Lombardo, Virgen lead top four men into quarterfinals

MARACAS BAY, Trinidad, NOVEMBER 29, 2013 - Record breakers Lombardo Ontiveros and Juan Virgen of Mexico led the top four ranked teams into the quarterfinals with 2-0 records at the end of the opening day of the 11^thand final leg of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Circuit.

Playing in a pool of three teams in the 19-team tournament, Ontiveros and Virgen who eclipsed the previous record of five tournament wins on the trot with their victory in the tenth leg in Costa Rica last weekend had wins over Richard Campbell and Duncan Hamann (CAY) 21-4, 21-15 and then Kyle Browne and Sheldon Roach (BAR) 21-8, 21-13 in Pool A.

They were joined in the last-eight by second ranked Chaim Schalk and Benjamin Saxton (CAN-A), Nicolas Lucena and Theodore Brunner (USA-A), and Roberto Rodriguez and Eric Haddock (PUR).

Schalk and Saxton topped Pool B with victories over 2014 Youth Olympic qualifiers Shavar Bryan and Rojey Hutchinson (JAM) 21-8, 21-13, and Eargenell De Cuba an Mitchel Daniel (ARU) 24-22, 21-19.

Lucena and Brunner were unbeatable in Pool C, registering wins against Apphia Glasgow and Kinisha Marshall (TTO-B) 21-12, 21-14 and Luis Morales and Franklin Flores (ESA) 21-14, 21-13 while Rodriguez and Haddock overwhelmed Clyde Akaamba and Roberto Joval (SUR) 21-6, 21-6 and William Sanchez and Luis Castillo (DOM) in their Pool D decider, 21-16, 21-13.

Christian Redmann and Maverick Hatch (CAN-B) and William Montgomery and James Drost (USA-B) also played unbeaten on the opening day to win Pool E and Pool F with 2-0 and 3-0 records respectively but will be in round-of-16 play because of their lower ranking than the top four teams. 

Redmann and Hatch upstage fifth ranked hometown duo, Simon Blake and Daneil Williams 21-13, 21-15 and Bryan Monge and Zlatko Pisculis (CRC) 21-16, 21-14 while Montgomery and Drost had wins over Joseph Clercent and Coen Caesar (LCA) 21-10, 21-19; Luis Garcia and Erick Garrido (GUA) and in the clash of unbeaten teams with Ruben Mora and Gerson Contreras (NCA) 21-13 21-14.

Friday’s Men Results:

Pool A: MEX d CAY (21-4, 21-15), CAY d BAR (21-16, 22-20), MEX d BAR (21-8, 21-13). Pool B: CAN-A d JAM (21-8, 21-13), ARU d JAM (21-10, 21-15), CAN-A d ARU (24-22, 21-19). Pool C: USA-A d TRI-B (21-12, 21-14), TRI-B) d ESA (21-10, 18-21, 15-10), USA-A d ESA (21-14, 21-13). Pool D: PUR d SUR (21-6, 21-6), DOM d SUR (21-14, 21-12), PUR d DOM (21-16, 21-13). Pool E: CAN-B d TRI-A (21-13, 21-15), CAN-B d CRC (21-16, 21-14), CRC d TRI-A (21-18, 21-18). Pool F: NCA d  GUA (14-21, 21-19, 15-12), USA-B d LCA (21-10, 21-19), NCA d LCA (21-17, 21-15), USA-B d GUA (21-8, 21-11), USA-B d NCA (21-13, 21-14), GUA d LCA (21-12, 21-12).