USA’s Devon Newberry & Jaden Whitmarsh at Yucatán Challenge

YUCATÁN, México, March 23, 2025.- USA’s Devon Newberry and Jaden Whitmarsh won the bronze medal at the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Yucatan Challenge that took place in  Puerto Progreso from March 19-23.

Devon Newberry and Jaden Whitmarsh, in three Beach Pro Tour appearances as a team, the 24-year-old Americans have already collected three medals. In December, they took bronze at the Pompano Beach Futures and, earlier this month, they topped the podium at the Mount Maunganui Futures. The event in Yucatan was the duo’s first Challenge tournament. They started from the qualifiers and were seeded 31st in the 32-team main draw. After winning seven of their nine matches in Puerto Progreso, Newberry & Whitmarsh earned the bronze medal.

The all-American third-place match between Newberry & Whitmarsh and 12th-seeded Teegan Van Gunst & Kimberly Hildreth was resolved deep in the overtime of the tie-breaker. In the first set, Van Gunst & Hildreth came back from a four-point opponent lead to win it by a four-point margin. Newberry & Whitmarsh dominated the second set to level the match. The lead in the tie-breaker went back and forth a few times and the set was pushed way beyond the 15th point. After denying two opponent match points and failing to convert three of their own, Newberry & Whitmarsh finally closed it off at 2-1 (17-21, 21-15, 20-18). Newberry and Van Gunst shared the top scorer honors of the match with 23 points each.

Italy’s Valentina Gottardi & Claudia Scampoli won the gold medal in their first Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour appearance as a team beating Tanja Huberli and Leona Kernen of Switzerland, who also made their Beach Pro Tour debut as a team, 2-0 (21-17, 21-15).

VW Beach Pro Tour Yucatan Challenge: all results

NORCECA Final Standings:

WOMEN: 3. Newberry / Whitmarsh  USA 4. Kim Hildreth/Teegan Van Gunst  USA 8. Toni/DeBerg USA 14. Torres/ Gutierrez MEX 15. Anderson/Bauer USA 16. Scoles/Denaburg USA 24. Shields/Hodel USA 29. Vidaurrazaga /Ramirez MEX 30. Harward/Phillips USA 31. Quiggle/Loreen USA 32. Savvy/Van Winkle USA 40. Kan/Sours USA 41. Ozee/Glagau  CAN 42. Roskic/Corah CAN 49. Poppinga/Lindstrom USA 50. Slabakova/Griffin USA

MEN: 6. Diaz/Alayo CUB 16. Evans/Budinger USA 19. Schachter/Pickett CAN 24. Schalk/Shaw USA 31. Bourne/Cory USA 32. Brewster/Ierna USA 39. Crabb Tr./Caldwell USA 40. Hoppe/Bradford USA 46. D. Dyner/Varela CRC 51. Lares/Carlos Andres MEX 55. Kwekel/Drost USA 56. Smith/Webber USA

Mexico to Host Two Stages of the Beach Pro Tour in 2025

MEXICO CITY, Mexico, February 17, 2025. – The National Commission for Physical Culture and Sport (CONADE) announced in a press conference the organization of two stages of the Beach Pro Tour 2025 in Mexico.

The event featured the participation of FMVB President Jesús Perales Navarro, elite beach volleyball athletes Atenas Gutiérrez, Susana Torres, Miguel Sarabia, and Jorman Osuna, as well as the governors of Yucatán, Joaquín Díaz Mena, and Quintana Roo, Mara Lezama Espinosa.

Atenas Gutiérrez, Susana Torres, Jesús Perales, Miguel Sarabia, Jorman Osuna

During the conference, Jesús Perales Navarro emphasized the Federation’s commitment to promoting beach volleyball in Mexico, expressing gratitude for CONADE’s continued support in organizing international-level events. He also highlighted the trust placed in coaches and athletes as they embark on a new cycle with the goal of qualifying for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

Meanwhile, CONADE Director Rommel Pacheco highlighted the importance of these competitions for the country’s economic development, as well as the valuable competitive experience they provide for Mexican players facing international rivals. He also emphasized that these events serve as inspiration for future generations, thanks to the exposure and backing provided by CONADE and state governments.

The Beach Pro Tour Stages in Mexico:

Beach Pro Tour Challenge Yucatán 2025, from March 19-23 in Playa Puerto Progreso, Yucatán

Beach Pro Tour Elite 16 Playa del Carmen 2025, from March 26-30 in the Temporary Stadium in front of Portal Maya, Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo

These tournaments will bring together the world’s top beach volleyball teams, further establishing Mexico as a key destination on the international circuit.

The FMVB encourages fans to closely follow these competitions and support Mexican athletes on their journey to Los Angeles 2028.

Canada’s 2025 BeachTeam Features Five Olympians

JANUARY 16, 2024 .- Volleyball Canada announced its 2025 roster of beach National Team athletes following the annual induction camp, held earlier this month at the Downsview training centre in Toronto.

Five out of the six 2024 Olympians are returning: On the senior women’s side, silver medalists Brandie Wilkerson and Melissa Humana-Paredes, both of Toronto, Ontario, join fellow Paris 2024 athletes Heather Bansley (Waterdown, Ont.) and Sophie Bukovec (Toronto).

The senior athletes compete for points and prize money on Volleyball World’s Beach Pro Tour.

Two-time Olympian (2024, 2016) Sam Schachter headlines the men’s team. He is joined by Tynan Gannett, Luke de Greeff, Martin Licht, Steven Abrams, Jonny Pickett and Guillaume Rivest.

Rivest, Pickett and Licht were previously part of Volleyball Canada’s summer beach team. Pickett and Licht are also affiliated with RBC Training Ground’s “Future Olympians” program.

The women’s NextGen team consists of Lea Monkhouse, Marie-Alex Belanger, Amy Ozee and newcomer Emily Anderson.

The Canadian Next Gen teams have had recent podium success on the NORCECA Tour.

“This year’s roster features an exciting blend of veteran talent and emerging stars,” said Kerry MacDonald, Volleyball Canada’s Chief Sport Officer. “Building on the incredible achievements of Brandie and Mel in Paris, along with the strong performances of our Next Gen teams to close out 2024, 2025 is shaping up to be a remarkable year for Canadian beach volleyball.”

Note: Summer athletes are announced at a later date.

Senior Athletes
Brandie Wilkerson (Ontario)
Melissa Humana-Paredes (Ontario)
Heather Bansley (Ontario)
Sophie Bukovec (Ontario)

Next Gen (female)
Lea Monkhouse (Ontario)
Amy Ozee (Hawaii, USA)
Marie-Alex Belanger (Quebec)
Emily Anderson (Nevada, USA)

Next Gen (male)
Sam Schachter (Ontario)
Tynan Gannett (Nova Scotia)
Luke de Greeff (British Columbia)
Steven Abrams (Ontario)
Martin Licht (Ontario)
Jonathan Pickett (Ontario)
Guillaume Rivest (Québec)

Schedule announced for highly anticipated Beach Pro Tour 2025

December 18, 2024.- Volleyball World is excited to unveil the schedule for the Beach Pro Tour 2025. The highly anticipated nine-month competition promises to be bigger and better than ever as the world’s elite beach volleyball talent go head-to-head in fierce competition across five continents.

Getting underway in late March, the season will culminate with the prestigious Beach Volleyball World Championships 2025 in Adelaide, Australia, from 14 to 23 November.

The 2025 Beach Pro Tour will visit iconic destinations and exciting new host cities. For the latest Beach Pro Tour 2025 calendar, please click here.

Gstaad, Switzerland, will celebrate its 25th edition as a host, further cementing its status as a hub for beach volleyball. Brazil will host four stops of the competition, including an Elite event in Brasilia and a Challenge event in Saquarema, with two additional Elite stops to be revealed in early 2025. Mexico also makes a strong return to the tour after the success of the World Championships 2023, hosting three events: an Elite tournament in Quintana Roo, making its first appearance since 1999, and two Challenge tournaments. The Beach Pro Tour is also making a highly anticipated return to Cape Town, South Africa in 2025, marking a truly global competition that spans five continents.

Additional exciting competition stops are set to be added to the tour. Stay tuned for more details in early 2025!

The 2025 season will also feature broader global representation, with new talent joining veteran athletes on the Beach Pro Tour. Following the Olympic Games Paris 2024, the shifting team compositions promise fans exciting matchups, offering rising stars the opportunity to compete and develop alongside established champions, including Olympic Games gold medallists.

Among the women’s teams to watch are Anouk/Zoe (Switzerland), Carol/Rebecca (Brazil), Thamela/Victoria (Brazil), Hüberli/Kernen (Switzerland) and Lippmann/Bock (Germany). Meanwhile, the men’s competition features rising stars such as Gavira/A. Huerta (Spain), Pristauz/Hörl (Austria), Dressler/Waller (Austria), Horst/Leitner (Austria) and Tiisaar/Korotkov (Estonia).

Fan-favourite duos will also continue their successful partnerships in 2025. On the men’s side, Paris 2024 gold medallists Ahman/Hellvig of Sweden, bronze medallists Mol/Sorum of Sweden and semi-finalists Ahmed/Cherif of Qatar remain together, while women’s gold medallists at Paris 2024 Ana Patricia/Duda of Brazil and the USA’s Kloth/Nuss headline the women’s field as returning stars.

Following the Beach Pro Tour, the beach volleyball season will culminate in Adelaide, Australia, for the Beach Volleyball World Championships 2025, where the best teams in the world will battle for the ultimate title. The picturesque capital of South Australia will transform a state-of-the-art open-air sports venue into a beach volleyball coliseum, for a festival atmosphere set to thrill fans.

Stay tuned for more information on what is set to be a competition like no other!

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