Canadians Aaron Nusbaum and Mike Plantinga winners at Aguascalientes

Canadians Aaron Nusbaum and Mike Plantinga winners at Aguascalientes

AGUASCALIENTES, Mexico, April 15, 2018.- Canadians Aaron Nusbaum and Mike Plantinga won the men’s tournament at Aguascalientes, the first stop of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Circuit, beating William Reid Priddy and Troy Field of United States 2-0 (21-16, 21-15) in the gold medal match.

Canada’s strategy worked out perfectly against Priddy and Field. Plantinga’s tower blocking was unbreakable and his killer shots scored on numerous occasions. According to Aaron, “Mike was a beast at the net”.

Aaron and Mike had some difficulties at the beginning of the event but they sealed with a major victory. Aaron added “we had some trouble adjusting to the ball but today we finally found our rhythm. Our passing and setting was really crisp, and we were just keeping each other on the net in system; putting balls out efficiently. That was our advantage”.

After nine years of competing at the NORCECA Circuit, Aaron Nusbaum wins his first gold medal and for Mike Plantinga this is his second gold.

Plantinga also expressed “every game we kept getting better. We will be playing the next two NORCECA events. I am very glad for Aaron, this is his first gold medal; we are both really satisfied with the outcome”.

In their route to the gold, Nusbaum/Plantinga won an exhausting semifinal to Mexicans Josué Gaxiola and José Angel Cárdenas 2-1 (21-17, 13-21, 29-27). With ups and downs, William Reid Priddy and Troy Field defeated in Eric Zaun and Edwin Ratledge 2-1 (21-17, 13-21, 15-10) in their semifinal match.

Josué Gaxiola/José Angel Cardenas of Mexico-A finished a splendid tournament winning the bronze medal match to Eric Zaun/Edwin Ratledge of United States-B by 2-0 (21-17, 21-18). The home team controlled the actions from the start to finish.

The NORCECA Beach Volleyball Circuit continues next weekend at La Paz, Mexico.

Final positions: 1. Aaron Nusbaum/ Mike Plantinga (CAN-A); 2. William Reid Priddy/Troy Field (USA-A); 3. Josue Gaxiola/José Angel Cardenas (MEX-A); 4. Eric Zaun/Edwin Ratledge (USA-B); 5. Karell Peña/ Dasiel Quesada (CUB); 6. Rubén Mora/Dany López (NCA); 7. Jamel Alessandre/Victor Castillo (DOM); 8. Fiodar Kazhamiaka/ Sergey Grabovsky (CAN-B) 2-0 (21-0, 21-0); 9.Carlos Escobar/David Vargas (ESA); 10. Germán Osuna/Leonel Garza (MEX-B) 2-0 (21-18, 21-16); 11. Luis García/Erick Garrido (GUA) 12. Kemoroy Percival/Rohan Jeffers (SKN); 13. Jesse Parham/Casey Santamaria (CAY); 14. Yasutaka Sanay/Franky Hernández).

Men Results Sunday:

Gold Medal: Aaron Nusbaum/ Mike Plantinga (CAN-A) d William Reid Priddy/Troy Field (USA-A) 2-0 (21-16, 21-15); Bronze Medal: Josué Gaxiola/José Angel Cardenas (MEX-A) d Eric Zaun/Edwin Ratledge (USA-B) 2-0 (21-17, 21-18);-SF: William Reid Priddy/Troy Field (USA-A) d Eric Zaun/Edwin Ratledge (USA-B) 2-1 (21-17, 13-21, 15-10); Aaron Nusbaum/ Mike Plantinga (CAN-A) d Josue Gaxiola/José Angel Cardenas (MEX-A) 2-1 (21-17, 13-21, 29-27); 5-6: Karell Peña/ Dasiel Quesada (CUB) d Rubén Mora/Dany López (NCA) 2-0 (21-17, 21-16); 7-8: Jamel Alessandre/Victor Castillo (DOM) d Fiodar Kazhamiaka/ Sergey Grabovsky (CAN-B) 2-0 (21-0, 21-0); 9-10: Carlos Escobar/David Vargas (ESA) d Germán Osuna/Leonel Garza (MEX-B) 2-0 (21-18, 21-16); 11-12: Luis García/Erick Garrido (GUA) d Kemoroy Percival/Rohan Jeffers (SKN) 2-0 (21-12, 21-16); Positions 9-12: Germán Osuna/Leonel Garza (MEX-B) d Kemoroy Percival/Rohan Jeffers (SKN) 2-0 (21-18, 21-13); Carlos Escobar/David Vargas (ESA) d Luis García/Erick Garrido (GUA) 2-1 (18-21, 21-15, 15-13); Karell Peña/ Dasiel Quesada (CUB) d Fiodar Kazhamiaka/ Sergey Grabovsky (CAN-B) 2-0 (21-0, 21-0); Rubén Mora/Dany López (NCA) d Jamel Alessandre/Victor Castillo (DOM) 2-1 (21-14, 13-21, 15-13); Jamel Alessandre/Victor Castillo (DOM) d Fiodar Kazhamiaka/ Sergey Grabovsky (CAN-B) 2-0 (21-0, 21-0).