Canadians and Puerto Ricans aiming to continue success

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, March 26, 2013 – Canada’s Jamie Broder and Kristina Valjas and Puerto Rico’s Roberto Rodriguez and Eric Haddock, winners of the first leg of the 2013 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Circuit last Sunday in Cayman Islands, will be back on the sand next weekend when the action continues in Boca Chica, Dominican Republic.

Broder and Valjas took the women’s gold medal winning over Americans Jenny Kropp and Whitney Pavlik in straight sets while Rodriguez and Haddock outlasted the USA men’s team of Todd Rogers and Ryan Doherty also in two sets.

In Boca Chica, 20 miles to the east of Santo Domingo, Rodriguez will be defending the title he won last year with Orlando Irizarry.  The women’s crown in 2012 went to Mexico’s Bibi Candelas and Mayra Garcia.

Will Montgomery and James Drost, who finished second to Mexico’s Juan Virgen and Lombardo Ontiveros in the last event of 2012 in Aruba, are one of the two American men’s teams announced to compete next weekend.

Montgomery, who also finished second in Chula Vista with tri Bourne, claimed two consecutive gold medals in Saint Lucia and Trinidad & Tobago playing with Jonathan Mesko and Antonio Ciarelli respectively.

The USA women’s team of Jennifer Fopma and Brooke Sweat, who claimed the bronze medal in Cayman Islands by defeating Mexico’s Candelas and Martha Revuelta, return to action in the weekend along with compatriots Brittany Hochevar and Summer Ross.

Last year, Ross combined with Emily Day and Tealle Hunkus to win the gold medal in Trinidad & Tobago and Aruba, respectively, and was runner-up with Morgan Beck in Chula Vista.

Canada’s women will be also represented by the strong tandem of Heather Bansley and Elizabeth Maloney, who lost to Candelas/Revuelta last weekend in the quarterfinals round. The Canadian duo won the title in Guatemala in 2011 following a bronze in Cayman Islands.

Past winners in Boca Chica:

Men

2006     William Strickland & Adam Roberts (USA)

2007     Scott Wong & Hans Stolfus (USA)

2008     Ed Ratledge & David Fischer (USA)

2009     Karell Peña & Sergio González (CUB)

2010     Juan Virgen & Aldo Miramontes (MEX)

2011     Karell Peña & Javier Jiménez (CUB)

2012     Roberto Rodríguez & Orlando Irizarry (PUR)

Women

2007     Paula Roca & Alizia Polzin (USA)

2008     Ion Canet & Nirian Sinal (CUB)

2009     Kirenia Ballar & Nirian Sinal (CUB)

2010     Yarleen Santiago & Dariam Acevedo (PUR)

2011     Jenny Kropp & Whitney Pavlik (USA)

2012     Yarleen Santiago & Yamileska Yantin (PUR)