Mexicans Revuelta and Candelas win at Chula Vista

CHULA VISTA, California, October 5, 2014 – Mexico’s Bibiana Candelas and Martha Revuelta won their second straight NORCECA Beach Tour event on Sunday, as they defeated USA’s Emily Day and Heather Hughes in the gold medal match, 2-1 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista.

Candelas and Revuelta have won three NORCECA events this season, with one left to go in Trinidad and Tobago.

Candelas and Revuelta have played in Chula Vista for three straight years, but Sunday was their first victory.

“Usually when we come here, we don’t do well,” Candelas said. “So we’re very, very happy that we won. It is a hard tournament because the teams from the USA are all very good. The heat here is kind of different and you have to adapt to all that.”

Candelas and Revuelta struggled with errors and Day and Hughes’ quick offense and tough serves in the first set, but came back to win the next two.

“We had to adjust the mistakes we were making, especially in the receptions,” Candelas said. “We adjusted our passing and that helped a lot.”

In the bronze medal match, the United States’ Kim DiCello and Lane Carico defeated compatriots Amanda Dowdy and Sarah Day, 21-15, 11-21, 16-14.

In the semifinals, Emily Day and Hughes defeated Dowdy and Sarah Day, 21-17, 21-14. Revuelta and Candelas beat DiCello and Carrico, 21-10, 21-19.

WOMEN

SEMIFINALS: Day/Hughes (USA2) d Dowdy/Day (USA3), 2-0 (21-17, 21-14); Revuelta/Candelas (MEX1) d DiCello/Carrico (USA1), 2-0 (21-10, 21-19); BRONZE MEDAL: DiCello/Carico (USA1) d Dowdy/Day (USA3), 21-15, 11-21, 16-14; GOLD MEDAL: Candelas/Revuelta (MEX1) d Day/Hughes (USA2), 2-1.