Juan Virgen and Lombardo Ontiveros off to solid start in Aguascalientes

AGUASCALIENTES, Mexico, April 19, 2019. - Juan Virgen and Lombardo Ontiveros of Mexico are off to a solid start at the first stop of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour in Isla de San Marcos of Aguascalientes, after winning in their two outings of the day.

The Mexican duo started with 2-0 (21-10, 21-14) win over newcomers Francis Hauze and Michael Jenkins of Belize; and then they effectively beat Daneil Williams and Joel Theodore of Trinidad and Tobago by 2-0 (21-12, 21-9).

Virgen and Ontiveros will decide top spot in pool A against Nicaragua’s Ruben Mora/Dany López who also completed a successful day with a tough victory of 2-1 (19-21, 25-23, 15-11) over Williams/Theodore (TTO) and a 2-0 (21-13, 21-12) win to Hauze/Jenkins (BIZ).

United States pairs Trevor Crabb and Tri Bourne and Stafford Slick and William Allen earned two wins each in pool B and C respectively.

Crabb and Bourne recorded a 2-0 (21-11, 22-20) win over Mexico-B of Miguel Sarabia and Raymond Stephens, followed by an easy win 2-0 (21-8, 21-10) against St. Clair Hodge/Shawn Seabrookes of St. Kitts and Nevis.

Slick and Allen faced Austin Pippen and Frank Field of U.S. Virgin Islands winning 2-0 (21-14, 21-11) and defeating 2-0 (21-7, 21-7) Casey Santamaria and Jesse Parham of Cayman Islands.

In pool B, Canada’s William Hoey and Jake MacNeil finished the day with a trilling victory 2-1 (19-21, 21-18, 15-12) coming from behind to the young Mexican pair of Miguel Sarabia and Raymond Stephens; earlier they had beaten 2-0 (21-14, 21-14) St. Clair Hodge/Shawn Seabrookes (SKN).

Guatemalans Andy Leonardo and Luis Garcia also won both their matches in pool C. Leonardo and Garcia easily triumphed against Cayman Islands’ Santamaria/Parham 2-0 (21-2, 21-8) and to U.S. Virgin Islands’ Pippen/Field 2-0 (25-13, 25-16).

Cubans Sergio González and Luis Enrique Reyes also secured advancing into the next round with two victories in pool D.

The Cuban team controlled the scrappy defense of Costa Rica’s Sebastian Valenciano and Andrey Quintero with 2-0 (21-16, 21-14) score but needed a tie-break 2-1 (20-22, 21-13, 15-9) to beat Bradley Gyemi and Roland Bouchard of Canada-B

A much more experienced Tato and Pepe, downed in exciting tie-break 2-1 (21-18, 20-22, 16-14) against Gyemi and Bouchard of Canada-B, but then went on to lose 2-0 (21-17, 21-16) in the Central American duel to Valenciano and Quintero of Costa Rica. 

Quarterfinals will be decided after the completion of pool-play on Saturday. The final matches are scheduled for Sunday.

Results Men Friday:

Pool A: NCA d TTO 2-1 (19-21, 25-23, 15-11); MEX-A d BIZ 2-0 (21-10, 21-14); MEX-A d TTO 2-0 (21-12, 21-9); NCA d BIZ 2-0 (21-13, 21-12).

Pool B: CAN-A d SKN 2-0 (21-14, 21-14); USA-A d MEX-B 2-0 (21-11, 22-20); USA-A d SKN 2-0 (21-8, 21-10); CAN-A d MEX-B 2-1 (19-21, 21-18, 15-12);

Pool C: GUA d CAY 2-0 (21-2, 21-8); USA-B d ISV 2-0 (21-14, 21-11); USA-B d CAY 2-0 (21-7, 21-7); GUA d ISV 2-0 (25-13, 25-16).

Pool D: ESA d CAN-B 2-1 (21-18, 20-22, 16-14); CUB d CRC 2-0 (21-16, 21-14); CUB d CAN-B 2-1 (20-22, 21-13, 15-9); CRC d ESA 2-0 (21-17, 21-16).