Canada, Cuba, USA and Dominicans start strong at NORCECA Beach Finals

JUAN DOLIO, Dominican Republic, December 15, 2023.- The tandems of Canada, Cuba, the United States and Dominican Republic started strong the 2023 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Continental Tour Finals at Juan Dolio, Dominican Republic.

The NORCECA Tour Final awards ranking points as part of the NORCECA qualification system for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Canadians Samuel Schachter and Daniel Dearing, champions of the 2022 NORCECA Finals, started their campaign with a comfortable 2-0 victory (21-11, 21-9) against Jamaar Cropper and Shadron Delpesche from Saint Vincent in pool B. But then, they faced a tough battle against Nicaragua’s duo of Rubén Mora and Jefferson Cascante, winning 2-0 (23-21, 21-15).

Mora/Cascante (NCA) had previously celebrated a victory over Julian Araya and Stanley Grant from Costa Rica 2-0 (21-15, 21-19), who later defeated Cropper/Delpesche (VIN) 2-0 (21-15, 21-15).

Noslen Díaz and Jorge Alayo from Cuba had a productive day in pool D, earning two hard-fought victories. Diaz and Alayo opened with a demanding match, winning 2-0 (21-19, 22-20) against Garrett Bucklin/Bryce Mayer from the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Cuban duo then closed the first day of competition with a 2-0 (21-16, 21-16) victory over Miguel Sarabia and Juan Virgen.

Sarabia/Virgen had previously defeated Gregory De La Cruz/Jahim Coutinho from Aruba 2-0 (21-8, 21-8). Bucklin/Mayer (ISV) also defeated De La Cruz/Coutinho (ARU) 2-0 (21-9, 21-12).

USA’s Miles Partain and Andrew Benesh had no setbacks in pool C, with a 2-0 (21-14, 21-11) victory against Arnaldo Torres/William Rivera from Puerto Rico and a 2-0 (21-7, 21-9) win over Clerique Ward/St Clair Hodge from Saint Kitts and Nevis.

Puerto Rico earned a 2-0 (21-17, 21-18) victory against twin brothers Yoel and Christopher Guardado from El Salvador, who later defeated Clerique/Hodge (SKN) 2-0 (21-17, 21-18).

In pool A, Dominicans Hayerling De Jesús and Oscar Martínez secured their first victory in the tournament with a 2-0 (21-10, 21-15) win against Victor Araúz/Adamit Del Cid from Panama. They then took on Joel Theodore/Stephen Enile from Trinidad and Tobago, winning 2-0 (21-8, 21-9), who had earlier defeated José Miguel Izaguirre and Luis García from Guatemala in overtime 2-1 (21-18, 16-21, 15-11).

Izaguirre/García (GUA) claimed a 2-0 (21-16, 21-15) over Araúz/Del Cid (PAN).

The preliminary stage ends on Saturday morning, and the quarterfinal round will be held in the afternoon, as well as classification matches for positions 9 to 16.

Men’s Results Friday:

POOL A: Theodore/Enile TTO d Izaguirre/Luis García GUA 2-1 (21-18, 16-21, 15-11); De Jesús/Martínez DOM d Araúz/Del Cid PAN 2-0 (21-10, 21-15); De Jesús/Martínez DOM d Theodore/Enile TTO 2-0 (21-8, 21-9); Izaguirre/Luis García GUA d Araúz/Del Cid PAN 2-0 (21-16, 21-15)

POOL B: Mora/Cascante NCA d Araya/Stanley CRC 2-0 (21-15, 21-19); Schacter/Dearing CAN d Cropper/Delpesche VIN 2-0 (21-11, 21-9); Schacter/Dearing CAN d Mora/Cascante NCA 2-0 (23-21, 21-15); Araya/Stanley CRC d Cropper/Delpesche VIN 2-0 (21-15, 21-15)

POOL C: Guardado C./Guardado Y. ESA d Hodge/Clerique SKN 2-0 (21-17, 21-19); Partain/Benesh USA d Torres/Rivera PUR 2-0 (21-14, 21-11); Partain/Benesh USA d Hodge/Clerique SKN 2-0 (21-7, 21-9); Torres/Rivera PUR d Guardado C./Guardado Y. ESA 2-0 (21-17, 21-18)

POOL D: Diaz/Alayo CUB d Bucklin/Mayer ISV 2-0 (21-19, 22-20); Sarabia/Virgen MEX d De La Cruz/Coutinho ARU 2-0 (21-8, 21-8); Bucklin/Mayer ISV d De La Cruz/Coutinho ARU 2-0 (21-9, 21-12); Diaz/Alayo CUB d Sarabia/Virgen MEX 2-0 (21-16, 21-16)