USA-B leads four teams into women’s quarters

MISSION BEACH, Trinidad, November 16, 2012 - The USA-B combination of Tealle Hunkus and Tracilyn Weamer led a quartet of teams into the quarterfinal round of the tenth stop on the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Circuit women's competition at the scenic Mission Beach, Toco on Friday.

Playing in a three-team Pool A round-robin series in the 11-team tournament, Hunkus/Weamer first defeated Canada's Kimberly Dalcourt and Rosalie Sinanan 21-4, 21-7 in 24 minutes to serve notice to their other challengers before beating the TRI-B team of Andrea Davis and Elki Phillip, 21-12, 21-7 for a 2-0 record in the group and a last-eight match against the Pool B runner-up on Saturday.

In Pool B, the USA-A team of recent World University champions, Emily Day and Summer Ross dispatched T&T-3's tour debutants, Shenelle Gordon and La-Teisha Joseph 21-3, 21-11 in only 22 minutes while the latter stopped Grenada's Yenelsi Rincon and Akida Peters 21-7, 21-15 as the two first day winners in the group virtually assured themselves of quarterfinal places. Saturday, USA-A faces Grenada with a win securing top spot in Pool B.

Costa Ricans Ingrid Morales and Natalia Alfaro, always a medal threat on the tour, also made a strong start to the competition in Pool C with a straight-set 21-3, 21-12 defeat of Virgin Islands' Jamie Farley and Laurie Bachler while the latter rebounded to beat another local pair on debut, Apphia Glasgow and Sherva Charles, 22-20, 21-16 to all but cement second spot in the group.

The TRI-A pair of Ayanna Dyette and Nancy Joseph, and St Lucians, Dania Hamilton and Indira Laurencini, have both qualified from Pool D ahead of their group decider on Saturday as they are the only two teams in the group.

Friday’s women Results: Pool A: USA-2 d CAN 2-0 (21-4, 21-7); USA-2 d TRI-B 2-0 (21-12, 21-7); Pool B: USA-A d TRI-C 2-0 (21-3, 21-11); TRI-C d GRN 2-0 (21-7, 21-15); Pool C: CRC d ISV 2-0 ( 21-3, 21-12); ISV d TRI-D 2-0 (22-20, 21-16).