Guided by FIVB Volleyball Empowerment coach Angel Pena, Navas & Gonzalez claim silver at NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour stop in Varadero
Two pairs from the USA complete the women’s podium
Two more duos from the USA join rising Cuban stars on the men’s podium
FIVB Volleyball Empowerment coach support beneficiaries Allanis Navas & Maria Gonzalez (pictured in the main photo; credits: norceca.net) celebrated the silver medals at last week’s Varadero stop on the 2024 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour in Cuba. Two teams from the USA secured spots on the women’s podium as well - Savannah Simo (Savvy) & Abby Van Winkle triumphed as gold medallists, while Hailey Harward & Kylie Kuyava-De Berg took bronze. This was matched by male compatriots James Avery Drost & Cody Caldwell with gold and Evan Cory & Robert Wyatt Harrison with bronze. Cuba’s rising stars Jorge Alayo & Noslen Diaz finished runners-up in the men’s competition.
Navas & Gonzalez have been working with coach Angel Pena with a coach support grant of CHF 72,000 from the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment programme to the Federacion Puertorriquena de Voleibol, which has also received CHF 14,500 worth of beach volleyball equipment from the programme.
Seeded third in the Varadero women’s main draw, the pair from Puerto Rico cruised through the pool stage, the quarter-finals and the semi-finals without dropping a single set in six matches played. They mastered a 2-0 (21-18, 21-18) sweep of their semi-final against top-seeded home pair Maykelin Drik & Amanda Armenteros, before being finally stopped by Savvy & Van Winkle, who topped the podium after a hard-fought 2-1 (21-14, 17-21, 15-12) victory in Sunday’s gold medal match.
14th-seeded Savvy & Van Winkle secured their place in the final with a 2-0 (21-19, 21-17) semi-final win over second-seeded compatriots Hailey Harward & Kylie Kuyava-De Berg, who went on to claim the bronze after a tight 2-1 (21-17, 17-21, 15-13) victory over Drik & Amanda for the third place.
Women’s results and standings
In the men’s tournament, Drost & Caldwell entered as the 15th-seeded team. They went on a seven-match winning streak that led them to the top of the podium. After an epic 2-1 (28-26, 20-22, 15-11) semi-final battle with fellow duo from the USA Cory & Harrison, Drost & Caldwell delivered a 2-0 (21-13, 22-20) upset of top-seeded Olympic hopefuls from Cuba, Alayo & Diaz, in the final to triumph as gold medallists.
Until that moment, the home team, Alayo & Diaz, had lived up to their status of favourites by securing six straight-set victories on the way to the final. In the semi-finals, they produced a 2-0 (21-16, 21-13) win over Puerto Rico’s Arnaldo Torres & William Rivera.
Third-seeded Cory & Harrison settled for the bronze after a 2-0 (21-17, 21-16) sweep of the third-place game against Torres & Rivera.
Men’s results and standings
A total of 17 women’s and 17 men’s teams, representing 12 different countries, took part in the Varadero event. The next stop on the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour will be held in Juan Dolio, Dominican Republic this week, from 7 to 11 May.