Cubans Diaz and Gonzalez go after fourth title in 2016

TOBAGO, November 24, 2016 – Cubans Nivaldo Diaz and Sergio Gonzalez begin their quest for a fourth title in 2016 when the last tournament of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tournament gets underway on Friday with 18 teams registered to compete in the men’s event.

Diaz and Gonzalez, who reached the quarterfinals at the Rio Olympic Games tournament, took home the crown at the two events held in Mexico this year in Guaymas and La Paz and also finished first when Cuba played host to the event in Varadero.

The Cuban pair will be looking to join Mexicans Juan Virgen, Lombardo Ontiveros and Aldo Miramontes and Puerto Rican Roberto Rodriguez as winners of at least fourth titles in a single year.

Virgen and Ontiveros won six tournaments in 2013 to establish the NORCECA men’s record. Virgen and Miramontes won 5 events in 2010 and claimed four crowns in 2009 and 2011, respectively. Rodriguez won four times in 2012 playing with different partners.

Mark Burik and Stafford Slick of United States, who are fresh from winning the previous leg held in St Lucia, are also here and will be trying to continue their successful path.

Canadian Michael Plantinga, winner this year alongside Cameron Wheelan in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, will be competing with Grant O’Gorman with good chances of a place on the podium next Sunday.

The women’s field features the Canadian combo of Julie Gordon and Brandie Wilkerson who won in La Paz, Mexico, claimed three second place finishes in Cayman Islands, Guaymas and North Bay and took the bronze medals in Cuba.

Cubans Yanisleidis Sanchez and Lidiannis Echeverría, won in Varadero while the American Kimberly Dicello finished first in Guaymas with Kendra Vanzwieten and will have Summer Ross as her partner this time.

Brooke Sweat and Emily Day of United States and Melissa Humana-Paredes and Jamie Broder of Canada are also heavy contenders for the women’s top prize.

Women’s Teams

Anguilla: Rikiesha Leveret/Kenvia Hodge; Antigua: Mali Peters/Rosemarie Simon; Canada-A: Melissa Humana-Paredes/Jamie Broder; Canada-B: Julie Gordon/Brandie Wilkerson; Costa Rica: Marcela Araya/Eugenia Ramirez; Cuba: Yanisleidis Sanchez/Lidiannis Echeverria; Grenada: Thornia Williams/Kaddi Felix; Guatemala: Maria Jose Orellana/Maria Andrea Orellana; Trinidad & Tobago: La-Teisha Joseph/Malika Davidson; United States-A: Brooke Sweat/ Emily Day; United States-B: Kimberly Dicello/Summer Ross; U.S. Virgin Islands: Amber Bennett/Melanie Valenciana.

Men’s Teams

Anguilla: Aristo Richardson/Rashime Richardson; Canada-A: Sam Schachter/Sam Pedlow; Canada-B: Grant O’Gorman/Michael Plantinga; Cuba-A: Nivaldo Díaz/Sergio González; Cuba-B: Karel Peña/Daisel Quesada; Dominican Republic: William Sánchez/Alex Medina; El Salvador: Franklin Flores/Armando Guatemala; Grenada: Jonel Phillip/Devon Paul; Guatemala: Luis García/Erick Garrido; Honduras: Jesús Oliva/Oscar Salgado; St Kitts & Nevis: Stedroy Collins/Rohan Jeffers; Suriname: Joshua Dwarkasing/David Pinas; Trinidad & Tobago-A: Daneil Williams/Marlon Phillip; Trinidad & Tobago-B: Christian Francois/Abraham Eccles; Trinidad & Tobago-C: Kevin James/Stephan James: United States-A: William Allen/Theodore Brunner: United States-B: Mark Burik/Stafford Slick; U.S. Virgin Islands: Dillon Lesniak/Ozz Borges.

Winners in 2016

Guatemala City

USA Kelly Reeves/Allison Daley-McColloch (W)

USA Trevor Crabb/Taylor Crabb (M)

Guaymas, Mexico

USA Kimberly Dicello/Kendra Vanzwieten (W)

CUB Nivaldo Díaz/Sergio González (M)

La Paz, Mexico

CAN Julie Gordon/Brandie Wilkerson (W)

CUB Nivaldo Díaz/Sergio González (M)

Guanacaste, Costa Rica

USA Kelly Reeves/Allison Daley-McColloch (W)

CAN Cameron Wheelan/Michael Plantinga (M)

Cayman Islands

USA Betsi Flinch/Kelley Larsen (W)

USA Trevor Crabb/Taylor Crabb (M)

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

CUB Lianma Flores/Leila Martínez (W)

CUB Karell Peña/Daisel Quesada (M)

North Bay, Canada

USA Sara Hughes/Kelly Claes (W)

USA Marty Lorenz/Adam Roberts (M)

Varadero, Cuba

CUB Yanisleidis Sanchez/Lidiannis Echeverría (W)

CUB Nivaldo Diaz/Sergio González (M)

Boqueron, Puerto Rico

USA Sara Hughes/Kelly Claes (W)

CAN Christian Redmann/Felipe Humana-Paredes (M)

St Lucia

USA Caitlin Ledoux/Emily Stockman (W)

USA Stafford Slick/Mark Burik (M)