Five Duos Remain Undefeated After Balanced

Women’s Opening Day in Costa Rica

SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica, April 17, 2026.- Five duos finished undefeated after the opening day of the women’s main draw at the first stop of the 2026 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour, in a competitive start held at La Sabana that featured both dominant wins and tightly contested matches.

The pairs of Darby Dunn/Alison McKay (Canada), Crismil Paniagua/Bethania Almanzar (Dominican Republic), Torrey Van Winden/Lindsey Sparks (United States), Susana Torres/Abril Flores (Mexico), and hosts Marcela Araya/Eugenia Ramírez (Costa Rica) set the pace with two victories each.

In Pool A, Dunn/McKay dominated with a 2-0 (21-8, 21-8) win over Costa Rica’s Ingrid Núñez/Keila Moreno and a 2-0 (21-8, 21-17) victory against El Salvador’s Karla Tovar/Daniela Vigil. Earlier, Tovar/Vigil had claimed a 2-0 (21-0, 21-0) forfeit win over Vernecia Caines/D’Keisha Jordan of the U.S. Virgin Islands, who later fell 2-0 (21-15, 21-15) to Núñez/Moreno.

Pool B featured shared dominance with two unbeaten duos. Paniagua/Almanzar defeated Shajunee Gumbs/Jontelle Hensley Philip of Saint Kitts and Nevis 2-0 (21-4, 21-8) and Mexico’s Anna Sofía González Cepek/Ana Sofía Juárez 2-0 (21-11, 21-15). Meanwhile, Van Winden/Sparks also impressed with 2-0 wins (21-11, 21-8) over Mexico and (21-7, 21-9) against Saint Kitts and Nevis.

In Pool C, Torres/Flores maintained a perfect record, defeating Costa Rica’s Laura Molina/Aliza Aguilar 2-0 (21-15, 21-10) and Cayman Islands’ Chante Smith-Johnson/Amanda Robinson 2-0 (21-8, 21-14). Molina/Aguilar bounced back with a 2-0 (21-18, 21-19) victory over Guatemala’s Paola Alvarado/Marisabel González, who had earlier defeated the Cayman Islands duo 2-0 (21-8, 21-14).

The closest matches were seen in Pool D, where Araya/Ramírez took control of the group with a 2-1 (21-23, 21-18, 15-11) win over Canada’s Sophia Hladyniuk/Myriam Robitaille, after opening with a 2-0 (22-20, 21-16) victory against Halle Hunt/Jade Race of the United States. The Canadians had previously defeated Nicaragua’s Socorro López/Lolette Rodríguez 2-1 (21-8, 14-21, 15-9), while the Nicaraguan duo later fell 2-0 (21-14, 21-19) to Hunt/Race.

Competition will continue this Saturday with the conclusion of the pool phase and the start of the elimination rounds, on a key day that will begin to shape the contenders for the podium.

RESULTS

POOL A

Dunn/McKay (CAN) 2-0 Núñez Moreno (CRC) (21-8/21-8)

Tovar/Vigil (ESA) 2-0 Vernecia/Jordan (ISV) (21-0/21-0) Forfeit Team A

Dunn/McKay (CAN) 2-0 Tovar/Vigil (ESA) (21-8/21-17)

Núñez/Moreno 2-0 Vernecia/Jordan (21-15/21-15)

POOL B

Paniagua/Almanzar (DOM) 2-0 Gumbs/Hensley Philip (SKN) (21-4/21-8)

Van Winden/Sparks (USA) 2-0 Cepek/Juarez (MÉX) (21-11/21-08)

Paniagua/Almanzar (DOM) 2-0 Cepek/Juarez (MÉX) (21-11/21-15)

Van Winden/Sparks (USA) 2-0 Gumbs/Hensley Philip (SKN) (21-7/21-9)

POOL C

Torres/Flores (MEX) 2-0 Molina/Aguilar (CRC) (21-15/21-10)

Alvarado/González (GUA) 2-0 Smith-Johnson/A.Robonson (CAY) (21-8/21-14)

Torres/Flores (MEX) 2-0 Smith-Johnson/A.Robonson (CAY) (21-8/21-14)

Molina/Aguilar (CRC) 2-0 Alvarado/González (GUA) (21-18/21-19)

POOL D

Araya/Ramírez (CRC) 2-0 Hunt/Race (USA) (22-20/21-16)

Hladyniuk/Robitaille (CAN) 2-1 López/ Lolette (NCA) (21-8/14-21/15-9)

Hunt/Race (USA) 2-0 López/Lolette (NCA) (21-14/21-19)

Araya/Ramírez (CRC) 2-1  Hladyniuk/Robitaille (CAN) (21-23/21-18/15-11)