Junk Sisters Win Women's U23 NORCECA Beach Volleyball
Title in All-Twins Final Against Mexico
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, October 18, 2026.–
Twin sisters Avery and Addison Junk of the United States
celebrated their first appearance on the NORCECA Beach
Volleyball Continental Tour by capturing the women's U23 title
with an undefeated record, without dropping a single set, at the
Beach Volleyball Stadium Flor Blanca in San Salvador, El
Salvador.
The American sisters defeated Mexico's twins Giselle and Vanessa
Chay 2-0 (21-12, 21-19) in Sunday's gold medal match, bringing
an exciting conclusion to a championship showdown featuring two
pairs of twin sisters.
After taking the opening set comfortably, the Junk sisters faced
a much tougher challenge in the second, as the Mexican duo
raised its level of play and put pressure on the Americans.
Avery and Addison regained their rhythm in the closing stages to
secure the title in straight sets.
"Winning the gold feels great. That was our intention coming
into this tournament, and we're really happy that we were able
to achieve it," said Avery Junk. "This is our first NORCECA
event ever, and hopefully we'll be competing in many more."
Addison Junk acknowledged the adjustments Mexico made in the
second set and explained how the Americans managed to respond. "Mexico
played better. They missed fewer serves and were more consistent
with their passing," Addison explained. "We had a difficult
stretch at the beginning of the second set, with some
miscommunication when they served down the middle. I think after
a technical timeout, we figured it out."
The championship marked a successful NORCECA debut for the
American twins, who maintained their unbeaten record throughout
the competition and did not surrender a single set on their way
to the gold medal.
Canada's Julia McDougall and Natalia Casas earned the bronze
medal after defeating El Salvador's María Jimena Castañeda and
Daniela Vigil 2-0 (21-18, 21-15).
The Canadian pair prevailed in a competitive opening set before
maintaining control in the second to secure third place, while
the Salvadoran duo finished fourth in front of its home crowd.
Earlier in the semifinals, the Junk sisters displayed their
strength with a 2-0 (21-9, 21-11) victory over Castañeda/Vigil,
earning their place in the championship match.
Mexico's Chay twins completed the final lineup after defeating
Canada's McDougall/Casas 2-0 (21-16, 21-11), setting the stage
for the all-twins gold medal encounter.
Dominicans Zoe Paniagua and Yerelin Reyes secured fifth place
with a 2-0 (21-12, 21-11) victory over El Salvador's Gabriela
Flores and Adriana Vargas.
Sisters Vernecia and Verneeci Caines of the U.S. Virgin Islands
finished seventh after defeating St. Kitts and Nevis' Shaylee
Pinney and Jontelle Hensley Philip 2-0 (21-15, 21-10).
Costa Rica's Laura Molina and Ashly Chavarría claimed ninth
place with a hard-fought 2-0 (21-17, 25-23) victory over
Nicaragua's Nahima Silva and Abdi Narváez. The second set
developed into a closely contested battle, with the Costa Rican
pair prevailing after extra points.
Bermuda's Megan Hands and Natalie Gazzard secured eleventh place
by defeating the Cayman Islands' Julissa Kelly and Elise Swaby
2-0 (21-14, 21-10).
One of the day's closest matches came in the contest for
thirteenth place, where Barbados' Destiny Layne and Janica Grant
battled past Guatemala's Daphne Mendoza and Marisabel González
2-1 (20-22, 25-23, 15-13). After dropping the opening set, the
Barbadian pair saved their chances with a dramatic 25-23 second-set
victory before edging Guatemala in a tightly contested tiebreak.
Anguilla's Laveshka Richardson and Deandra Fleming completed the
tournament in fifteenth place after defeating Honduras' Miley
Rodríguez and Valeria Acosta 2-0 (21-18, 21-19).
Other Results:
Classif. 5/8: Zoe/Reyes (DOM) d Vernecia/Verneeci (ISV) 2-0
(21-8, 21-14); Flores/Vargas (ESA) d Pinney/Hensley Philip (SKN)
2-0 (21-9, 21-15).
