Participation of NORCECA Teams a success at Beach World Championships

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, July 28, 2014 – Teams representing the NORCECA Confederation have been competing in the age-group FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships held in Acapulco, Mexico, Larnaka, Cyprus and Myslowice, Poland with the next event this week the U19 in Porto, Portugal.

The participation of several teams from National Federations Category I and II have been possible with the financial support of NORCECA as part of its development plan.

Players from Nicaragua, St Lucia, Costa Rica and Trinidad & Tobago have had the chance to improve and polish their skills competing against teams of higher level and developed beach volleyball programs.

“These players have been able to participate with the support of NORCECA as we believe that competing against the big countries they can develop their abilities and have the chance to get familiar with the international environment,” NORCECA President Cristobal Marte Hoffiz said.

“Beach Volleyball is growing up rapidly within NORCECA and these young players are the stars of the future and will represent their countries in our annual circuit with fair chances against the traditional top teams,” Marte Hoffiz added.

Women’s teams of United States and Canada have won gold medals thus far with the Americans Morgan Martin and Kathryn Plummer claiming the gold medal at the U17 Championship in Acapulco, Mexico and Canadians Sophie Bukovec and Tiadora Miric winning the U21 Championship in Larnaka, Cyprus.

On the other hand, Americans Lara Dykstra and Janice Pardon finished with a women’s silver medal at the U23 Championship in Myslowice, Poland where Canadians Melissa Humana and Taylor Pischke won the bronze medal.

Also teams from Puerto Rico and Mexico have obtained important results in the different tournaments held this year.

At the U17 World Championship in Acapulco, Mexico, Morgan Martin and Kathryn Plummer of United States defeated compatriots Joy Dennis and Halley Hallgren in a three-set battle that lasted 50 minutes to win the girls’ gold medal. The line-score was 20-22, 21-18, 15-13.

In the semifinals, Martin/Plummer posted a 21-15, 17-21, 15-12 victory over Graudina/Gamberga of Latvia while Dennis/Hallgren defeated Dogan/Ilgin of Turkey 21-17, 21-19.

Mexican teams of Rocio Ramirez and Ana Aldape and Isis Camacho and Olga Parra and Puerto Ricans Robilee Frederick and Natalia Cruz reached the second round of the knockout phase. Ramirez/Aldape were outlasted by Martin/Plummer 21-15, 21-12, Camacho/Torres were eliminated by Kloda/Warczyglowa of Poland while Frederick/Cruz lost to Dogan/Ilgin 21-17, 9-21, 15-9.

In the first round, Ramirez/Aldape won 21-11, 21-14 over Van Rensburg/Johnson of Australia, Camacho/Parra beat Portugal’s Lacerda/Vasques 21-11, 21-19 while Frederick/Cruz received a bye as winners of Pool A.

In Pool A, Frederick/Cruz downed Evans/Kaashoek of England 21-10, 21-18, Van Rensburg/Johnson  21-15, 21-8 and Camacho/Parra 18-21, 21-17, 15-9.

NORCECA Teams:

Men: Parvir Jhajj/Sharone Evans, CAN, Jordan Pereira/Tariq Sani, CAN, Charles Mehki/Lurick Simon, LCA, Jose Cardenas/Raymond Stephens, MEX, Carlos Hernández/Wilfrido Martinez, MEX, Cesar Velasco/Cuahtemoc/Cazarrubias, MEX, Ricardo Muratti/Gustavo Buitrago, PUR, Will Bantle/Robert Mullahey, USA, Lucas Lossone/Aidan Browne, USA.

Women: Quinci Birker/Natalie Livingston, CAN, Lucia Gomez/Irene Gomez, CRC, Nikita Greenidge/Skye Mondesir, LCA, Isis Camacho/Olga Parra, MEX, Daniela Garcia/Martha Luna, MEX, Rocio Ramirez/Ana Aldape, MEX, Daniela Torres/Alejandra Tapia, MEX, Robilee Frederick/Natalia Cruz, PUR, Joy Dennis/Halley Hallgren, USA, Morgan Martin/Kathryn Plummer, USA.

At the U21 World Championships in Larnaka, Cyprus, Canadians Sophie Bukovec and Tiadora Miric won the women’s gold medal with a 21-19, 18-21, 15-10 victory against Dumauskaite/Povilaityte of Lituania and USA’s Sara Hughes and Kelly Claes won the bronze with a 21-16, 21-23, 15-7 win over Betschart/Eiholzer of Switzerland.

In semifinals Bukovec/Miric defeated Betschart/Eiholzer 23-21, 25-23 while Hughes/Claes lost to Dumauskaite/Povilaityte 21-19, 22-24, 15-7.

In the men’s segment, Puerto Ricans Sergio Figueroa and Arnel Cabrera and USA’s Branden Clemens and William Bantle advanced to the second round of the main draw. Both teams won two matches in Pool Play.

In the first round Figueroa/Cabrera edged Krattiger/Zandberger of Switzerland 19-21, 21-14, 15-13 while Clemens/Bantle prevailed against Bouter-van de Velde of Netherlands 13-21, 21-19, 15-11. In the second round the Puerto Rican pair lost to Russians Leshukov/Margiev 21-16, 21-18 while the Americans were defeated by Sorum/Mol of Norway 21-13, 21-15.

In Pool E, Figueroa/Cabrera won 21-15, 21-13 over Benes/Perusic of Czech Republic and 23-21, 21-13 over Nicaraguans Mora/Lopez. Clemens/Bantle won 21-14, 21-13 over Lombi/Kamara of Slovenia and 21-5, 21-11 against Sheldon/Darnell of St Lucia.

NORCECA Teams:

Men: SergiyGrabovskyy/Chris Towe, CAN, Liam Palmer/Lucas Palmer, CAN, Sheldon Descartes/Darnell Eudoxie, LCA, Jose Jurado/Miguel Cardenas, MEX, Ruben Mora/Miguel Lopez, NCA, Sergio Figueroa/Arnel Cabrera, PUR, Branden Clemens/William Bantle, USA, Hagen Smith/Christopher Orenic, USA.

Women: Sophie Bukovec/Tiadora Miric, CAN, Megan McNamara/Nicole McNamara, CAN, Yulianna Gonzalez/Gabriela Arias, CRC, Skye Mondesir/Dala Noel, LCA, Jocelyn Diaz/Gloria Santoyo, MEX, Osiris Juarez/Socorro Lopez, NCA, Gabriela Roman/Carola Biver, PUR, Sara Hughes/Kelly Claes, USA, Delaney Knudsen/Alexa Strange, USA.

At the U23 World Championships in Myslowice, Poland, USA’s Lara Dykstra and Janice Pardon finished with the women’s silver medal after losing to Australians Nicole Laird and Mariafe Artacho 21-19, 17-21, 15-7 in the final match. In semis they won 21-15, 21-13 over Lahti/Parkinnen of Finland.

Canadians Melissa Humana and Taylor Pischke won the bronze medal with a 2-1 (21-18, 14-21, 15-10) victory over Lahti/Parkinnen. In semifinals they lost to Laird/Artacho (18-21, 22-20, 15-9).

In the men’s division, Puerto Ricans Kevin Rodríguez and Cristian Encarnación and USA Alex Jones and Kyle Stevenson advanced to the main draw with both teams losing their first round matches.

Rodriguez/Encarnación lost to Bolgov/Kirienko of Russia 21-17, 21-16. In Pool B they won Tevin/Deonath of Trinidad and Tobago 21-5, 21-13 and Ukrainians Kravets/Denysenko 21-12, 21-11.

Jones/Stevenson lost to Tvinde/Mohl of Norway 21-15, 21-15. In Pool A they won 21-11, 21-19 over Jovanovic/Slurla of Serbia and 21-19, 21-17 over Canadians Simone/Burlacu.

NORCECA Teams:

Men: Dallas Keith/Aaron Musbaum, CAN, Greg Simone/Gabriel Burlacu, CAN, Andrés Flores/Víctor Alpizar, CRC, Cohen Caesar/Agustin Faulkner, LCA, Juan Revuelta/Ricardo Galindo, MEX, Gerson Contreras/Miguel López, NCA, Kevin Rodríguez/Cristian Encarnación, PUR, Joseph Tevin/Tarandath Deonath, TRI, Alex Jones/Kyle Stevenson, USA, Clay Paulin/Skyler McCoy, USA

Women: Sophie Bukovec/Tiadora Miric, CAN, Melissa Humana/Taylor Pischke, CAN, Denise Wooding/Charlotte Sider, CAN, Angie Montero/Valeria Valenciano, CRC, Kerin Neptune/Tyna William, LCA, Gloria Santoyo/Frida López, MEX, Gabriela Roman/Lina Bernier, PUR, Lara Dykstra/Jace Pardon, USA, Sara Hughes/Kellie Woolever, USA, Kelley Larsen/Betsi Metter, USA.