CIUDAD MADERO, Tamaulipas, May 22, 2026.- The men’s division of the fourth stop of the 2026 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour completed its opening day of competition on Friday in Ciudad Madero, with Cuba and Mexico emerging as two of the strongest teams after finishing the initial group stage undefeated.
Mexico, one of the season’s leading contenders after winning two of the three stops played so far on the circuit, once again demonstrated the depth of its teams. Miguel Sarabia and Jorman Osuna, champions of the previous stop in Nicaragua, opened with a 2-0 (21-10, 21-7) victory over Jared Brown and Zayden Turner of the U.S. Virgin Islands to take the lead in Pool A.
In Pool D, Carlos Andrés Ayala and Inés Lares, champions of the second stop in the Dominican Republic, delivered one of the standout performances of the day by defeating Americans Paul Lotman and Brian Miller 2-0 (21-16, 24-22) in one of the most anticipated matches of the session. Nicaragua also earned an important victory in the pool after Rubén Mora and Jefferson Cascante defeated Barnett/Cooke of Bermuda 2-0 (21-10, 21-13).
Cuba also made a strong impression with Damián Gómez and Eblis Veranes, finalists at the Dominican Republic stop, who dominated Pool B with straight-set victories over Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic. The Cubans defeated Julián Araya and Stanley Grant, silver medalists in Nicaragua, 2-0 (21-14, 21-14), before overcoming Hayerling De Jesús and Oscar Martínez 2-0 (21-13, 21-15).
Pool C featured some of the day’s most competitive matches. Canadians Rouzbeh Rahnavard and Robert Kemp finished undefeated after defeating Puerto Rico’s Cristian Encarnación and William Rivera in three sets (21-18, 16-21, 15-8) and later overcoming the Dominican duo Segura/De Jesús in straight sets (21-18, 21-13).
Encarnación and Rivera bounced back from their opening loss by defeating El Salvador’s Christopher and Yoel Guardado 2-1 (17-21, 21-15, 15-13) in one of the closest contests of the men’s opening day.
Competition resumes Saturday at 8:30 a.m. with the second day of action, a key round that will determine the final group standings and the duos advancing to the elimination rounds.
DAY 1 RESULTS
POOL A
Maldonado/Izaguirre (GUA) 2-0 Brown/Turner (ISV) (21-6/21-7)
Osuna/Sarabia (MÉX) 2-0 Brown/Tumer (ISV) (21-10/21-7)
POOL B
Gómez/Veranes (CUB) 2-0 Araya/Grant (CRC) (21-14/21-14)
Gómez/Veranes (CUB) 2-0 De Jesús/Martinez (DOM) (21-13/21-15)
POOL C
Rahnavard/Kemp (CAN) 2-1 Encarnación/Rivera (PUR) (21-18/16-21/15-8)
Guardado C/ Guardado Y (ESA) 2-0 Segura/De Jesús (21-18/21-14)
Rahnavard/Kemp (CAN) 2-0 Segura/De Jesús (DOM) (21-18/21-13)
Encarnación/Rivera (PUR) 2-1 Guardado C/Guardado Y(ESA) (17-21/21-15/15-13)
POOL D
Mora/Cascaste (NCA) 2-0 Barnett/Cooke (BER) (21-19/21-15)
Lotman/Miller (USA) 2-0 Barnett/Cooke (BER) (21-8/21-7)
Carlos Andrés/Lares (MEX) 2-0 Lotman/Miller (USA) (21-16/24-22)
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