DAKAR, Senegal, November 3, 2026. – Mexico, in the women’s competition, and the United States, in the men’s, reached the quarterfinals and recorded NORCECA’s best performances at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games beach volleyball tournament, held at Saly Beach West in Senegal.
All eight NORCECA teams have concluded their participation in the competition, with Canada, the Dominican Republic, and Nicaragua reaching the Round of 16, while Puerto Rico, Guatemala, and the Cayman Islands ended their campaigns in earlier rounds.
Mexico’s Ángela Pérez Araujo and Celia Yazbeth López Higuera finished pool play undefeated, securing three victories over Ecuador, Switzerland, and Puerto Rico. In the Round of 16, they defeated Senegal 2-0 (21-13, 21-14), before falling to China in the quarterfinals 0-2 (12-21, 26-28), finishing with four wins and one loss.
In the men’s competition, Americans Caden Phillips and Gavin Mortensen advanced to the quarterfinals after defeating Venezuela and Guatemala in pool play and overcoming Türkiye in the Round of 16, 2-0 (21-16, 21-12). Their campaign ended with a 0-2 (13-21, 16-21) loss to Australia.
Canada’s Julia McDougall and Natalia Casas finished ninth after winning Pool A undefeated, with victories over Paraguay, China, and Gambia. They were eliminated by Greece in the Round of 16, 0-2 (15-21, 16-21).
Also reaching the Round of 16 were the Dominican Republic’s Zoe Paniagua Portorreal and Yerelin Carlenis Reyes Montero, who fell to Argentina 0-2 (16-21, 12-21), and Nicaragua’s Justin Alfredo Barrios Dinarte and Matthew Eberhard Kempf Palacio, who were eliminated by Austria 0-2 (11-21, 11-21).
Puerto Rico, represented by Dana Marina Rodríguez Vives and Arialeey Sofía Serrano Villanueva, earned a victory over Ecuador but was eliminated by Greece in the additional qualification round, 0-2 (12-21, 11-21).
In the men’s competition, Guatemala’s Joseph David Godoy Vásquez and Harold René Vásquez Solórzano, along with the Cayman Islands’ Rares-Edward Pomian-Brad and Ronald Dylan Simpson, concluded their participation in pool play.
With these results, NORCECA completed its participation in the Youth Olympic beach volleyball tournament, which brought together 48 teams, 24 per gender, and will conclude on Wednesday, November 4, with the medal matches.