SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, May 31, 2026. – Ines Vargas Lares and Carlos Andrés Ayala of Mexico captured their third regional crown by winning the gold medal at the fifth stop of the 2026 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour, held at the Flor Blanca Sports Complex in San Salvador.
The Mexicans defeated Francisco De Jesús and Oscar José Martínez of the Dominican Republic 21-15, 15-21, 15-7 in a thrilling final that decided the title.
For Lares and Carlos Andrés, this is their third gold medal of the year and their second consecutive. They were champions in Güibia (Santo Domingo), Tamaulipas (Mexico), and now in San Salvador (El Salvador); they also earned a silver medal in Costa Rica.
In the semifinals, Lares and Carlos Andrés of Mexico defeated Rouzbeh Rahnavard and Robert Kemp of Canada 14-21, 21-18, 15-9. Meanwhile, the Dominican duo of De Jesús and Martínez beat El Salvador’s Rafael and Gabriel Vargas 21-15, 21-16.
The losses by Canada and El Salvador in the semifinals sent them to the bronze medal match. In that contest, Rahnavard and Kemp prevailed in straight sets over the Vargas cousins of El Salvador, 23-21, 21-15, to secure the bronze medal.
For the Canadians, this marks their second consecutive bronze medal, after also reaching the podium in Tamaulipas the previous week.
The battle for fifth to eighth place began with a round-robin system. Mora/López of Nicaragua defeated Maldonado/Izaguirre of Guatemala 21-12, 21-15, while the U.S. duo Priima/Pérez beat Brown/Valenciano of Costa Rica 21-16, 21-13.
In placement round, Priima/Pérez claimed fifth place by defeating Mora/López 21-16, 21-15. For seventh place, Brown/Valenciano overcame Guatemala’s duo 21-12, 21-14.
In the ninth-place match, El Salvador’s second pair, Carlos Mejía and Yoel Guardado, defeated the Dominican duo Ramón De Jesús and Franklin Segura with ease, 21-6, 21-17.
Kyle Hamilton and Brandon Sousa of Bermuda finished in 11th place after beating A’jahnai Merchant and De Andrae Taylor of the U.S. Virgin Islands 21-14, 21-18.
The match for 13th place between Zendai Richards and Julián Bristol of St. Kitts and Nevis and Irvin Reyes and Adonis Rodríguez of Honduras was not played due to Rodríguez’s injury suffered during the first day of competition.
Final Standing:
- Lares/Ayala (MEX)
- De Jesús/Martínez (DOM)
- Rahnavard/Kemp (CAN)
- Vargas/Vargas (ESA)
- Priima/Pérez (USA)
- Mora/López (NCA)
- Brown/Valenciano (CRC)
- Maldonado/Izaguirre (GUA)
- Mejía/Guardado (ESA)
- De Jesús/Segura (DOM)
- Hamilton/Sousa (BER)
- Merchant/Taylor (ISV)
- Richards/Bristol (SKN)
- Reyes/Rodríguez (HON)
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