Puerto Rico, USA and Canadians dominate day one in Cayman Islands

Puerto Rico, USA and Canadians dominate day one in Cayman Islands

SEVEN MILE BEACH, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, November 11, 2022.- Puerto Rico, United States and both Canadian tandems dominated their opponents in day one of the seventh stage of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour in Cayman Islands.

Puerto Ricans Allanis Navas and Maria Gonzalez and Teegan Van Gunst alongside Katie Lindstrom of the United States, will meet on Saturday to decide pool B winner; they won the gold and silver of Hato Mayor respectively.

Navas/González beat Heather Thompson/Stefania Gondolfi of Cayman Islands without difficulties 2-0 (21-10, 21-5) and Amber Bennett/Cristina Almeida-Anz of the U.S. Virgin Islands 2-0 (21-8, 21-12).

On the other hand, Van Gunst/Lindstrom started off with a 2-0 (21-10, 21-12) win against Thompson/Gondolfi (CAY) and then a 2-0 (21-8, 21-10) over Bennett/Almeida-Anz (ISV).

In pool A, Molley McBain and Lea Monkhouse of Canada, silver medalists in Punta Cana, finished the day with three victories, beating 2-0 (21-16, 21-14) Britney Choon/Tsyan Selvon of Trinidad and Tobago, 2-0 (21-14, 21-7) against Yvonne Soler/Sofía Velásquez of El Salvador and 2-0 (21-13, 21-7) against Allison Settle-Smith/Lisa LeBlanc of Bermuda.

The other Canadian team, Amanda Harnett and Marie-Alex Bélanger, easily beat 2-0 (21-7, 21-4) over Deajra Tulloch/Anjia Delapenha of Cayman Islands in pool C and 2-0 (21-12, 21-6) against Ximena Núñez/Isabela Rodríguez of Costa Rica who came from a 2-0 (21-12, 21-11) victory against Alexandria Ashman/Chevonna of Jamaica.

In pool D, Dominicans Bethania Almanzar/Crismil Paniagua defeated Cayman Islands’ duo of Ileann Powery/Jessica Wolfenden 2-0 (21-17, 21-12) but fell against Mexicans Abril Flores/Esperanza Albarran 0-2 (12-21, 7-21).

In other results, Atenas Gutiérrez and María Celeste Ibarra of Mexico won 2-0 (21-15, 21-11) to Choon/Selvon (TTO) and recovered with a great effort from losing the first set to Soler/Velásquez (ESA) 2-1 (12-21, 21-15, 15-12).

Pool play will resume on Saturday to determine the quarterfinals.