June 22th. 2025
Costa Rica’s Araya and Varela Capture Back-to-Back NORCECA U23 Gold at Seven Mile Beach

SEVEN MILE BEACH, Cayman Islands, June 22, 2025.-  Costa Rica’s Julian Araya and Jhostin Varela successfully defended their title, claiming back-to-back gold medals at the NORCECA U23 Beach Volleyball Tour with a decisive 2-0 (21-19, 21-15) win over El Salvador’s Christopher and Yoel Guardado in Sunday’s final at the iconic Seven Mile Beach. Araya and Varela showed composure throughout the competition, overcoming a thrilling semifinal against the USA’s Ayden Keeter and Carson Barnes. After dropping the first set and facing two set points in the second, the Costa Rican duo rallied for a remarkable comeback, winning 2-1 (15-21, 26-24, 15-10) to advance to the gold medal match. Asking what it took to get to the final and win, Jhostin remarked “It was hard work, after winning a couple of weeks ago in the Dominican Republic, we trained for this”. “It’s been many days and hours of practice, training hard to be in good condition is difficult and we are very proud of winning another gold medal” Julian added. The Guardado twins of El Salvador also earned their place in the final with a gritty 2-1 (18-21, 21-15, 15-12) victory over Canada’s Brandon Burnside and Reed Venning, staying calm under pressure to force and win a decisive third set. More Español

June 22th. 2025
USA’s Durish and Koenig Crowned NORCECA U23 Champions at Seven Mile Beach

SEVEN MILE BEACH, Cayman Islands, June 22, 2025. – Alexis Durish and Audrey Koenig of the United States claimed the gold medal at the NORCECA U23 Beach Volleyball Tour with a commanding straight-sets victory over Costa Rica’s Sofia Vega and Laura Molina, 2-0 (21-10, 21-14), at the stunning Seven Mile Beach. The American duo delivered a flawless performance throughout the tournament, going undefeated and not dropping a single set in route to the top of the podium. After winning the gold medal, Audrey Koenig expressed “It was a great tournament, set up nicely and it was just the chemistry we had together to take us to the final”. She added “I call this jumper-sand, because it helps us get up a lot in our offence and take some pretty nice swings”.  Alexis Durish added a warm thanks to the U.S. staff working with them for the tournament “we had an amazing staff taking care of our bodies the whole weekend. Our coach Nick Lucena (two-time Olympian) did some good scouting for us”. In the bronze medal match, El Salvador’s Karla Tovar and Daniela Vigil defeated Barbados’ Sierra Rayside and Destiny Layne 2-0 (21-16, 21-10) to secure third place. Tovar and Vigil had previously fallen to Durish and Koenig in the semifinals 2-0 (21-11, 21-8).   More Español

June 21th. 2025
Tandems from Barbados, Costa Rica, USA & El Salvador Reach Semifinals at Seven Mile Beach

SEVEN MILE BEACH, Cayman Islands, June 21, 2025.- The semifinal women’s lineup is set at the U23 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour in the Cayman Islands, with teams from Barbados, Costa Rica, the United States, and El Salvador earning their places after standout performances in Saturday’s quarterfinal action. In front of an enthusiastic crowd on the iconic sands of Seven Mile Beach, the Barbadian duo of Sierra Rayside and Destiny Layne booked their semifinal ticket after a hard-fought 2-1 victory (21-15, 18-21, 15-10) over Cayman Islands’ Anjia Delapenha and Joanna Robinson. Costa Rica’s Sofia Vega and Laura Molina delivered a commanding performance against Canada’s Ariel Forgarty and Bailey Royston, winning in straight sets (21-8, 21-7) to secure their place in the final four. Americans Alexis Durish and Audrey Koenig continued their dominant form with a swift 2-0 (21-3, 21-4) triumph over Bermuda’s Megan Hands and Hailey Moss, advancing with authority to the semifinals. More Español

June 21th. 2025
North Americans Face Central Americans in Seven Mile Beach Semifinals 

SEVEN MILE BEACH, Cayman Islands, June 21, 2025.- The semifinal matchups are set at the U23 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour in the Cayman Islands, and they will see North America take on Central America as teams from the USA and Canada go head-to-head with El Salvador and Costa Rica on the stunning shores of Seven Mile Beach. Following a competitive round of quarterfinals on Saturday, El Salvador’s twin brothers Christopher and Yoel Guardado continued their undefeated run, dispatching St. Kitts and Nevis’ Julian Bristol and Clerique Ward in straight sets, 21-11, 21-16.  The Salvadoran duo will now take on the American team of Ayden Keeter and Carson Barnes, who maintained their dominance with a 2-0 (21-19, 21-15) win over Canada’s Charles Ellinas and Colin Lash.  More Español

June 20th. 2025
Central American Teams and Canada-1 Off to Winning Start at Women’s NORCECA U23 in Cayman Islands

SEVEN MILE BEACH, Cayman Islands, June 20, 2025. – Women’s duos from El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Guatemala along with Canada-1 enjoyed a perfect start at the 2025 NORCECA U23 Beach Volleyball Tour, each securing two victories on opening day at the picturesque Seven Mile Beach in the Cayman Islands.

El Salvador’s Karla Tovar and Daniela Vigil, Costa Rica’s Sofia Vega and Laura Molina, Guatemala’s Ana Sofía Arévalo and Danna Aguilar, along with Ariel Forgarty and Bailey Royston of Canada-1, all remained unbeaten with two wins in as many matches. El Salvador’s Tovar/Vigil were in top form in Pool C, winning both of their matches in straight sets. First against Jamaica’s Brandy McCarthy and Damia Sibblies (21-11, 21-4), and then against Cayman Islands’ Luna Ebanks and Brianna Delapenha (21-9, 21-7). Canada’s Forgarty/Royston edged out Ebanks/Delapenha in a tight 2-1 (20-22, 21-19, 18-16) thriller and later defeated McCarthy/Sibblies 2-0 (21-11, 21-8). In Pool D, Costa Rica’s Sofia V/Molina overpowered with convincing victories, starting with a 2-0 (21-7, 21-7) over St. Kitts and Nevis’ Celina Alwani and Jontelle Hensley Philip, and then a 2-0 (21-17, 21-8) over Canada’s Claire Neagle and Nolyn Houben. Guatemala’s Arévalo/Aguilar were equally dominant, defeating Neagle/Houben in a highly-competitive 2-0 (21-12, 23-21) and then taking down Alwani/Hensley Philip 2-0 (21-18, 21-7).  More Español

June 20th. 2025
Seven Men’s Teams Go Undefeated on Opening Day of NORCECA U23 at Seven Mile Beach

SEVEN MILE BEACH, Cayman Islands, June 20, 2025. – Seven men’s duos were off to an undefeated start on the opening day of the 2025 NORCECA U23 Beach Volleyball Tour at the stunning Seven Mile Beach. Both Canadian pairs, the U.S. team, St. Kitts and Nevis  and all three Central American duos, each delivered dominant performances, winning their two matches in straight sets. Canada’s two duos Brandon Burnside/Reed Venning and Charles Ellinas/Colin Lash delivered strong performances in Pool A and Pool D respectively. Brandon Burnside and Reed Venning prevailed over their two opponents, first overpowering host team Cayman Islands’ Stephen Watson and Dylan Lynee 2-0 (21-4, 21-12) and then defeating Trinidad & Tobago’s Jerome Morrison and Jahreef Miguel with an identical 2-0 (21-11, 21-11) win. Charles Ellinas and Colin Lash opened with a 2-0 (21-13, 21-5) win against William Duty and Dimitri Cardenas from the Cayman Islands, and followed that up with a 2-0 (21-9, 21-10) sweep over Jamaica’s Love-Let Blake and Ithran Softley. In Pool C, Ayden Keeter and Carson Barnes from USA, opened with a convincing 2-0 (21-10, 21-7) win over Anderson and Aden Rojas of the U.S. Virgin Islands, then controlled the game in a 2-0 (21-11, 21-10) victory over Nkoya Williams-Bailey and Aaron Taylor from Barbados. More Español

June 20th. 2025
Iconic Seven Mile Beach Shines as Host of 2025 CAZOVA U21 Beach Volleyball Championship in Cayman Islands

SEVEN MILE BEACH, Cayman Islands, June 20, 2025.– The Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) hosted a dynamic one-day Under-21 Beach Volleyball Championship on June 19, on the beautiful sands of Seven Mile Beach, bringing together top youth teams from across the region in a vibrant competing atmosphere. The event served as a qualifier for the 2025 NORCECA U21 and U18 Beach Volleyball Championships and marked a key milestone on the path to the FIVB Age-Group World Championships, with the U18 event scheduled in Doha, Qatar, from October 7 to 11 and the U21 tournament set for Puebla, Mexico from October 15-19. More Español

June 19th. 2025
Costa Rica’s Araya and Varela Lead U23 NORCECA Tour in Cayman Islands Stage

SEVEN MILE BEACH, Cayman Islands, June 19, 2025.– After claiming gold in the opening stop of the 2025 NORCECA U23 Beach Volleyball Tour, Costa Rica’s Julián Araya and Jhostin Varela arrive in the Cayman Islands as the team to watch for the second leg of the tour, which will take place from June 20 to 22 on the iconic shores of Seven Mile Beach. Araya and Varela were crowned men’s champions in the first stage of the tour held in May at Juan Dolio beach, Dominican Republic. They triumphed in a thrilling three-set final against the United States’ Gage Basey and Thomas Hurst, winning 2-1 (19-21, 21-18, 15-12). All eyes now turn to the second stage of the tour, where 14 women’s teams and 16 men’s teams representing 13 countries will compete over three days. A total of 28 matches are expected on the opening day alone. The tournament serves as a crucial stepping stone for rising beach volleyball athletes aiming to compete at major international events, including the 2025 Junior Pan American Games in Asunción, Paraguay.  More Español

June 19th. 2025 Photogallery
Cayman’s Delapenha and Ebanks Capture CAZOVA U21 Women’s Beach Volleyball Gold at Home

SEVEN MILE BEACH, Cayman Islands, June 19, 2025. – In a thrilling display of skill and resilience on home sand, Brianna Delapenha and Luna Ebanks clinched the women’s gold medal at the inaugural CAZOVA U21 Beach Volleyball Championship. The Cayman Islands duo edged out Barbados’ Destiny Layne and Sierra Rayside in a hard-fought three-set final, sealed dramatically with a service ace by Brianna for a 2-1 victory (21-10, 14-21, 15-9).In the bronze medal match, Anjia Delapenha and Joanna Robinson gave the Cayman Islands a double podium finish, defeating Trinidad and Tobago’s L’fe Roberts and Meeka Johnson in straight sets, 21-18, 21-6. The top three ranked countries in the event, Cayman Islands, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago, earned a berth to compete in the NORCECA Qualifier Tournament for the World Championship. More Español

June 19th. 2025
Barbados' Williams and Taylor Crowned CAZOVA U21 Men’s Beach Volleyball Champions

SEVEN MILE BEACH, Cayman Islands, June 19, 2025. – Nkoya Williams and Aaron Taylor of Barbados claimed the men’s gold medal at the inaugural CAZOVA U21 Beach Volleyball Championship, prevailing in the final over Cayman Islands’ Stephen Watson and Dylan Lynee. Williams/Taylor bounced back after dropping the first set, winning the second and then sealing the match when an injury forced their opponents to withdraw, with a final score of 2-1 (19-21, 21-13, 15-0). In the bronze medal match, Trinidad and Tobago’s Jerome Morrison and Jahreef Miguel delivered a strong performance to defeat Jamaica’s Love-Let Blake and Ithran Softley in straight sets, 21-15, 21-12. The top three ranked countries in the event, Barbados, Cayman Islands, and Trinidad and Tobago, earned a berth to compete in the NORCECA Qualifier Tournament for the World Championship. More Español

June 18th. 2025     
Inaugural CAZOVA U21 Beach Volleyball Championship Begins at Seven Mile Beach

SEVEN MILE BEACH, Cayman Islands, June 18, 2025.– The inaugural Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Under-21 Beach Volleyball Championship is set to take place on June 19 at the iconic Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman. This one-day tournament will feature 12 teams representing Barbados, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Host nation Cayman Islands will field two teams per gender. Teams are divided into three pools per gender, competing in round-robin play, followed by semifinals and finals, all packed into a single day of high-energy action.   More Español

June 17th. 2025
Seven Mile Beach Set for Double Dose of International Beach Volleyball

SEVEN MILE BEACH, Cayman Islands, June 17, 2025. – The famous shores of Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, are set to become the epicenter of regional beach volleyball this week, as two important international competitions take place back-to-back. More Español