Women’s Beach Volleyball Opens at Santo Domingo 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, July 23, 2026. – The women’s beach volleyball tournament at the Santo Domingo 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games gets underway this Saturday at 9:00 a.m. (local time), with 19 pairs representing 19 countries competing for the regional title.

Defending champions Allanis Navas and María González of Puerto Rico return looking to retain the gold medal they won at the San Salvador 2023 Games.

Dominican Julibeth Payano, silver medalist at the San Salvador 2023 Games, returns with a new partner, Crismil Paniagua, who captured the Dominican Republic’s first-ever beach volleyball gold medal at the Central American and Caribbean Games. Together, they will look to lead the host nation to the top of the podium.

Mexico’s Abril Flores teams up with Susana Torres looking to improve on the bronze medal won at the last Games.

The tournament features four preliminary pools—three with five teams and one with four. The top two teams from each pool will advance to the quarterfinals, while the remaining teams will continue in the classification rounds.

Pool Composition

Pool A: Dominican Republic, U.S. Virgin Islands, El Salvador, Belize, Cayman Islands

Pool B: Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Cuba, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Martinique

Pool C: Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada

Pool D: Nicaragua, Venezuela, Bermuda, Jamaica

Saturday morning matches (Court 1):

DOM vs CAY 9:00 a.m.

ESA vs BIZ 10:00 a.m.

MEX vs GRN 11:00 a.m.

HON vs TTO 12:00 p.m.

Women’s Teams:

Natalie Gazzard/Megan Hands, from (BER); Nelissa Ramírez/Clara Sabal, from (BIZ); Luna Ebanks/Joanna Robinson, from (CAY); Marcela Araya/Eugenia Ramírez, from (CRC); Maykelin Drik/Kailin Garrido, from (CUB); Crismil Paniagua/Julibeth Payano, from (DOM); Karla Tovar/Daniela Vigil, from (ESA); Thornia Mitchell/Renisha Stafford, (GRN); Paola Alvarado/Naomi Monney, from (GUA); Reizel Bruhier/Shanna Rivera, from (HON); Verneccia Caines/Verneeci Caines, from (ISV); Jillian Johnson/Kristina Lumsden-Miller, (JAM); Susana Torres/Abril Flores, from (MEX); Karine Francois/Carole Herve, from (MTQ); Socorro López/Lolette Rodríguez, from (NCA); María González/Allanis Navas, from (PUR); Shajunee Gumbs/Jontelle Hensley, from (SKN); Malika Davidson/Apphia Glasgow, from (TTO); Valeria Moreno/Darlin Rodríguez, from (VEN).