SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, May 29, 2026. – Canadians Darby Dunn and Alison McKay began the fifth stop of the 2026 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour with a commanding performance at the Flor Blanca Sports Complex in San Salvador, defending the gold medal they won in Tamaulipas.
In Pool A, both Dunn/McKay and Guatemala’s Paola Alvarado and Naomi Monney finished the day undefeated with one victory each. The Canadians showed no mercy against Sophia Peifer and Melanie Valenciana of the Virgin Islands, winning with scores of 21-4 and 21-12. The Guatemalans also claimed victory over the islanders with sets of 21-10 and 21-8. The group will be decided this Saturday, May 30 at 9:00 a.m. with the anticipated clash between Canada and Guatemala.
Dunn and McKay commented after their debut: “We are always here to play, have fun, and enjoy the tournament. We don’t have many expectations about where we will finish because we prioritize being patient and enjoying every point. If all this happens, we enjoy good matches and end up on the podium, that would be amazing.”
In Pool B, the U.S. team, Madison Shields and Hannah Frohling, along with Nicaragua’s Socorro López and Lolette Rodríguez, finished undefeated. Shields/Frohling defeated Rendón/Medina of El Salvador (21-6, 21-9) and Rodríguez/Murillo of Honduras (21-7, 21-5). Meanwhile, López/Rodríguez beat the Hondurans (21-9, 21-3) and El Salvador (21-15, 21-9).
Pool C featured Mexico’s Susana Torres and Abril Flores, and Costa Rica’s Marcela Araya and Eugenia Ramírez, tied at the top thanks to two victories each. The results were: Araya/Ramírez (CRC) vs Wilson/González (PAN) 21-8, 21-18; Torres/Flores (MEX) vs Cleto/Almanzar (DOM) 21-11, 21-13; Torres/Flores (MEX) vs Wilson/González (PAN) 21-8, 21-12; Araya/Ramírez (CRC) vs Cleto/Almanzar (DOM) 21-17, 21-18.
In Pool D, Dominicans Crismil Paniagua and Julibeth Payano dominated with two victories and no defeats. Claire Crossfield and Anna Prokofieva of Canada, along with Karla Tovar and Daniela Vigil of El Salvador, each closed with one win, while Mexico’s Anna Sofía González and María Jimena Ramírez finished at the bottom of the group. Complete Pool D results were: Paniagua/Payano (DOM) vs Crossfield/Prokofieva (CAN) 21-12, 22-20; Tovar/Vigil (ESA) vs Cepek/Ramírez (MEX) 21-16, 21-19; Paniagua/Payano (DOM) vs Cepek/Ramírez (MEX) 21-9, 21-9; and Tovar/Vigil (ESA) vs Crossfield/Prokofieva (CAN) 15-21, 27-29.
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