PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, October 23, 2026. – Hard-fought three-set battles highlighted the opening day of men’s competition at the eighth stop of the 2026 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Continental Tour in Punta Cana, where six teams representing the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, and Cuba finished Friday’s action undefeated.
Mexico and Cuba featured in some of the day’s most demanding battles, with each pair securing two victories in three-set matches. Costa Rica also came from behind to claim a win, while Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and El Salvador recorded straight-set victories.
In Pool B, Mexico’s Inés Lares and Carlos Andrés Ayala defeated Canada’s Cameron McGregor and Markus Law-Heese 2-1 (22-24, 21-17, 15-11) before overcoming the United States’ Charles Siragusa and Rowdy Lennon 2-1 (21-10, 16-21, 15-13).
In Pool D, Cuba’s Damián Gómez and Eblis Veranes also emerged victorious from two three-set encounters, defeating Canada’s Rouzbeh Rahnavard and Robert Kemp 2-1 (21-15, 22-24, 15-11) and Nicaragua’s Rubén Mora and Jefferson Cascante 2-1 (21-18, 21-23, 15-13).
Meanwhile, Costa Rica’s Julián Araya and Julius Brown remained undefeated in Pool C, rallying past the Dominican Republic’s Ramón De Jesús and Alexander Wilmore 2-1 (16-21, 24-22, 15-12) before defeating the U.S. Virgin Islands’ De Andrae Taylor and A’jahhnai Merchant 2-0 (21-10, 21-10).
Also in Pool C, Puerto Rico’s Diego Rosich and William Rivera delivered two convincing straight-set victories, defeating Taylor and Merchant 2-0 (21-8, 21-5) and the Dominican Republic’s De Jesús and Wilmore 2-0 (21-12, 21-11).
In Pool A, the Dominican Republic’s Hayerling De Jesús and Oscar Martínez defeated Honduras’ Irvin Reyes and Jairo Gálvez 2-0 (21-14, 21-13). El Salvador’s twin brothers Christopher and Yoel Guardado also prevailed over the Honduran pair in straight sets, 2-0 (21-14, 21-17). Both undefeated teams played only one match on Friday.
The competition continues Saturday at 9:00 a.m. local time with the conclusion of pool play, followed by qualification matches and the quarterfinals.
Other results:
(USA) Siragusa/Lennon def. (GUA) Maldonado/Izaguirre 2-0 (21-10, 21-13); (CAN2) McGregor/Law-Heese def. (GUA) Maldonado/Izaguirre 2-0 (21-13, 21-9); (NCA) Mora/Cascante def. (CAY) Kenneth Glidden/William Duty 2-0 (21-6, 21-6). (CAN1) Rahnavard/Kemp d (CAY) Glidden/Duty 2-0 (21-10, 21-7).