Puerto Rican and American boys ticketed to Nanjing

CAROLINA, Puerto Rico, April 13, 2014 – The boys from Puerto Rico and United States claimed on Sunday the last two remaining spots of NORCECA to the beach volleyball tournament of the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China.

Puerto Ricans Sergio Figueroa and Daniel Rivera and Americans Louis Richards and Torey DeFalco will be two of the six representatives of NORCECA taking part in the first beach volleyball tournament of the Games, now in its second edition.

Figueroa and Rivera dominated the first set against Costa Rica’s Alejandro Gonzalez and Sebastian Valenciano but had to battle very hard in the second before taking the match 21-14, 22-20.

Earlier on Sunday, the home boys claimed an unexpected easy victory over Mexico’s Luis Romero and Jesus Rodríguez 21-8, 21-6.

On the other hand, the American combo of Richard and DeFalco dominated Nicaraguan brothers Denis and Luis Lopez from start to finish to grab a 21-11, 21-11 victory. Then they got the pass to Nanjing following a 21-11, 21-13 over Kareem Thomas and Marlon Phillips of Trinidad & Tobago.

The other four NORCECA boys to compete at the Youth Olympics are the following:

St Vincent & Grenadines’ Rodell Fraser and Delshun Welcome, Jamaica’s Rojey Hutchinson and Shavar Bryan, Canada’s Jake McNeil and Andrew Richards and Guatemala’s Erik Flores and Mark Alvarez.

Boys’ Quarter Finals: PUR d. MEX 2-0 (21-8, 21-6) CRC d BAH 2-0 (21-8, 21-14), NCA d  ESA 2-0 (21-14, 21-16), USA d TTO 2-0 (21-11, 21-13). Finals: PUR d CRC 2-0 (21-14, 22-20), USA d NCA 2-0 (21-11, 21-11). Positions 3-4 NCA d CRC 2-0 (21-9, 21-17). Positions 5-8: BAH d MEX 2-0 (21-0, 21-0), TTO d ESA 2-1 (21-18, 19-21, 15-12), BAH d  TTO (21-15, 21-16), ESA d MEX 2-0 (21-0, 21-0).  Positions 9-12: DMA d ISV 2-0 (21-12,21-14), BAR d LCA 2-0 (21-9, 21-14).

Boys’ Final Rankings: 1- PUR & USA, 3-NCA,  4- CRC, 5-BAH,  6- TTO, 7- ESA, 8- MEX, 9-DMA. 10-BAR, 11-ISV, 12-LCA.