly meaningful, as they have yet to claim the top spot on the podium in the last two Varadero editions, settling for bronze in 2023 and silver last year.
In Saturday’s quarterfinals, Díaz and Alayo dominated Americans Charles Siragusa and Dexter Campbell, cruising to a convincing 2-0 victory with scores of 21-7 and 21-11.
Gómez and Veranes had a tougher challenge in the first set but found their rhythm in the second, defeating U.S. Virgin Islands’ Williams Clements and Devin Van Siclen 2-0 (28-26, 21-13).
Meanwhile, Puerto Ricans Torres and Encarnación overcame a rough second set to edge Americans Troy Field and Ryan Wilcox in three sets (21-16, 14-21, 15-10).
The final ticket to the penultimate round went to Nicaragua’s Mora and López, who won the tournament’s longest and most hard-fought match so far. After one hour and eight minutes, they triumphed over Canadians Steven Abrams and Tynan Gannett in three sets (22-24, 28-26, 15-12).
Day’s Results (pool-play):
A: Diaz/Alayo (CUB) a Sarabia/Osuna (MEX) 2-0 (21-15, 21-9) y a De Jesús/Maldonado (DOM) 2-0 (21-16, 21-12), Field/Wilcox (USA) a Sarabia/Osuna (MEX) 2-0 (21-17, 21-14), Esyenser/Juliangel (VEN) a De Jesus/Maldonado (DOM) 2-0 (21-16, 21-21)
B: Torres/Encarnación (PUR) a Licht/de Greeff (CAN) 2-0 (21-15, 21-19), Blanco/García (GUA) a Siragusa/Campbell (USA) 2-0 (24-22, 24-22), Lares/Carlos Andrés (MEX) a Blanco/Garcia (GUA) 2-0 (21-17, 21-13), Siragusa/Campbell (USA) a Torres/Encarnación (PUR) 2-1 (21-19, 17-21, 15-8)
C: Gómez/Veranes (CUB) a Enile/Theodore (TTO) 2-0 (21-18, 21-6), Abrams/Gannett (CAN) a Solano/Coronado (CRC) 2-0 (21-9, 21-17), Abrams/Gannett (CAN) a Enile/Theodore (TTO) 2-0 (21-11, 21-10)
D: Clements/Van Siclen (ISV) a Gálvez/Reyes (HON) 2-0 (21-17, 21-14), Mora/López (NCA) a Clements/Van Siclen (ISV) 2-0 (21-18, 25-23), Gálvez/Reyes (HON) a Dwarkasing/Kasdi (SUR) 2-1 (21-17, 18-21, 15-7)
VARADERO, Cuba, May 3, 2025.- Two teams from Mexico, one from Cuba, and one from the United States have advanced to the women’s semifinals of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Circuit, which concludes this Sunday on the sands of the renowned tourist resort.
The Mexican duos of Susana Torres/Atenas Gutiérrez and Yamilet Vidaurrazaga/María Jimena Ramírez, the Cuban pair of Kailin Garrido/Maykelín Drik, and the American team of Corinne Quiggle/Megan Rice were victorious in their respective quarterfinal matches.
This Sunday morning, the two Mexican teams will face off across the net semifinals, while the representatives from the United States and Cuba will clash in the other.
In the quarterfinals, Kailin and Maykelín advanced by defeating Puerto Ricans Camila Nazario and Karla Sánchez in straight sets (21-15, 21-11), marking their third win of the tournament, which is part of their preparation for the 2025 Junior Pan American Games in Asunción.
USA-Corinne Quiggle-Megan Rice
Next, Corinne Quiggle and Megan Rice of the United States cruised over Varadero’s soft white sands against Honduras’ Jeanette Ebanks and Shanna Rivera, winning comfortably with set scores of 21-5 and 21-7.
Meanwhile, the two Mexican and two Canadian teams faced each other, with the first win going to Latin Americans Susana Torres and Atenas Gutiérrez, who claimed a 2-0 (21-15, 21-19) victory over Canadians Dana Roskic and Katarina Pantovic.
The women’s day concluded with a hard-fought win by Yamilet Vidaurrazaga and María Jimena Ramírez over Amy Ozee and Darby Dunn in the closest match of the round, finishing 21-18 and 26-24.
Among these semifinalists, the only team without World Beach Pro Tour experience is the Cuban pair, while the Mexican and American players have competed in both Elite and Challenge level events.
In addition to the semifinals, Sunday’s schedule includes classification matches from fifth place onward and will end with the gold and bronze medal matches.
CUL- DE- SAC, St Lucia, May 2, 2025.- The sunbaked venue did not deter the women from giving it their all on day one of the 2025 Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Senior Beach Volleyball Championships here at the Cul de Sac Bay.
At the end of the day’s high energy action, the winners of Pool C and D, Dominica and St. Lucia, respectively, were determined.
Topping Pool C was Dominica’s Joeanna Pascal and Zahidu Henry, who defeated Grenada’s duo of Teasis Jones and Sienna Dominique 2-0 (21-15, 21-10) and won on forfeiture from Marie Therese St Clair and Kurtrice Jules of St Lucia.
Meanwhile, Pool D was champed by the St Lucia’s Kerin Neptune and Erica Gaspard. They recorded a 2-1 (15-21, 21-18, 15-9) win over Antigua and Barbuda’s Jassania Joseph and Rayana Regis. Neptune and Gaspard then defeated Hailey Moss and Megan Hands of Bermuda, 2-0(21-13, 21-19).
Also on day one, in Pool A, St Lucia’s Denila Prospere and Chenoa Evans trumped 2-0(21-16, 21-10) over Anguilla ‘s Lavesha Richardson and Deandre Fleming. This, after Richardson and Fleming had overcome St Vincent and the Grenadines’ Nikita Campbell and Veronique Matthews, 2-1 (11-21, 21-16, 15-4).
In Pool B, there were wins for St Lucia and Grenada.
The St Lucian combination of Tenayestlgni Joseph and Clio Phillip defeated St Kitts and Nevis’ Shajunee Gumbs and Shanicia Dyer 2-1(21-15, 18-21, 15-12). Likewise, Grenada’s Thornia Mitchell and Renisha Stafford beat Gumbs and Dyer 2-1(13-21, 21-18, 15-8).
Pool A and B winners will be decided on day two. In Pool A, Prospere/ Evans meet Campbell, with Mitchell and Stafford facing Joseph and Phillip in Pool D decider.
The other preliminary match on day two features Moss/ Hands versus Joseph/ Regis, as Pool D closes off.
Following the completion of the preliminary matches, the playoff takes place to determine the matchups in the quarter finals against the winners of the four pools.
CUL- DE- SAC, St Lucia, May 2, 2025.- St Lucia Team One, Dominica Two, Grenada Team Two and Dominica Team One, finished day one with two wins each, to lead their respective pools in the Men’s segment of the 2025 Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Senior Beach Volleyball Championships here at the Cul de Sac Bay.
St Lucia Team One of Sheldon Descartes and Joseph Clercent were clinical in Pool A play, beating Bermuda’s Benjamin Barnett and Sean Tucker of Bermuda, 2-0(21-18, 21-9). Descartes and Clercent also offloaded Anguilla’s duo of Aiden Hazzard and Da’ Qwan Fredericks, 2-0(21-14, 21-16).
Dominica’s Team Two of Mervin Mingo and Bill Frederick beat Julian Bristol and Jedediah Pencheon 2-0(21-18, 21-12) then swished the duo of Ronaldo Franklyn and Shadron Delpesche of St Vincent and the Grenadines also 2-0(21-9, 21-14).
Meanwhile, Grenada’s Team Two comprising Zerick Walcott and Kibose Hamilton, headed up Pool C.
They had the better of St Lucia Team Two, of Peter Emmanuel and Jentezen Joseph, 2-0(21-13, 21-14) and recorded a hard fought 2-1(21-19, 20-22, 15-12) win over Antigua and Barbuda’s pair of Khaliq Joseph and Cairon Davis.
Completing the double victors on the day, was Dominica Team One, comprising Tyrel Robinson and Yahn Florent who were unbeaten in Pool D.
Robinson/ Florent defeated St Lucia Team Three of Diallo Albert and Lindan Clarke, 2-0(21-12, 21-7,) and overcame Grenada Team One of Christopher Oxford and Isaac Nelson, 2-0(21-18, 21-18)
The pool winners earn direct tickets to the quarterfinals.
Day two features the playoffs in Round of 12, with eight teams other than the pool winners. The quarterfinals pit the pool winners matched up against the Round of 12 winners.
Round of 12: Barnett/ Tucker vs Albert/ Clarke; Franklyn/ Delpesche vs Emmanuel /Joseph; Joseph/ Davis vs Bristol/ Pencheon; Oxford/ Nelson vs Hazzard/ Fredericks
VARADERO, Cuba, May 2, 2025.- Pairs from five countries remain undefeated and have strong chances of advancing this Saturday to the quarterfinals of the first phase of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Circuit, taking place on four courts set up near the Barceló Arenas Blancas hotel.
The host duo Kailin Garrido/Maykelin Drik in Pool A, Puerto Ricans Camila Nazario/Karla Sánchez and Americans Corinne Quiggle/Megan Rice in Pool B, and Canadians Amy Ozee/Darby Dunn along with Mexicans Susana Torres/Atenas Gutiérrez in Pool C all won their first two matches.
Susana Torres (1)-Atenas Gutiérrez (2) MEX
Also, the pair of Dana Roskic/Katarina Pantovic from Canada and the Mexican duo Susana Torres/Atenas Gutiérrez in Pool D secured victories and have equal chances to advance on Saturday when the preliminary round concludes.
First day results:
Grupo A: Ebanks/Rivera (HON) a Glasgow/Joseph (TTO) 2-0 (21-14, 21-14) , Kailin/Drik (CUB) a Ebanks/Rivera (HON) 2-0 (21-9, 21-16),
Grupo B: Nazario/Sanchez (PUR) a Frankel/Balkaran (SUR) 2-0 (21-3, 21-8), Quiggle/Rice (USA) a Frankel/Balkaran (SUR) 2-0 (21-8, 21-4) .
Grupo C: Torres/Gutiérrez (MEX) a Ori/Luisiana (VEN) 2-1 (21-11, 25-27, 15-8), Ozee/Dunn (CAN) a Amanda/Spek (CUB) 2-0 (21-17, 21-13), Ozee/Dunn (CAN) a Ori/Luisiana (VEN) 2-0 (21-15, 21-14), Torres/Gutiérrez (MEX) a Amanda/Spek (CUB) 2-0 (21-11, 21-19).
Grupo D: Roskic/Pantovic (CAN) a Paniagua/Cleto (DOM) 2-0 (21-6, 21-16), Vidaurrazaga/Ramírez (MEX) a López/Lolette (NCA) 2-0 (21-13, 21-13), Roskic/Pantovic (CAN) a López/Lolette (NCA) 2-0 (21-15, 21-16), Vidaurrazaga/Ramírez (MEX) a Paniagua/Cleto (DOM) 2-0 (21-11, 22-20).
VARADERO, Cuba, May 1, 2025.- Both Cuban teams and Nicaragua’s duo were the only undefeated squads in the opening of pool play at the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour, which kicked off its season in this tourist hotspot.
Noslen Díaz and Jorge Luis Alayo lived up to their status as tournament favorites, defeating Venezuela’s Enyenser Delgado and Juliangel Zaid 2-0 (21-19, 21-16), and the U.S. team of Troy Field and Ryan Wilcox, also in straight sets (21-17, 21-19) in Pool A.
Their fellow Cubans, Damián Gómez and Eblis Veranes, also picked up two victories, this time in Pool C, beating Costa Rica’s Justin Solano and Jevan Coronado 2-0 (21-12, 21-14), and Canada’s Steven Abrams and Tynan Gannett 2-0 (21-18, 21-15). They had a bye in their third match.
Jorge Alayo CUB
Also undefeated on this sunny day were Nicaragua’s Rubén Mora and Dany López, who dominated Suriname’s Joshua Dwarkasing and Dean Kasdi 2-0 (21-11, 21-4), and Honduras’ Jairo Gálvez and Irvin Reyes 2-0 (21-7, 21-11) in Pool D.
Pool play will conclude Saturday morning, followed by the quarterfinals. Semifinals and medal matches are scheduled for Sunday at the beautiful venue near the Barceló Arenas Blancas hotel.
Results first day:
Pool A: Díaz/Alayo (CUB) a Esyenser/Juliangel (VEN) 2-0 (21-19, 21-16), Field/Wilcox (USA) a De Jesús/Maldonado (DOM] 2-0 (21-17, 21-11), Diaz/Alayo (CUB) a Field/Wilcox (USA) 2-0 (21-17, 21-19), Esyenser/Juliangel (VEN) a Sarabia/Osuna (MEX) 2-0 (21-17, 21-19), Sarabia/Osuna (MEX) a De Jesús-Maldonado 2-0 (21-18, 21-10), Field/Wilcox (USA) a Esyenser/Juliangel (VEN) No Show.
Pool B: Lares/Carlos Andrés (MEX) a Siragusa/Campbell (USA) 2-0 (21-16, 21-16), Licht/de Greeff (CAN) a Blanco/García (GUA) 2-0 (21-13, 21-15), Siragusa/Campbell (USA) a Licht/de Greeff (CAN) 2-1 (21-15, 19-21, 15-8), Lares/Carlos Andrés (MEX) a Torres/Encarnacion (PUR) 2-0 (21-17, 21-16), Torres/Encarnación (PUR) a Blanco/García (GUA) 2-1 (18-21, 21-13, 15-11), Licht/de Greeff (CAN) a Lares/Carlos Andrés (MEX) No Show.
Pool C: Gómez/Veranes (CUB) a Solano/Coronado (CRC) 2-0 (21-12, 21-14) y a Abrams/Gannett (CAN) 2-0 (21-18, 21-15), Solano/Coronado (CRC) a Enile/Theodore (TTO) 2-0 (21-17, 21-9).
Pool D: Mora/López (NCA) a Dwarkasing/Kasdi (SUR) 2-0 (21-11, 21-4) y a Galvez/Reyes (HON) 2-0 (21-7, 21-11), Clements/Van Siclen (ISV) a Dwarkasing/Kasdi (SUR) 2-0 (21-15, 21-18).
VARADERO, Cuba, April 25, 2025.- Canada, the United States, Mexico, and Cuba are seen as the countries with the strongest podium chances, as each will have two teams competing in the men’s tournament of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Circuit in Varadero.
The host nation is counting on the strong form of its top duo, Noslen Díaz and Jorge Luis Alayo, thanks to their impressive start this year on the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour. However, despite playing at home, they have yet to claim the top spot in Varadero, settling for bronze in 2023 and silver in 2024.
“I think third time’s the charm, but we respect all our opponents, no one comes to a tournament to lose,” said Alayo.
Mexico arrived on the island under the guidance of the renowned Brazilian coach Ricardo Santos, Olympic champion in Athens 2004, silver medalist in Sydney 2000, and bronze medalist in Beijing 2008.
Canada and the United States have traditionally been among the most successful teams at this event, which also marks the beginning of the qualification process for the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo.
Eighteen matches will be played this Friday as the qualification round kicks off, continuing Saturday with the decisive matches that will determine who advances to the quarterfinals.
Pool A: Noslen Diaz-Jorge Luis Alayo (CUB), Troy Field-Ryan Wilcox (USA), Miguel Sarabia-Jorman Osuna (MEX), Enyenser Delgado-Juliangel Zaid (VEN) y Hayerling De Jesus-Rolvin Maldonado (DOM)
Pool B: Martin Licht-Luke de Greeff (CAN), Antonio Vargas-Carlos Andrés Ayala (MEX), Charles Siragusa-Dexter Campbell (USA), Andy Blanco-Luis Garcia (GUA) y Arnaldo Torres-Cristian Encarnación (PUR)
Pool C: Steven Abrams-Tynan Gannett (CAN), Damián Gómez-Eblis Veranes (CUB), Justin Solano -Jevan Coronado (CRC) y Stephen Enile-Joel Theodore (TTO)
Pool D: Ruben Mora-Dany López (NCA), William Clements-Devin Van Siclen (ISV), Jairo Galvez-Irvin Reyes (HON) y Joshua Dwarkasing-Dean Kasdi (SUR)
VARADERO, Cuba, April 25, 2025.- Fourteen teams from eleven countries will compete at the opening of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Circuit, which will take place from this Friday through Sunday on courts near the Barceló Arenas Blancas Hotel.
Canada, Mexico, and Cuba will each field two pairs, while the United States, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Suriname, Nicaragua, Honduras, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela will each participate with one team.
This circuit awards points toward the continental and world rankings and also marks the start of the qualification process for the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo. With the aim of securing spots for that multi-sport event, South American nations Venezuela and Colombia are also included.
Among the standout competitors in this tourist city – a regular host of the NORCECA Tour since 2011 – are Mexico’s Susana Torres and Atenas Gutiérrez, medalists at several stops and participants this year in the World Pro Beach Tour in Yucatán (Challenge) and Quintana Roo (Elite), under the guidance of Brazilian coach Regis Castro, a bronze medalist at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Also with World Pro Tour appearances, though with different partners, are American Corinne Quiggle and Canadian Dana Roskic.
Pool A: Kailin Garrido-Maykelin Drik (CUB), Zoe Ebanks-Shanna Rivera (HON), and Apphia Glasgow-La Teisha Joseph (TTO)
Pool B: Corinne Quiggle-Megan Rice (USA), Camila Nazario-Karla Sánchez (PUR) and Chagnaz Frankel-Sharon Balkaran (SUR)
Pool C: Amy Ozee-Darby Dunn (CAN), Amanda Armenteros-Selena Spek (CUB), Susana Torres-Atenas Gutiérrez (MEX) and Oriana Bermudez-Luisiana Linares (VEN)
Pool D: Dana Roskic-Katarina Pantovic(CAN), Crismil Paniagua-Yari Cleto (DOM), Yeray Vidaurrazaga-María Ramírez (MEX) and Socorro López-Lolette Rodríguez (NCA)
CUL- DE- SAC, St Lucia, May 1, 2025: Eight countries, twenty- four teams all together will be toughing it out in the sand in the 2025 Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Senior Beach Volleyball Championships here at the Cul de Sac Bay.
At stake is the coveted prize of champion, as twelve teams each are listed in both genders.
The St Lucia pair of Sheldon Descartes and Joseph Clercent, champions in 2023 and 2024, will be looking to make it three in succession, as Men’s winners, while Grenada’s Thornia Mitchell and Renisha Stafford, are confident of retaining the Women’s title, they champed last year.
The teams are divided in four Pools, with three teams stashed in each pool.
Men’s Play
Pool A St Lucia: Sheldon Descartes/ Joseph Clercent; Anguilla: Aiden Hazzard/ Da’ Qwan Frederick; Bermuda: Benjamin Barnett/ Sean Tucker
Pool B St Vincent and the Grenadines: Ronaldo Franklyn/ Shadron Delpesche; St Kitts and Nevis: Julian Bristol/ Jedediah Pencheon; Dominica: Mervin Mingo/ Bill Frederick
Pool C Antigua and Barbuda: Khaliq Joseph/ Cairon Davis; St Lucia: Peter Emmanuel/ Jentezen Joseph; Grenada: Zerick Walcott/ Kibose Hamilton
Pool D Dominica: Tyrel Robinson/ Yahn Florent; Grenada: Christopher Oxford/ Isaac Nelson; St Lucia: Didllo Albert/ Lindan Clarke
Women’s Play
Pool A St Lucia: Denila Prospere/ Chenoa Evans; Anguilla: Lavesha Richardson/ Deandre Fleming; St Vincent and the Grenadines: Nikita Campbell/ Veronique Matthews
Pool B Grenada: Thornia Mitchell/ Renisha Stafford; Shajunee Gumbs/Shanicia Dyer; St Lucia: Tenayestlgni Joseph/ Clio Phillip
Pool C Dominica: Joeanna Pascal/ Zahidu Henry, St Lucia: Marie Therese St Clair/ Kurtrice Jules; Grenada: Teasis Jones/ Sienna Dominique
Pool D Bermuda: Hailey Moss/ Megan Hands; Antigua and Barbuda: Jassania Joseph/ Rayana Regis; St Lucia: Kerin Neptune/ Erica Gaspard
Twenty- one matches, twelve in Men’s play and nine among the Women’s pools, are carded for day one.
MANAGUA, Nicaragua, April 27, 2025.- Laura Molina/Aliza Aguilar from Costa Rica and twins Yoel and Christopher Guardado from El Salvador captured the titles at the inaugural Central American U23 Beach Volleyball Championship.
Molina/Aguilar won a hard-fought final 2-1 (21-14, 7-21, 15-11) against Nicaragua’s Nahima Silva/Norma Brenes, who forced a third set with a gritty performance in the second. In the end, the Costa Ricans sealed the victory thanks to their effective serving and sharp line shots.
In the battle for third place, El Salvador’s Karla Tovar/Daniela Vigil defeated Honduras’ Shanna Rivera/Zoe Ebanks 2-0 (21-14, 21-12).
For fifth place, Panama’s Analia Díaz/Krisleen Gonzalez beat Guatemala’s Joselyn F. López/Joselyn A. López 2-0 (21-19, 21-9).
In the men’s competition, Salvadoran twins Christopher and Yoel Guardado maintained their high level, finishing the tournament undefeated by beating Costa Rica’s Edwin Delgado/Juan Delgado 2-0 (21-11, 21-14) in the final.
The Guardado twins showed great rhythm and preparation, progressing from a ninth-place finish in 2019 to two silver medals in previous tournaments, and finally claiming the title in 2025.
Meanwhile, Nicaragua’s Cristopher Cascante/Jesy Umaña won the bronze medal by defeating Panama’s José Ureña/Víctor Pérez 2-0 (21-16, 21-13).
For fifth place, Guatemala’s Daniel Delgado/Javier Lucero defeated Honduras’ Javier Mongue/Miguel Marín 2-0 (21-14, 21-16).
MANAGUA, Nicaragua, April 27, 2025.- Yuliana Chavez/Elia Resau from Nicaragua and Julián Araya/Stanley Grant from Costa Rica captured the titles at the XV Central American U21 Beach Volleyball Championship.
Yuliana and Elia clinched the crown by defeating Costa Rica’s Mariana Fallas/Sofia Vega 2-0 (21-13, 21-17).
The Nicaraguan duo finished second in the round-robin phase, while Fallas/Vega went undefeated in the preliminary round. However, in the final, Chavez/Resau took control from the start with strong serving and solid defense. They managed to maintain a slight edge in the second set to secure the championship.
Meanwhile, Keisy Janeth/Dayanaris Ríos from Panama earned the bronze medal by winning a hard-fought 2-1 (21-17, 15-21, 15-13) battle against Fátima Rendón/Devora Medina from El Salvador.
Women Podium
For fifth place, Honduras’ Valery Rodríguez/Ruth Villegas defeated Guatemala’s Andrea Grijalva/Danna Aguilar 2-0 (21-8, 21-8).
In the men’s final, Costa Rica’s Julián Araya/Stanley Grant claimed the championship by defeating Panama’s Víctor Aráuz/Adamit del Cid 2-0 (21-15, 21-13).
Araya/Grant remained unbeaten throughout the regular round and maintained their high level in the final, giving the Panamanians little room to maneuver. Panama tried everything, but Costa Rica’s solid defense and precise touches proved too strong.
Nicaragua’s Justin Barrios/Deyner López secured the bronze medal by defeating El Salvador’s Rafael Vargas/Fernando Ortiz 2-0 (21-16, 21-13).
MANAGUA, Nicaragua, April 26, 2025.- Costa Rica secured its place in both the women’s and men’s finals at the 15th Under 21 Central American Beach Volleyball Championship, awaiting their opponents as the round-robin phase still needs to be completed.
In the women’s competition, María Fallas/Sofia Vega defeated Nicaragua and El Salvador, reaching four victories with no losses. In second place are Panama’s Keisy Janeth/Dayanaris Ríos with a 3-1 record, after defeating Fátima Rendón/Devora Medina of El Salvador and Valery Rodríguez/Ruth Villegas of Honduras.
The Salvadoran duo holds a 2-2 record, the same as Nicaragua’s Yuliana Chavez/Elia Resau, who fell to Costa Rica but defeated Guatemala’s Andrea Grijalva/Danna Aguilar.
Sofia Vega CRC
On Sunday, Fallas/Vega (CRC) will face Grijalva/Aguilar (GUA), while Chavez/Resau (NCA) will play against Janeth/Ríos (PAN). Rendón/Medina (ESA) will meet Rodríguez/Villegas (HON), with only one available spot remaining for three teams.
In the men’s division, Costa Rica’s Julián Araya/Stanley Grant have a perfect 4-0 record. Panama’s Victor Araúz/Adamit Del Cid follow at 3-1; Nicaragua’s Justin Barrios/Deyner López and El Salvador’s Rafael Vargas/Fernando Ortiz both sit at 2-2.
Honduras’ Jairo Gálvez/Isaac Méndez have a 1-3 record, while Guatemala’s Fredy Luna/Robin Oliva remain winless in four matches.
Araya/Grant defeated Luna/Oliva and later overcame Barrios/López of Nicaragua. Araúz/Cid claimed a 2-1 victory over Barrios/López and then defeated Gálvez/Méndez.
On Sunday, Araya/Grant (CRC) will face El Salvador’s Vargas/Ortiz. Luna/Oliva (GUA) will play Araúz/Cid (PAN), and the preliminary round will conclude with Barrios/López (NCA) facing Gálvez/Méndez (HON). These matches will determine who earns the other spot in the final against Costa Rica.
MANAGUA, Nicaragua, April 26, 2025.- Nicaragua and Costa Rica will play for the women’s title at the inaugural U23 Central American Beach Volleyball Championship, while in the men’s division, El Salvador has already secured a spot in the final, and Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama are vying for the other ticket.
Costa Rica’s Laura Molina/Aliza Aguilar completed four victories by defeating El Salvador and Guatemala. Nicaragua’s Nahima Silva/Norma Brenes also reached four wins after defeating Panama and El Salvador.
On Sunday morning, the two teams will face each other to determine the final preliminary round standings, but no other team can catch up to their 4-0 records.
Honduras’ Shanna Rivera/Zoe Ebanks will face El Salvador’s Karla Tovar/Daniela Vigil, while Guatemala’s Joselyn F. López/Joselyn A. López will play against Panama’s Analia Díaz/Krisleen Gonzalez to complete the preliminary round schedule.
Christopher Guardado ESA
The matches for the final positions will start at two o’clock in the afternoon.
In the men’s division, El Salvador’s twins Cristopher and Yoel Guardado have a 4-0 record after defeating Panama and Costa Rica, securing their place in the final. Nicaragua’s Cristopher Cascante/Jesy Umaña defeated Costa Rica’s Edwin and Juan Delgado as well as Guatemala’s Daniel Delgado/Javier Lucero, finishing with a 3-1 record.
Nicaragua will face El Salvador on Sunday, while Costa Rica and Panama’s José Ureña/Víctor Pérez will play a decisive match, both teams currently holding a 2-2 record. The winner will earn the second spot in the final.
Honduras’ Javier Mongue/Miguel Marín will face Guatemala’s Delgado/Lucero duo in the final match of the round-robin phase.
Day 2 Results
Women
Molina/Aguilar CRC 2-1 (19-21, 21-18, 15-11) Tovar/Vigil ESA
Rivera/Ebanks HON 2-0 (23-21, 21-14) López/López GUA
Diaz/González PAN 0-2 (13-21, 13-21) Silva/Brenes NCA
MANAGUA, Nicaragua, April 25, 2025.- Teams from Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and El Salvador each secured two victories on the opening day of the first U23 Central American Beach Volleyball Championship.
Nicaragua’s Nahima Silva and Norma Brenes earned a 2-0 (21-7, 21-15) win over Honduras’ Shanna Rivera and Zoe Ebanks, then followed up with another 2-0 victory (21-13, 21-15) against Guatemala’s Joselyn F. López and Joselyn A. López.
Costa Rica’s Laura Molina and Aliza Aguilar started strong with a 2-0 (21-12, 21-14) win over Panama’s Analia Díaz and Krisleen González, then finished the day with another 2-0 result (21-13, 21-10) against Rivera/Ebanks.
El Salvador’s Karla Tovar and Daniela Vigil did their part, also collecting two wins. They first defeated López/López 2-0 (21-13, 21-12), then topped Díaz/González 2-0 (21-14, 21-12).
In the men’s division, Costa Rica’s Edwin and Juan Delgado began with a dominant 2-0 victory (21-12, 21-8) over Guatemala’s Daniel Delgado and Javier Lucero, then completed the day undefeated by beating Panama’s José Ureña and Víctor Pérez 2-0 (21-17, 21-18).
Ureña and Pérez had previously defeated Nicaragua’s Cristopher Cascante and Jesy Umaña 2-0 (21-12, 22-20).
El Salvador’s Guardado twins, Cristopher and Yoel, won 2-0 (21-13, 21-12) over Honduras’ Javier Mongue and Miguel Marín, and later triumphed 2-0 (21-11, 21-18) against Delgado/Lucero of Guatemala.
MANAGUA, Nicaragua, April 25, 2025.- Costa Rica’s Mariana Fallas and Sofía Vega got off to a strong start at the 15th Central American U21 Women’s Beach Volleyball Championship, winning both of their matches on opening day at Paseo Xolotlán in Managua.
Fallas/Vega opened with a 2-0 (21-10, 21-11) victory over Honduras’ Valery Rodríguez and Ruth Villegas. In the afternoon, the Costa Rican duo defeated Panama’s Keisy Janeth and Dayanaris Ríos 2-0 (21-10, 21-14).
Another team that started strong was El Salvador’s Fátima Rendón and Devora Molina, who earned a hard-fought and important three-set win (21-17, 17-21, 16-14) against local favorites Yuliana Chávez and Elia Resau.
Panama’s Janeth/Ríos duo claimed a 2-0 (21-10, 21-19) victory over Andrea Grijalva and Danna Aguilar of Guatemala, while Chávez/Resau bounced back with a 2-0 (21-9, 21-10) win against Rodríguez/Villegas of Honduras.
In the men’s division, Costa Rica’s Julián Araya and Stanley Grant recorded two wins; first a dominant 2-0 (21-11, 21-5) result against Honduras’ Jairo Gálvez and Isaac Méndez, followed by another 2-0 (21-12, 21-11) victory over Panama’s Víctor Aráuz and Adamit Del Cid.
Another pair with two wins was Nicaragua’s Justin Barrios and Deyner López, who defeated Guatemala’s Fredy Luna and Robin Oliva 2-0 (21-10, 21-17), then closed the day with a 2-0 (21-15, 21-19) win over Rafael Vargas and Fernando Ortiz of El Salvador.
This Saturday, all duos will play two more matches, setting up a potentially decisive match on Sunday morning that could determine who advances to the final, as the top two teams will play for the championship.
Women’s Results Day 1
Fallas/Vega CRC 2-0 (21-10, 21-11) Rodríguez/Villegas HON
Grijalva/Aguilar GUA 0-2 (10-21, 19-21) Janeth/Ríos PAN
Rendón/Medina ESA 2-1 (21-17, 17-21, 16-14) Chavez/Resau NCA
Fallas/Vega CRC 2-0 (21-10, 21-14) Janeth/Ríos PAN
Grijalva/Aguilar GUA 0-2 (12-21, 6-21) Rendón/Medina ESA
Rodríguez/Villegas HON 0-2 (9-21, 10-21) Chavez/Resau NCA
Men’s Results Day 1
Araya/Grant CRC 2-0 (21-11, 21-5) Galvez/Mendez HON
MANAGUA, Nicaragua, April 24, 2025.– A key link between the youth and senior categories is what the inaugural AFECAVOL U23 Central American Beach Volleyball Championship represents, which began this Thursday with preliminary inquiries.
This will be the first time the Under 23 category is contested, unlike the U21 division which began in 2008. The tournament will serve as a platform for athletes aiming to make the leap to the senior level in both Central American and NORCECA events.
Duos from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Panama are set to compete for the first-ever title in this category. Many of the players have progressed through the underage divisions and bring valuable experience to the tournament.
Notable male competitors include El Salvador’s twin brothers Yoel and Cristopher Guardado, silver medalists at the last U21 tournament in Panama; Nicaragua’s Cristopher Cascante and Jesy Umaña; and Guatemala’s Daniel Delgado and Javier Lucero.
On the women’s side, Costa Rica’s Laura Molina and Aliza Aguilar, bronze medalists at the last U21 event, are strong contenders. Also competing are Karla Tovar and Daniela Vigil from El Salvador, and local players Nahima Silva and Norma Brenes.
After the round-robin preliminary phase, the top two teams will face off in the final, while the third and fourth place teams will compete for the bronze medal.
Matches will be held at the Paseo Xolotlán courts in Managua, a venue that has hosted several major events such as the 2017 Central American Games and multiple stages of the NORCECA Tour, starting Friday at 8:30 AM.
Participating Duos
Women Laura Molina / Aliza Aguilar (CRC) Joselyn F. López / Joselyn A. López (GUA) Shanna Rivera / Zoe Ebanks (HON) Nahima Silva / Norma Brenes (NCA) Analia Díaz / Krisleen González (PAN) Karla Tovar / Daniela Vigil (ESA)
Men Edwin Delgado / Juan Delgado (CRC) Daniel Delgado / Javier Lucero (GUA) Javier Mongue / Miguel Marín (HON) Cristopher Cascante / Jesy Umaña (NCA) José Ureña / Víctor Pérez (PAN) Yoel Guardado / Cristopher Guardado (ESA)
MANAGUA, Nicaragua, April 24, 2025.- The XV AFECAVOL U21 Central American Beach Volleyball Championship is set to begin this Friday, following the conclusion of team registration and uniform presentations.
Six Central American countries have confirmed their participation, each with one pair per gender, competing for the regional title in a tournament that began in 2008.
Costa Rica is the defending women’s champion, though Guatemala holds the most titles overall with eight. Costa Rica has been crowned champion three times, Nicaragua twice, and El Salvador once.
In the men’s division, Nicaragua has claimed the top spot on the podium seven times, followed by Guatemala with four and Costa Rica with three, including the most recent edition held in Panama in 2022.
Costa Rica will be represented by María Fallas and Sofía Vega, the latter a bronze medalist three years ago, who will face tough competition from experienced players such as Fátima Rendón and Devora Medina of El Salvador, as well as home favorites Yuliana Chávez and Elia Resau.
In the men’s bracket, Costa Rica features Julián Araya, champion in the previous edition in Panama, this time partnered with Stanley Grant. Their rivals include Rafael Vargas and Fernando Ortiz from El Salvador, local duo Justin Barrios and Deyner López, and a promising Panamanian pair in Víctor Aráuz and Adamit Del Cid.
Matches will take place at the Paseo Xolotlán courts in Managua, starting Friday at 8:30 AM and concluding on Sunday.
The tournament will follow a round-robin format in the first phase, with the top two teams advancing to the final, which will be played on Sunday afternoon.
Participating Duos
Women Mariana Fallas / Sofía Vega (CRC) Fátima Rendón / Devora Medina (ESA) Andrea Grijalva / Danna Aguilar (GUA) Valery Rodríguez / Ruth Villegas (HON) Yuliana Chávez / Ella Resau (NCA) Keisy Janeth / Dayanaris Ríos (PAN)
Men Julián Araya / Stanley Grant (CRC) Rafael Vargas / Fernando Ortiz (ESA) Fredy Luna / Robin Oliva (GUA) Jairo Gálvez / Isaac Méndez (HON) Justin Barrios / Deyner López (NCA) Víctor Aráuz / Adamit Del Cid (PAN)
VARADERO, Cuba, April 25, 2025.- The highly anticipated 2025 season of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Continental Tour kicks off in the paradise destination of Varadero, Cuba, marking the beginning of a circuit that promises excitement, a high level of competition, and valuable points toward the NORCECA and FIVB rankings.
This year, the prestigious NORCECA Tour calendar includes 13 stops, reinforcing its importance in the development of beach volleyball across North, Central America, and the Caribbean. Varadero, a traditional tour stop since 2011, will play an even more prominent role in 2025 by hosting two stages: the tour’s opening event and the grand finale, scheduled for October.
Jorge Luis Alayo Cuba
The tour’s first stop features athletes from fourteen countries, with 18 men’s teams and 15 women’s teams registered.
The 2025 NORCECA Tour awards important points for both the continental and world rankings. Additionally, it marks the beginning of the qualification process for the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo, adding an extra level of motivation for the participating teams.
Specifically, regarding the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games, Colombia and Venezuela must secure their qualification through the NORCECA Tour, which means both countries will be competing in several stops of the circuit.
As part of its commitment to developing young talent, the season will also feature two U23 events, which will serve as preparation tournaments for the Junior Pan American Games in Asunción.
With this Beach Continental Tour, NORCECA reaffirms its mission to promote sporting excellence, provide competitive growth opportunities for regional athletes, and bring the excitement of beach volleyball to beautiful and iconic venues like Varadero.
CUL DE SAC, Saint Lucia, April 21, 2025. – From May 2nd to 4th, 2025, Saint Lucia will host some of the Caribbean’s most talented senior beach volleyball athletes as the island welcomes the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Senior Beach Volleyball Championship.
Senior male and female teams from Saint Lucia, Grenada, Dominica, Antigua, Bermuda, St. Vincent, Anguilla, and St. Kitts will compete for top honours and the coveted ECVA Championship title.
As an officially calendarized NORCECA event, this championship offers athletes from eight ECVA member islands a platform to compete at the highest regional level, supporting athletic excellence and personal development.
All eyes will be on Saint Lucia’s Joseph Clercent and Sheldon Descartes, the reigning champions who have captured the title in 2023 and 2024. The local favourites want to make history with a three-peat on home sand and will be the team to beat.
ECVA is confident that the tournament will be a celebration of skill, passion, and sportsmanship, uniting experienced players and emerging talent in an exciting beach volleyball showcase.
The event is made possible through the generous support of its sponsors, including NORCECA, ECVA, the Ministry of Youth Development & Sports, the Saint Lucia Olympic Committee, the National Lotteries Authority, Buckeye and Co Williams. Their partnership is vital to the success of what promises to be a high-energy and unforgettable competition.
MANAGUA, Nicaragua, April 21, 2025. – Managua is getting ready to host the 15th Central American Under 21 Championship and the inaugural edition of the Central American Under 23 Beach Volleyball Championships organized by AFECAVOL, from April 24 to 28.
Both events will be held simultaneously at the sand court located in the iconic Paseo Xolotlán in Managua, Nicaragua.
The previous edition of the U21 Central American Championship took place in 2022 in Panama, where Costa Rican teams dominated the event. Angel Williams/Kianny Araya and Julian Araya/Jhostin Varela were crowned champions in the women’s and men’s divisions, respectively.
As for the U23 category, during the recent AFECAVOL Assembly, the decision was made to launch the first edition of this event, aiming to develop all beach volleyball age-group categories in Central America. The U23 category has been part of the NORCECA competition system since 2021, serving as a qualifier for the Junior Pan American Games.
Delegations from the participating countries are scheduled to arrive in Managua on April 24, when the preliminary meeting and official team registration will take place. Competition days will run from April 25 to 27.
BRASILIA, Brazil, April 20, 2025.- After taking bronze in Quintana Roo and silver in Saquarema, USA’s Kristen Nuss & Taryn Brasher snatched the gold in Brasilia as the third Elite event of the year on the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour came to a close in the Brazilian capital on Sunday. This way, the American Paris 2024 Olympians topped the podium for the first time since the 2024 Tour Finals in Doha and added the ninth gold and the 15th medal overall to their impressive Beach Pro Tour collection.
Carol Solberg & Rebecca Cavalcanti put up a solid fight in the final but had to settle for silver in front of the Brazilian home crowd. It was already their second medal out of only four Tour appearances together as a team. Three weeks ago, the experienced Brazilians triumphed at the Quintana Roo Elite.
Another Brazilian team, reigning Olympic champions Ana Patricia Ramos & Eduarda Santos Lisboa (Duda), completed the podium with bronze, their first Beach Pro Tour medal in almost a year, or since they conquered the gold at this same venue in May 2024. The former world champions and former number one team in the World Ranking have now piled up a remarkable showcase of eight gold, two silver and five bronze medals on the Tour.
Second-seeded Nuss & Brasher overcome their fifth-seeded opponents’ strong performance and the noise from a fantastic Brazilian home crowd on the stands during Sunday’s gold medal showdown to put together a narrow 2-0 (22-20, 21-19) victory. The Americans were in the lead through most of the first set of the match, but in the money, Carol & Barbara took control and reached the first set point at 19-18. Nuss & Brasher reacted with three points in a row and closed the set with an ace from Nuss. Twice in the second set, the US team opened a wide lead and twice the home favorites closed the gap as it eventually came down to a 19-19 tie. Nuss & Brasher stayed focus and soon closed the set and the match with a powerful spike from Nuss for the winning point.
The better overall performance in offense made the big difference in tilting the balance Nuss & Brasher’s way, with Brasher emerging as the best scorer of the match with 24 points and the best attacker of the match with 20 kills, as well as the best blocker of the match with three stuffs to her name. Carol led the Brazilian pair with 17 points, including two aces and two kill blocks.
“Oh, my goodness! It was so difficult! If we could stop playing them multiple times, that would be great! They are incredible and we knew that in front of this home crowd it would be pretty rowdy and they would bring the passion like they always do. So we just tried to stick with each other and trust ourselves,” Nuss said on the court after the match.
“Kristen came in today and woke me up with a great enthusiastic ‘let’s go get gold today!’ But we had to fight against an amazing Brazilian team – they are both just so incredible – and we had to play in front of Brazilian fans that are just so rowdy, and so fun, and just love the game,” Brasher added.
The bronze medal game earlier on Sunday lasted three sets as Dutch qualifiers Emi van Driel & Wies Bekhuis, seeded 23rd in the 24-team main draw, put up a tough fight and even won the first set against the mighty Olympic champions, before 10th-seeded Ana Patricia & Duda managed to turn the course of the match around and celebrate a 2-1 (19-21, 21-15, 15-12) victory. It was mostly the unforced errors of the Dutch and the better blocking of the Brazilians that prompted the outcome of this match. Ana Patricia raised six kill blocks during the game and topped the charts with a match-high total of 20 points.
SAQUAREMA, Brazil, April 13, 2025.- Americans Kristen Nuss an Taryn Brasher won the silver medal of the Volleyball World Beach Pro Elite event in Saquarema, Brazil, after falling in Sundays’ final to Brazilians Thamela Coradello and Victoria Lopes 1-2 (19, 21, 21-16, 10-15).
Watch the Beach Pro Tour Saquarema Elite replays onVBTV
By finishing second in Saquarema, Nuss and Brasher made their sixth-straight podium appearance on the Beach Pro Tour – they won three golds, two silvers and one bronze in the period.
The top team in the FIVB World Ranking, Germans Müller and Tillmann won their first medal in the season by taking third in Saquarema. The Europeans had a dominant performance in the bronze medal match, topping Americans Kelly Cheng and Molly Shaw 2-0 (21-16, 21-16).
The Beach Pro Tour will continue in Brazil for another week, with the country’s capital, Brasília, welcoming the third Elite event of the season from April 16-20.
QUINTANA ROO, Mexico, March 30, 2025.- Noslen Diaz and Jorge Alayo were first acknowledged as a top team in international beach volleyball after they dominated local tournaments held in the NORCECA region. Their first major victory on the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour couldn’t, then, happen anywhere else in the world and so it was on Sunday, when the Cuban Olympians took gold in the Elite event held in Quintana Roo, Mexico.
With the vast support of the home fans, Diaz and Alayo emerged as the top team of the first Elite event of 2025 after beating the Argentinean Capogrosso brothers Nicolas and Tomas in the gold medal match at Playa del Carmen. American qualifiers Chaim Schalk and James Shaw completed the podium in Mexico and took bronze.
Watch the Beach Pro Tour Quintana Roo Elite matches on demand on VBTV
Diaz, 22, and Alayo, 23, completed an undefeated campaign that saw them beat seven different teams in Mexico, including reigning world champions Ondrej Perusic and David Schweiner of Czechia, while dropping just one set with a 2-0 (21-13, 24-22) victory over the Capogrosso brothers on Sunday’s gold medal match.
DIAZ Y ALAYO CUBA
“We feel at home here in Mexico,” Diaz remarked. “The Mexicans are very supportive of us, and I got to meet many Cubans who were cheering on us as well this week. I hope they all enjoyed this incredible event.”
Competing regularly on the Beach Pro Tour since 2023, the Paris 2024 Olympians had been in Beach Pro Tour finals three times before, all of them in Challenge events, but were yet to win gold. Heading to Quintana Roo, the two, who also took silver at the 2023 Pan-American Games, had achieved their best result at the Elite level in Mexico, where they took bronze in Tepic last year.
“It’s our first gold medal in an Elite event and I’m very grateful that it happened here in Mexico,” Alayo reacted. “The fans were amazing, I want to thank them, my coach and my partner for this victory.”
Their opponents in Sunday’s gold medal match, Nicolas and Tomas Caprogrosso were also pursuing their first gold medals in a Beach Pro Tour Elite event. They had, however, to settle for silver for a second straight time after finishing second also at the tournament held in Rio de Janeiro last November.
The third team to step on the podium in Quintana Roo, Americans Schalk and Shaw secured their first medal as partners in their fifth event sharing the same side of the court. The two started this week’s event in the qualifier and secured five wins in seven matches, the most notable of them against reigning Olympic champions David Åhman and Jonatan Hellvig of Sweden in the quarterfinals.
On Sunday, they rewarded their excellent week with a piece of silverware after prevailing over the new Dutch team of Alexander Brouwer and Steven van de Velde 2-0 (21-19, 21-16) in the bronze medal match.
After a one-week break, the Beach Pro Tour will return with another Elite event in Saquarema, Brazil, from April 9-13.
QUINTANA ROO, Mexico, March 30, 2025.- Americans Terese Cannon and Megan Kraft captured the silver medal at the first Elite event of the 2025 Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour which came to an end on Sunday in Quintana Roo Mexico, while Kristen Nuss and Taryn (Kloth) Brasher, also representing the United States, won the bronze medal.
Watch the Beach Pro Tour Quintana Roo Elite matches on demand on VBTV
In the gold medal match, Cannon and Kraft fell 0-2 (13-21, 17-21) against Brazilians Carol and Rebecca, who competed as partners for the first time at the international level.
Cannon and Kraft have a lot to take from the Quintana Roo event as they managed to continue in great form and extend their streak of podium appearance in Elite events on the Beach Pro Tour to five – they won four silver and one bronze medals in the period.
After taking three teams to the semifinals, the United States got to have two of them on the podium on Sunday. The top-seeded duo in the event, Nuss and Brasher claimed the last available spot with a 2-0 (21-16, 21-14) victory over compatriots Kelly Cheng and Molly Shaw on Sunday’s bronze medal match.
It was the 14th medal won by the Paris Olympians since they started competing internationally in 2022. Nuss and Brasher now have eight gold, three silver and three bronze medals, with ten of those coming in Elite events.
After a one-week break, the Beach Pro Tour will return with another Elite event in Saquarema, Brazil, from April 9-13.
QUINTANA ROO, Mexico, March 29, 2025.- Led by Americans Chaim Schalk and James Shaw, who eliminated reigning Olympic champions David Åhman and Jonatan Hellvig of Sweden in just their sixth tournament as partners, teams from four different countries advanced to the men’s semifinals of the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Elite event held in Quintana Roo, Mexico, on Saturday.
Sunday, the last day of action of the first Elite tournament of the 2025 season, will start at the Playa del Carmen with the semifinals, which will have the Americans facing the Argentinean Capogrosso brothers Nicolas and Tomas at 11:00 local time (16:00 GMT) and Cubans Noslen Diaz and Jorge Alayo meeting the new Dutch team of Alexander Brouwer and Steven van de Velde one hour later. The gold medal match is scheduled for 16:00 local time (21:00 GMT), with the dispute for bronze starting one hour earlier.
Watch the Beach Pro Tour Quintana Roo Elite live on VBTV
Schalk, 38, and Shaw, 31, produced arguably the most shocking result of the still young Beach Pro Tour season so far in the quarterfinals, when the Americans, who started the tournament in the qualifier, took down Åhman and Hellvig in the tie-breaker (21-19, 13-21, 15-8) to secure their first semifinal appearances as partners. With the upset, the Swedes will miss the podium for just the second time in their last 13 Beach Pro Tour events.
The Americans will now face the Capogrossos for a second-straight day after falling to the South Americans in straight sets (21-17, 22-20) in the Round of 12 earlier on Saturday – Schalk and Shaw still advanced despite the defeat as one of the two best losing sides.
The American victory wasn’t, however, the only upset in the quarterfinal round in Quintana Roo. One hour earlier, Cuban Olympians Diaz and Alayo had stunned reigning world champions Ondrej Perusic and David Schweiner of Czechia, knocking them out with a 2-1 (16-21, 21-14, 15-11) victory in Mexico.
Earlier, in the Round of 12, the Caribbean had gotten the better of Norwegians Hendrik Mol and Mathias Berntsen, winning in two sets (21-18, 21-17).
QUINTANA ROO, Mexico, March 29, 2025.- Beach volleyball powerhouse the United States will fight for gold in the first Elite event of the 2025 Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour season on Sunday in Quintana Roo, Mexico, against Brazil.
The last two teams standing in the event held at Playa del Carmen, USA’s Terese Cannon/Megan Kraft and Brazil’s Carol Salgado/Rebecca Cavalcanti will duel in the gold medal match at 14:00 local time (19:00 GMT). A second American team is guaranteed to step on the podium as Kristen Nuss/Taryn Brasher and Kelly Cheng/Molly Shaw will compete in the bronze medal match one hour earlier.
Watch the Beach Pro Tour Quintana Roo Elite live on VBTV
Cannon and Kraft path to the gold medal match on Saturday, started the day with a 2-1 (21-15, 18-21, 15-9) victory over FIVB World Ranking leaders Svenja Müller and Cinja Tillmann of Germany in the quarterfinals and getting a clean sweep (21-18, 21-19) against Cheng and Shaw in the semifinals a few hours later.
The Americans got a second chance in the tournament after losing to Cheng and Shaw on Friday, in the Round of 12, as they still advanced to the quarterfinals as one of the two best losing sides.
“The new format is interesting,” Kraft remarked. “We had to bounce back as quickly as we could. They’re a really good team and we knew they would give us a good game. We were happy to get a second life in the tournament and just tried to make the most of it.”
Partners since 2023, the Americans have been in great form since the 2024 season and will, in Mexico, get into the podium for a fifth-straight Elite tournament on the Beach Pro Tour. The two, however, are yet to win gold at the international level.
Brazilians Carol and Rebeca, in their second Beach Pro Tour event as partners (and the first at the Elite level), needed the tie-breaker (18-21, 21-13, 15-10) to eliminate the Austrian Klinger sisters Dorina and Klinger in the quarterfinals before sweeping (21-17, 21-11) the top-seeded Nuss and Brasher in the semifinals.
YUCATÁN, México, March 23, 2025.- USA’s Devon Newberry and Jaden Whitmarsh won the bronze medal at the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Yucatan Challenge that took place in Puerto Progreso from March 19-23.
Devon Newberry and Jaden Whitmarsh, in three Beach Pro Tour appearances as a team, the 24-year-old Americans have already collected three medals. In December, they took bronze at the Pompano Beach Futures and, earlier this month, they topped the podium at the Mount Maunganui Futures. The event in Yucatan was the duo’s first Challenge tournament. They started from the qualifiers and were seeded 31st in the 32-team main draw. After winning seven of their nine matches in Puerto Progreso, Newberry & Whitmarsh earned the bronze medal.
The all-American third-place match between Newberry & Whitmarsh and 12th-seeded Teegan Van Gunst & Kimberly Hildreth was resolved deep in the overtime of the tie-breaker. In the first set, Van Gunst & Hildreth came back from a four-point opponent lead to win it by a four-point margin. Newberry & Whitmarsh dominated the second set to level the match. The lead in the tie-breaker went back and forth a few times and the set was pushed way beyond the 15th point. After denying two opponent match points and failing to convert three of their own, Newberry & Whitmarsh finally closed it off at 2-1 (17-21, 21-15, 20-18). Newberry and Van Gunst shared the top scorer honors of the match with 23 points each.
Italy’s Valentina Gottardi & Claudia Scampoli won the gold medal in their first Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour appearance as a team beating Tanja Huberli and Leona Kernen of Switzerland, who also made their Beach Pro Tour debut as a team, 2-0 (21-17, 21-15).
WOMEN: 3. Newberry / Whitmarsh USA 4. Kim Hildreth/Teegan Van Gunst USA 8. Toni/DeBerg USA 14. Torres/ Gutierrez MEX 15. Anderson/Bauer USA 16. Scoles/Denaburg USA 24. Shields/Hodel USA 29. Vidaurrazaga /Ramirez MEX 30. Harward/Phillips USA 31. Quiggle/Loreen USA 32. Savvy/Van Winkle USA 40. Kan/Sours USA 41. Ozee/Glagau CAN 42. Roskic/Corah CAN 49. Poppinga/Lindstrom USA 50. Slabakova/Griffin USA
MEN: 6. Diaz/Alayo CUB 16. Evans/Budinger USA 19. Schachter/Pickett CAN 24. Schalk/Shaw USA 31. Bourne/Cory USA 32. Brewster/Ierna USA 39. Crabb Tr./Caldwell USA 40. Hoppe/Bradford USA 46. D. Dyner/Varela CRC 51. Lares/Carlos Andres MEX 55. Kwekel/Drost USA 56. Smith/Webber USA
MEXICO CITY, Mexico, February 17, 2025. – The National Commission for Physical Culture and Sport (CONADE) announced in a press conference the organization of two stages of the Beach Pro Tour 2025 in Mexico.
The event featured the participation of FMVB President Jesús Perales Navarro, elite beach volleyball athletes Atenas Gutiérrez, Susana Torres, Miguel Sarabia, and Jorman Osuna, as well as the governors of Yucatán, Joaquín Díaz Mena, and Quintana Roo, Mara Lezama Espinosa.
Atenas Gutiérrez, Susana Torres, Jesús Perales, Miguel Sarabia, Jorman Osuna
During the conference, Jesús Perales Navarro emphasized the Federation’s commitment to promoting beach volleyball in Mexico, expressing gratitude for CONADE’s continued support in organizing international-level events. He also highlighted the trust placed in coaches and athletes as they embark on a new cycle with the goal of qualifying for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Meanwhile, CONADE Director Rommel Pacheco highlighted the importance of these competitions for the country’s economic development, as well as the valuable competitive experience they provide for Mexican players facing international rivals. He also emphasized that these events serve as inspiration for future generations, thanks to the exposure and backing provided by CONADE and state governments.
The Beach Pro Tour Stages in Mexico:
Beach Pro Tour Challenge Yucatán 2025, from March 19-23 in Playa Puerto Progreso, Yucatán
Beach Pro Tour Elite 16 Playa del Carmen 2025, from March 26-30 in the Temporary Stadium in front of Portal Maya, Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo
These tournaments will bring together the world’s top beach volleyball teams, further establishing Mexico as a key destination on the international circuit.
The FMVB encourages fans to closely follow these competitions and support Mexican athletes on their journey to Los Angeles 2028.
ASUNCIÓN, Paraguay, February 10, 2025.- Two wildcats have been chosen to represent the energy, passion, and spirit of perseverance of the more than 4,000 athletes who will take part in the most important youth sports celebration on the continent.
The unveiling ceremony was attended by the President of the Republic of Paraguay, Santiago Peña.
A new era has begun! On February 10, at the iconic Port of Asunción, the official presentation of the mascots for the Junior Pan American Games ASU2025 took place.
The event was filled with excitement and was attended by the country’s top authorities, including the President of Paraguay, Santiago Peña; Minister of Sports, César Ramírez Caje; President of the Paraguayan Olympic Committee and IOC member, Camilo Pérez López Moreira; General Director of ASU2025, Victor Pecci; Deputy General Director of ASU2025, Larissa Schaerer; national athletes, members of the press, influencers, and the stars of the night, the official mascots.
“Today, we take another step toward the Games that will be a milestone for our country. Tito and Tika embody the energy, passion, and spirit of perseverance of our athletes. We hope that people will feel represented by them and welcome them with open arms”, said Camilo Pérez López Moreira, President of the Olympic Committee and IOC member.
The official mascot is the soul of every Games, representing the essence, culture, and history of the host city. It serves as a cultural ambassador, bringing together the country’s residents, athletes, delegations, volunteers, and everyone who chooses to be part of the event. That’s why each edition introduces a unique mascot that aims to leave a lasting legacy.
“The official mascots connect us with our essence, our wildlife, and the fighting spirit of every athlete coming to ASU2025”, expressed Larissa Schaerer, Deputy General Director of ASU2025.
Tirika, the beloved mascot of the 2022 Odesur Games and the current official representative of Team Paraguay, went on a scouting mission across the country in search of new talent for ASU2025. After countless adventures, a few stumbles, and a nostalgic journey back to Chaco, he found the perfect candidates: Tito and Tika, two wildcats with an unmistakable spark and attitude that only he could recognize.
His sharp feline instincts left no room for doubt, they were the chosen ones. These two are not only full of energy but also fully committed, eager to have a great time, and with hearts already beating for the Games.
Tito and Tika, the ASU2025 rookies, are the yin and yang
Tito loves to have fun, but at the same time, he keeps an eye on everything. If something isn’t right or if he sees Tika about to get into trouble, he’s there, taking charge and making sure their mischief doesn’t get out of hand. He is responsible, careful, and knows how to restore order when things get a little chaotic.
Tika, on the other hand, doesn’t worry too much about limits. She has that mischievous spark that leads her to do unpredictable yet fun things, keeping everyone on their toes and wondering what she’ll come up with next.
Both share the same physical abilities, they can practice all sports, are agile, know how to dance, and enjoy social media.
The Smallest Feline of the Chaco
The official mascots embody a mix of cleverness, adventure, and mischief, inspired by a characteristic animal of the Paraguayan Chaco: The Leopardus guttulus, or wildcat, commonly known as the tiríka. This small feline inhabits jungles, tropical and subtropical forests, ranging from sea level up to 4,500 meters in altitude.
Its distribution is limited to the central and eastern regions of the Neotropics in South America, covering countries such as Paraguay, Brazil, Bolivia, and Argentina. The tiríka is a solitary and nocturnal animal but also shows a significant amount of activity during the day.
There are three species of this feline: Leopardus geoffroyi (the species chosen for the Junior Pan American Games mascots), Leopardus guttulus, and Leopardus wiedii. Unfortunately, the latter two species are endangered due to illegal capture for the fur trade.
Road to ASU2025
With the unveiling of its Official Mascots, ASU2025 solidifies itself as an event that goes beyond sports. The countdown has begun, and each day brings us closer to the continent’s biggest youth sports gathering.
ASU2025 is already in motion. From August 9 to 23, more than 4,000 athletes from across the continent will compete in 28 sports and 42 disciplines. But before the official opening, we will feel the pulse of the Games month by month, unveiling key elements of this major sporting event.
JANUARY 16, 2024 .- Volleyball Canada announced its 2025 roster of beach National Team athletes following the annual induction camp, held earlier this month at the Downsview training centre in Toronto.
Five out of the six 2024 Olympians are returning: On the senior women’s side, silver medalists Brandie Wilkerson and Melissa Humana-Paredes, both of Toronto, Ontario, join fellow Paris 2024 athletes Heather Bansley (Waterdown, Ont.) and Sophie Bukovec (Toronto).
The senior athletes compete for points and prize money on Volleyball World’s Beach Pro Tour.
Two-time Olympian (2024, 2016) Sam Schachter headlines the men’s team. He is joined by Tynan Gannett, Luke de Greeff, Martin Licht, Steven Abrams, Jonny Pickett and Guillaume Rivest.
Rivest, Pickett and Licht were previously part of Volleyball Canada’s summer beach team. Pickett and Licht are also affiliated with RBC Training Ground’s “Future Olympians” program.
The women’s NextGen team consists of Lea Monkhouse, Marie-Alex Belanger, Amy Ozee and newcomer Emily Anderson.
The Canadian Next Gen teams have had recent podium success on the NORCECA Tour.
“This year’s roster features an exciting blend of veteran talent and emerging stars,” said Kerry MacDonald, Volleyball Canada’s Chief Sport Officer. “Building on the incredible achievements of Brandie and Mel in Paris, along with the strong performances of our Next Gen teams to close out 2024, 2025 is shaping up to be a remarkable year for Canadian beach volleyball.”
Note: Summer athletes are announced at a later date.
Next Gen (female) Lea Monkhouse (Ontario) Amy Ozee (Hawaii, USA) Marie-Alex Belanger (Quebec) Emily Anderson (Nevada, USA)
Next Gen (male) Sam Schachter (Ontario) Tynan Gannett (Nova Scotia) Luke de Greeff (British Columbia) Steven Abrams (Ontario) Martin Licht (Ontario) Jonathan Pickett (Ontario) Guillaume Rivest (Québec)
December 18, 2024.- Volleyball World is excited to unveil the schedule for the Beach Pro Tour 2025. The highly anticipated nine-month competition promises to be bigger and better than ever as the world’s elite beach volleyball talent go head-to-head in fierce competition across five continents.
Getting underway in late March, the season will culminate with the prestigious Beach Volleyball World Championships 2025 in Adelaide, Australia, from 14 to 23 November.
The 2025 Beach Pro Tour will visit iconic destinations and exciting new host cities. For the latest Beach Pro Tour 2025 calendar, please click here.
Gstaad, Switzerland, will celebrate its 25th edition as a host, further cementing its status as a hub for beach volleyball. Brazil will host four stops of the competition, including an Elite event in Brasilia and a Challenge event in Saquarema, with two additional Elite stops to be revealed in early 2025. Mexico also makes a strong return to the tour after the success of the World Championships 2023, hosting three events: an Elite tournament in Quintana Roo, making its first appearance since 1999, and two Challenge tournaments. The Beach Pro Tour is also making a highly anticipated return to Cape Town, South Africa in 2025, marking a truly global competition that spans five continents.
Additional exciting competition stops are set to be added to the tour. Stay tuned for more details in early 2025!
The 2025 season will also feature broader global representation, with new talent joining veteran athletes on the Beach Pro Tour. Following the Olympic Games Paris 2024, the shifting team compositions promise fans exciting matchups, offering rising stars the opportunity to compete and develop alongside established champions, including Olympic Games gold medallists.
Among the women’s teams to watch are Anouk/Zoe (Switzerland), Carol/Rebecca (Brazil), Thamela/Victoria (Brazil), Hüberli/Kernen (Switzerland) and Lippmann/Bock (Germany). Meanwhile, the men’s competition features rising stars such as Gavira/A. Huerta (Spain), Pristauz/Hörl (Austria), Dressler/Waller (Austria), Horst/Leitner (Austria) and Tiisaar/Korotkov (Estonia).
Fan-favourite duos will also continue their successful partnerships in 2025. On the men’s side, Paris 2024 gold medallists Ahman/Hellvig of Sweden, bronze medallists Mol/Sorum of Sweden and semi-finalists Ahmed/Cherif of Qatar remain together, while women’s gold medallists at Paris 2024 Ana Patricia/Duda of Brazil and the USA’s Kloth/Nuss headline the women’s field as returning stars.
Following the Beach Pro Tour, the beach volleyball season will culminate in Adelaide, Australia, for the Beach Volleyball World Championships 2025, where the best teams in the world will battle for the ultimate title. The picturesque capital of South Australia will transform a state-of-the-art open-air sports venue into a beach volleyball coliseum, for a festival atmosphere set to thrill fans.
Stay tuned for more information on what is set to be a competition like no other!
SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica, December 8, 2024.- The 9th Stop of the 2024 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour, held on the sand courts of La Sabana, concluded with the American duo Peri Brennan and Molly Phillips winning the final match over Mexico’s Atenas Gutiérrez and Susana Torres 2-0 (21-19, 21-19).
In the battle for third place, the U.S. pair Taylor Wilson and Myszkowski faced Mexico’s Yeray Vidaurrazaga and Jimena Ramírez in a thrilling match that was decided in three sets, 2-1 (21-14, 25-27, 15-13). This victory secured a podium finish for the second U.S. duo in the tournament.
The competition featured an exciting semifinal stage. In the first matchup, Atenas Gutiérrez and Susana Torres defeated their compatriots Vidaurrazaga and Ramírez with a solid 2-0 (21-15, 21-14). Meanwhile, champions Brennan and Phillips overcame teammates Wilson and Myszkowski 2-0 (21-14, 21-13).
Podium Male and Female
In position matches, Canada’s Sophia Hladyniuk and Myriam Robitaille worked hard to secure fifth place by defeating Austin/Buckner from the U.S. Virgin Islands 2-0 (22-20, 22-20). The Canadians had earlier dominated Costa Rica’s Aliza Aguilar and Kianny Araya 2-0 (21-14, 21-12), while the U.S. Virgin Islands pair defeated Guatemala’s Natalia Girón and Paola Alvarado 2-1 (16-21, 21-15, 16-14).
Natalia Girón and Paola Alvarado showed great composure to take seventh place, defeating Aguilar and Araya 2-0 (21-14, 21-19).
Ninth place was contested by Dominicans Crismil Paniagua and Yari Cleto, who edged Costa Rica’s Katherine Quesada and Eugenia Ramírez in an intense three-set duel, 2-1 (24-22, 18-21, 15-12).
Nicaragua’s Norma Brenes and Lolette Rodríguez claimed 11th place after defeating El Salvador’s Keiry Guzmán and Fátima Rendón 2-0 (21-7, 21-13). For 13th place, Costa Rica’s Valentina Molina and Sofía Vega outperformed El Salvador’s Karla Tovar and Daniela Vigil 2-0 (21-18, 21-16). Finally, Destiny Layne and Serena Edwards from Barbados were awarded 15th place with a bye.
The 9th Stop of the 2024 NORCECA Tour provided thrilling competition with the participation of 15 tandems, highlighted by the dominance of the U.S. teams, who claimed two of the three podium spots.
Peri Brennan_Molly Phillips USA
Final Positions: 1. Peri Brennan y Molly Phillips (USA1); 2. Atenas Gutiérrez y Susana Torres (MEX1); 3. Taylor Wilson y Myszkowski (USA2); 4. Yeray Vidaurrazaga y Jimena Ramírez (MEX2); 5. Sophia Hladyniuk y Myriam Robitaille (CAN); 6. T’ara Austin y Taylor Buckner (ISV); 7. Natalia Girón y Paola Alvarado (GUA); 8. Aliza Aguilar y Kianny Araya (CRC1); 9. Crismil Paniagua y Yari Cleto (DOM); 10. Katherine Quesada y Eugenia Ramírez (CRC3); 11. Norma Brenes y Lolette Rodríguez (NCA); 12. Keiry Guzmán y Fátima Rendón (ESA2); 13. Valentina Molina y Sofía Vega (CRC2); 14. Karla Tovar y Daniela Vigil (ESA1); 15. Destiny Layne y Serena Edwards (BAR)
RESULTS
FIRST PLACE Peri Brennan y Molly Phillips (USA)- Atenas Gutiérrez y Susana Torres (MEX) 2-0 (21-19/21-19); THIRD PLACE: Wilson/Myszkowski (USA)- Vidaurrazaga/Ramírez (MEX) 2-1 (21-14, 25-27, 15-13); FIFTH PLACE: Hladyniuk/Robitaille (CAN)- Austin/Buckner (ISV) 2-0 (22-20/22-20); SEVENTH PLACE: N. Giron/Alvarado (GUA) – Aguilar/Quesada (CRC) 2-0 (21-14, 21-19); NINTH PLACE Paniagua/Cleto (DOM)- Quesada/Ramírez (CRC) 2-1 (24-22, 18-21, 15-12); 11TH PLACE: N. Brenes/Lolette (NCA)- Guzmán/Rendón (ESA) 2-0 (21-07/21-13); 13TH PLACE: Molina/Sofi V (CRC)- Tovar/Vigil (ESA) 2-0 (21-18/21-16); 15TH PLACE: Layne/Edwards BAR BYE
SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica, December 8, 2024.- The Mexican duo Miguel Sarabia and Jorman Osuna claimed the gold medal at the ninth stop of the 2024 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour after defeating Garrett Bucklin and Tyler Penberthy from the U.S. Virgin Islands 2-0 (21-19, 21-13) in the final.
Sarabia and Osuna established themselves as the tournament’s standout pair, reaching the top undefeated.
In route to an electrifying and highly competitive final, Sarabia and Osuna defeated their compatriots Ines Lares and Gabriel Cruz in the semifinals with a close 2-0 (21-18, 28-26) scoreline. Meanwhile, Bucklin and Penberthy edged out Americans Silila Tucker and Cody Caldwell in another tightly contested match, also finishing 2-0 (22-20, 23-21).
Miguel Sarabia MEX ante Tyler Penberthy ISV40-2
In the battle for third place, the U.S. duo Silila Tucker and Cody Caldwell overcame Mexico’s Gabriel Cruz and Ines Vargas in a thrilling match that ended 2-1 (21-15, 12-21, 15-8). Tucker and Caldwell displayed resilience and technical skills to secure their spot on the podium.
In the fifth-place match, Costa Rica’s Stanley Grant and Julián Araya overcame Clements and Van Siclen of the U.S. Virgin Islands in a thrilling match that ended 2-0 (21-10, 31-29). Earlier, Stanley/Grant defeated Guatemala’s Luis García and Edgar Maldonado 2-0 (21-18, 21-15), who finished eighth after falling to the Dominican duo Francisco De Jesús and Rolvin Maldonado 2-0 (21-12, 21-16).
Canada’s Luke de Greeff and Guillaume Rivest secured ninth place after defeating Nicaragua’s Denis López and Dany López 2-0 (21-16, 21-14).
The Salvadoran team of Gabriel Vargas and Carlos Mejía claimed 11th place with a narrow victory over Costa Rica’s Edwin and Juan Diego Delgado 2-1 (27-25, 17-21, 15-13). Meanwhile, Barbados’ Jonathan Alleyne and Ronald Rice took 13th place, defeating Guatemala’s Santiago Penagos and Javier Lucero 2-0 (21-14, 21-15).
Saint Kitts and Nevis duo Julian Bristol and Jedediah Pencheon secured 15th place by defeating Bermuda’s Sean Tucker and Kyle Hamilton 2-1 (18-21, 21-18, 15-7).
Podium
The tournament featured the participation of 16 teams from across the region, showcasing a high level of technical and strategic skill in every match.
The final standings were as follows: 1. Sarabia/Osuna (MEX1); 2. Bucklin/Penberthy (ISV1); 3. Tucker/Caldwell (USA); 4. Lares/Cruz (MEX2); 5. Stanley/Araya (CRC1); 6. Clements/Van Siclen (ISV2); 7. De Jesús/Maldonado (DOM); 8. Maldonado/García (GUA1); 9. De Greeff/Rivest (CAN); 10. López/López (NCA); 11. Mejía/Vargas (ESA); 12. Delgado/Delgado (CRC2); 13. Alleyne/Rice (BAR); 14. Lucero/Penagos (GUA2); 15. Bristol/Pencheon (SKN); 16. Tucker/Hamilton (BER).
SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica, November 7, 2024.- United States and Mexico have established themselves as the top contenders in the women’s tournament of the ninth stop of the NORCECA Continental Tour in Costa Rica, each securing two teams in the semifinals.
The American duo of Peri Brennan and Molly Phillips advanced to the semifinals with a 2-0 (21-18, 21-13) victory over Costa Rica’s Aliza Aguilar and Kianny Quesada. Similarly, their compatriots Taylor Wilson and Myszkowski dominated Guatemala’s Natalia Girón and Paola Alvarado, winning 2-0 (21-15, 21-10), demonstrating their strength and strategy in every set.
Yeray Vidaurrazaga/María Ramírez MEX
Mexico kept pace by also advancing both of their teams to the semifinals. Atenas Gutiérrez and Susana Torres defeated the U.S. Virgin Islands pair T’ara Austin and Taylor Buckner in a tight match, finishing 2-0 (21-19, 21-12). Meanwhile, Yeray Vidaurrazaga and Jimena Ramírez overcame Canada’s Sophia Hladyniuk and Myriam Robitaille in a hard-fought battle, sealing a 2-0 (21-18, 21-14) win.
These victories set the stage for thrilling semifinal clashes between Mexico and the United States. Brennan/Phillips will face their fellow Americans Wilson/Myszkowski, while the Mexican semifinal features Vidaurrazaga/Ramírez against Gutiérrez/Torres.
In pool-play, in Pool A, Brennan and Phillips (USA) finished undefeated after beating Paniagua and Cleto (DOM) 21-09, 21-16, leaving Mexico in second place and the Dominican Republic in third.
Molly Phillips /Peri Brennan USA
Austin and Buckner (ISV) claimed the top spot in Pool B after edging Costa Rica’s Aguilar and Quesada 22-20, 21-19, with Costa Rica taking second place.
In Pool C, Wilson and Myszkowski (USA) defeated Costa Rica’s Quesada and Ramírez 2-0 (21-16, 21-14). Hladyniuk/Robitaille (CAN) secured second place with a 2-0 (21-11, 21-18) victory over Tovar/Vigil (ESA).
Pool D was led by Vidaurrazaga and Ramírez (MEX), who triumphed over Costa Rica’s Molina and Sofía Vega 21-14, 21-06. Guatemala’s Girón and Alvarado secured second place after defeating Brenes/Lolette (NCA) 2-0 (22-20, 21-14).
In placement matches, Paniagua and Cleto (DOM) beat Brenes and Lolette (NCA) 2-1 (21-15, 17-21, 15-9), while Quesada and Ramírez (CRC) outperformed Guzmán and Rendón (ESA) with a clear 2-0 (21-10, 21-08). For the 13th to 16th positions, Tovar and Vigil (ESA) defeated Layne and Edwards (BAR) 2-0 (21-18, 22-20), and Molina and Sofía Vega (CRC) advanced automatically with a bye.
Susana Torres – Atenas Gutierrez MEX
WOMEN’S RESULTS
POOL-PLAY POOL A Gutiérrez / Torres (MEX) BYE; Brennan / Phillips (USA) – Paniagua/Cleto (DOM) 2-0 (21-09/21-16); POOL B Austin/Buckner (ISV) -Aguilar/Quesada (CRC) 2-0 (22-20/21-19); Guzmán/Rendon (ESA)- Layne/Edwards (BAR) 2-1 (21-17/18-21/15-3); POOL C Hladyniuk/Robitaille (CAN)-Tovar/Vigil (ESA) 2-0 (21-11/21-18); Wilson/Myszkowski (USA)-Quesada/Ramírez (CRC) 2-0 (21-16/21-14); POOL D Vidaurruzaga/Ramírez (MEX) -Molina/Sofi V (CRC) 2-0 (21-14/21-06); N.Giron/Alvarado (GUA) -N.Brenes/Lolette (NCA) 2-0 (21-16/22-20)
SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica, December 7, 2024.- Mexico’s duos, Sarabia/Osuna and Lares/Cruz, along with Tucker/Caldwell from the United States and Bucklin/Penberthy from the U.S. Virgin Islands, advanced to the men’s semifinals at the ninth stop of the NORCECA Tour in Costa Rica.
The semifinals will begin Sunday at 9:00 a.m., with the following matchups: Tyler Penberthy/Garrett Bucklin (ISV) will face Silila Tucker/Cody Caldwell (USA), while Miguel Sarabia/Jorman Osuna (MEX) will take on their compatriots Ines Vargas/Gabriel Cruz (MEX), promising an exciting conclusion to the tournament.
Silila Tucker /Cody Caldwell USA
In the quarterfinals, Miguel Sarabia and Jorman Osuna of Mexico secured their spot in the semifinals with a dominant 2-0 victory over Guatemala’s Luis García and Edgar Maldonado, with scores 21-12 and 21-11. Their Mexican compatriots, Ines Vargas and Gabriel Cruz, also advanced after defeating Costa Rica’s Stanley Grant Brown and Julián Araya 2-0 (21-19, 21-14), leaving the hosts without representation in the semifinals.
The USA duo of Silila Tucker and Cody Caldwell earned their semifinal berth with a 2-0 (21-17, 21-12) win against the Dominicans Francisco De Jesús and Rolvin Maldonado. Finally, in a closely contested quarterfinal between the two U.S. Virgin Islands teams, Tyler Penberthy and Garrett Bucklin edged out Devin Van Siclen and William Clements 2-0 (22-20, 21-10).
Pool-play concluded earlier in the day, with Miguel Sarabia and Jorman Osuna of Mexico dominated Lucero/Penagos 2-0 (21-6, 21-4) to top Pool A. De Jesús/Maldonado secured second place in the pool after a hard-fought 2-0 (21-19, 21-18) victory over Canada’s De Greeff/Rivest.
Tucker and Caldwell of the USA finished first in Pool B with a commanding 2-0 (21-12, 21-7) win over Guatemala’s Maldonado/García, who settled for second place.
In Pool C, Tyler Penberthy and Garrett Bucklin (ISV) claimed the top spot with a 2-0 (21-14, 21-14) win against Nicaragua’s Lopez/Lopez. Mexico’s Lares/Cruz secured second place with a 2-0 (21-13, 21-10) victory over Alleyne/Rice of Barbados.
Tyler Penberthy -Garrett Bucklin ISV
Finally, in Pool D, Costa Rica’s Stanley Grant Brown and Julián Araya topped the standings after defeating Mejía/Vargas of El Salvador 2-0 (21-18, 21-18). Clements/Van Siclen (ISV) took second place with a 2-0 (21-16, 21-11) win over Tucker/Hamilton of Bermuda.
DOHA, Qatar, December 7, 2024.- Kristen Nuss & Taryn Kloth are the 2024 Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour champions. The American duo defended their Doha Finals gold from last year and triumphed as champions for the second time in a row, while collecting their overall eighth gold and 12th medal on the Tour over the years.
The other American pair in the women’s tournament in Qatar, Terese Cannon & Megan Kraft, also reached the final of the Finals, but settled for silver. They are now on a streak of four consecutive medals on the Tour, after their Gstaad Elite16 silver, Vienna Elite16 bronze and Rio de Janeiro Elite16 silver, but their first gold as a team is still evading them.
Top-seeded Tina Graudina & Anastasija Samoilova earned the bronze. It was their ninth medal on the Beach Pro Tour, but first at a Finals event.
Both sets of Saturday evening’s all-American final went back and forth with Nuss & Kloth taking the upper hand for a 2-0 (21-19, 21-17) victory. Nuss’s four aces and Kloth’s five kill blocks tilted the outcome their way. They finished with 16 and 17 points, respectively, while Cannon delivered a match-high 22 points.
“I don’t know if there are many words there, but we have to give a huge credit to our fellow Americans Meg and Terese. What a tournament!” Nuss told VBTV after the final. “We are very excited to end the season like this. What a year it’s been! So to go out like this – I don’t think you can ask for much better.”
“It feels pretty good,” Kloth added. “We are ready for a nice break, but we were so happy to be here. Thank you, beach volleyball world for an amazing year!”
In the bronze medal match, Tina & Anastasija played against fifth-seeded Xue Chen & Xia Xinyi of China. After winning a dramatic first set in the overtime, the Latvians were well in control of the second and celebrated a 2-0 (24-22, 21-16) win. Tina was the best scorer of the match with 23 points, including three blocks and two aces. Anastasija also fired two aces to finish with 12 points. On the other of the net, Xue matched their combined ace total, while Xia led the team with 20 points, all in attack.
Earlier on Saturday, both American teams won their semifinals in straight sets. Cannon & Kraft mastered a 2-0 (21-17, 21-14) sweep of their encounter with Tina & Anastasija. Kraft fired three aces towards a 19-point match high, while Cannon put away three kill blocks and two aces to finish with 15 points. Then, Nuss & Kloth were even more emphatic and hammered out a 2-0 (21-13, 21-13) shutout of Xue & Xia. Kloth led the way with 21 points, including three blocks and two aces. Nuss added 13.
DOHA, Qatar, December 6, 2024.- Americans Cannon/Kraft and Kloth/Nuss to face Tina/Anastasija of Latvia and Xue/Xia of China, respectively, in the semifinals of the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Finals in Doha on Friday for a place in the tournament’s gold medal match.
The duels will both happen on Saturday, with Tina and Anastasija battling Terese Cannon and Megan Kraft at 13:00 local time (10:00 GMT) and Xue and Xia facing Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss one hour later. The medal matches will be held on Sunday.
Cannon and Kraft are the only undefeated team in the women’s tournament in Qatar. The winners of Pool A with four victories and just one set lost, they advanced directly from pool play to the semifinals following their 2-0 (21-10, 21-15) victory over Italians Valentina Gottardi and Reka Orsi Toth.
Latvians and Americans met on Wednesday in Doha and Cannon and Kraft won in straight sets to even the head-to-head results between the teams, which now shows two triumphs for each side.
Reigning Beach Pro Tour Finals champions Kloth and Nuss topped Pool B with three wins and one loss, earning a direct spot in the semifinals. On Friday, they faced their only defeat so far in Doha, falling to Müller and Tillmann 2-1 (23-25, 22-20, 15-8).
On Saturday, Chinese and Americans will meet for the fourth time in just over a year. Kloth and Nuss won the last two duels, including the one in the pool phase of the Paris 2024 Olympics.
San José, Costa Rica, December 6, 2024.- Brennan/Phillips and Wilson/Myszkowski from the United States, Austin/Buckner from the U.S. Virgin Islands, Aguilar/Quesada from Costa Rica, and Vidaurrazaga/Ramirez from Mexico finished the first day of the women’s division at the ninth stage of the NORCECA Tour in La Sabana, Costa Rica, undefeated.
In the most contested match of Pool A, the U.S. team of Peri Brennan and Molly Phillips edged Mexico’s Atenas Gutiérrez and Susana Torres in a thrilling three-set battle, 2-1 (21-19, 12-21, 21-19). The Mexican duo Gutiérrez/Torres had previously secured a solid 2-0 win against the Dominican Republic’s Crismil Paniagua and Yari Cleto (21-12, 21-18).
Pool B featured dominance by T’ara Austin and Taylor Buckner of the U.S. Virgin Islands and the local pair of Aliza Aguilar and Kianny Araya, both of whom claimed convincing victories in their respective matches.
Aliza Aguilar CRC
The Costa Ricans defeated Keiry Guzmán and Fátima Rendón from El Salvador 2-0 (21-13, 21-11) and also triumphed over Barbados’ Destiny Layne and Serena Edwards 2-0 (21-11, 21-14). Meanwhile, Austin/Buckner (ISV) left no room for surprises, beating the pairs from Barbados and El Salvador with commanding 2-0 results (21-09, 21-11) and (21-12, 21-09), respectively.
In Pool C, the U.S. pair of Wilson Taylor and Natalie Myszkowski dominated their matches, defeating El Salvador’s Karla Tovar and Sofía Vigil 2-0 (21-10, 21-7) and Canada’s Sophia Hladyniuk and Myriam Robitaille 2-0 (21-14, 21-17). Costa Rica’s Katherine Quesada and Eugenia Ramírez managed an important 2-0 victory against Tovar/Vigil of El Salvador (21-12, 21-15) but fell to the Canadians in a close 2-1 battle (15-21, 21-17, 15-13).
Natalie Myszkwoski USA
Mexico’s Yeray Vidaurrazaga and María Ramírez showcased their superiority in Pool D, easily defeating Nicaragua’s Norma Brenes and Lolette Rodríguez 2-0 (21-08, 21-07) before securing their second win against Guatemala’s Natalia Girón and Paola Alvarado 2-0 (21-11, 21-17). Guatemala’s Girón/Alvarado also claimed a hard-fought victory against Costa Rica’s Valentina Molina and Sofía Vega, winning 2-1 (21-19, 15-21, 15-13).
The NORCECA Tour continues Saturday with the decisive final pool-play matches, followed by the quarterfinals and placement matches.
WOMEN’S RESULTS
POOL A Brennan/Phillips (USA) Bye/Paniagua/Cleto (DOM) Bye/ Gutiérrez/Torres (MEX) – Paniagua/Cleto (DOM) 2-0 (21-12/21-18)/Brennan/Phillips (USA)-Gutiérrez/Torres (MEX)2-1 (21-19/12-21/21-19) POOL A Austin/Buckner (ISV)-Layne/Edwards (BAR) 2-0 (21-09/21-11) /Aguilar/Quesada (CRC)-Guzmán/Rendón (ESA) 2-0 (21-13/21-11)/Aguilar/Quesada (CRC)-Layne/Edwards (BAR) 2-0 (21-11/21-14)/Austin/Buckner (ISV)-Guzmán/Rendón (ESA) 2-0 (21-12/21-09)/ POOL A Wilson/Myszkowski (USA) – Tovar/Vigil (ESA) 2-0 (21-10/21-7) /Hladyniuk/Robitaille (CAN)-Quesada/Ramírez (CRC) 2-1 (15-21/21-17/15-13) / Wilson/Myszkowski (USA)-Hladyniuk/Robitaille (CAN) 2-0 (21-14/21-17) /Quesada/Ramírez (CRC) – Tovar/Vigil (ESA) 2-0 (21-12/21-15) POOL A Vidaurrazaga/Ramírez (MEX)-N. Brenes/Lolette (NCA) 2-0 (21-08/21-07)/N. Girón/Alvarado (GUA)-Molina/Sofi V (CRC) 2-1 (21-19/15-21/15-13)/N. Brenes/Lolette (NCA)-Molina/Sofi V (CRC) 2-1 (21-13/18-21/15-09) / Vidaurrazaga/Ramírez (MEX) -N. Girón/Alvarado (GUA) 2-0 (21-11/21-17)