Duos from 14 countries to compete at Varadero Beach

VARADERO, Cuba, June 5, 2012 – The Varadero Beach Volleyball Tournament, sixth stop of the 2012 NORCECA Circuit, will take place on June 8 to 10 with pairs representing 14 countries in both genders.

Nine women’s teams and sixteen men’s duos are programmed to compete on the sands of the famous beach located east of Havana.

This will be the second consecutive year that Varadero hosts one event of the NORCECA Circuit now in its seventh edition.

Last year, the local pairs locked up the gold and bronze medals in both genders with Nirian Sinal and Ion Canet claiming the women’s title and Yaismel Borrell and Sergio Gonzalez prevailing among the men.

Sinal/Canet defeated Puerto Rico’s Yarleen Santiago and Dariam Acevedo 21-19, 25-23 while Borrell/González scored a major surprise by outlasting Mexico’s Aldo Miramontes and Juan Virgen 21-15, 21-16.

The women’s bronze went to Cuba’s Onayami Sinal and Kirenia Ballard who defeated Puerto Rico’s Yamileska Yantín and Tatiana Encarnación 21-16, 21-17, while the men’s third place was claimed by Cuba’s Karell Piña and Javier Jiménez who beat Dominican Republic’s Yewddy Pérez and Germán Recio 21-19, 21-10.

Men’s teams: Mitchell Daniel/Eargenell DeCuba (ARU-1), Fransua Angela/Emerlindo Robkes (ARU-2) Benjamin Chow/Nicholas Del Bianco (CAN-1), Cameron Wheelan/William Sidwick (CAN-2), Philippe Deslandes/Olney Thompson (CAY), Julio Alvarez/Raul Sandoval (CRC-1), Alexander Villegas/Gilberto Villegas (CRC-2), Karell Piña/Sergio Gonzalez (CUB-1), Yaismel Borrell/Yadrian Escobar (CUB-2), Carlos Leiva/David Vargas (ESA), Cristophe Covini/Alan Pansiot Villon (FSM), Andy Leonardo/Erick Garrido (GUA), Manuel Serrano/Jesus Oliva (HON), Marc Lomeli/Anthony Pippen (ISV), Domingo Avila/Edward Diaz (PAN), Joseph Clercent/Julian Bissette (LCA).

Women’s teams: Melissa Humana-Paredes/Caleigh Whitaker (CAN-1), Jacqueline Tait/Victoria Cowley (CAN-2), Jennifer Bily/Cristin Alexander (CAY), Ingrid Morales/Natalia Alfaro (CRC-1), Eugenia Ramirez/Katherine Quesada (CRC-2), Nirian Sinal/Ion Canet (CUB-1), Kirenia Ballard/Onayami Sinal (CUB-2), Nairobi Agramonte/Diana Peguero (DOM), Tashai Williams/Nardarake Hutchinson (JAM).