Mexico’s Antonio Lares & Carlos Andres Ayala win men’s gold in Santo Domingo; 2-1 final over Cuba.
Women’s NORCECA podium in Santo Domingo packed with Empowerment teams, Mexico takes men’s gold – FIVB
Teams from FIVB Volleyball Empowerment supported Dominican Republic, Canada and Mexico claimed four of the six medals at NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour’s second stop of the year, in Santo Domingo last week. The home pairing of Dominican Republic’s Crismil Paniagua & Yari Cleto, Canada’s Darby Dunn & Alison McKay and Mexico’s Susana Torres & Abril Flores occupied the women’s podium(pictured in the main photo; source: norceca.net). Mexico triumphed in the men’s competition, with Antonio Lares & Carlos Andres Ayala snatching gold. Cuba’s Damian Gomez & Eblis Veranes and USA’s Charles Siragusa & Rowdy Lennon picked up silver and bronze.
🥇🥈🥉 2026 NORCECA Beach Tour in Güibia 🇩🇴
Carlos Andres Ayala🥈🇨🇺 Damian Gomez
— NorcecaInfo (@Norceca_Info)May 10, 2026
Dominican Republic’s beach volleyball department has been granted USD 42,000 in FIVB Volleyball Empowerment coach support for their national duos, working under the supervision of Cuban expert Alexander Masso Reyes, in addition to USD 11,500 in beach volleyball equipment and USD 6,000 for a national team coach development knowledge transfer program. Volleyball Canada’s beach volleyball department has so far been allocated a total of USD 252,000 in FIVB Volleyball Empowerment coach support for their national duos. The women’s pairs are working under Serbian coach Srdjan Veckov. In addition, a USD 6,000 has been granted for a national team coach development knowledge transfer program. Mexico’s national teams in beach volleyball and volleyball have been the beneficiaries of a total of USD 1,648,000 combined in coach support from FIVB Volleyball Empowerment so far. In addition, USD 23,000 in beach volleyball equipment has been granted to the Mexican federation. Mexico’s men’s beach volleyball national duos are training under the supervision of Brazilian coach Ricardo Santos, a four-time Olympian, a three-time Olympic medalist, an Athens 2004 Olympic champion and a 2003 world champion as a player, while their female compatriots are coached by the professional team of another Brazilian instructor – Reis Castro.
Yari Cleto 🥇🇩🇴 in Güibia 2026 NORCECA Beach Tour
Cleto 🇩🇴 beat Canadians 🇨🇦 Darby Dunn
Alison McKay for Gold 🥇 in three battled sets 2-1 (22-20, 18-21, 15-13)
Dominican Republic’s Crismil Paniagua & Yari Cleto, seeded 14th in the women’s main draw on Guibia Beach, stormed the tournament on a run of five consecutive straight-set victories crowned with a narrow 2-0 (21-19, 23-21) semifinal win over fourth-seeded compatriots Bethania Almanzar & Julibeth Payano. In the final, Paniagua & Cleto dropped their first set of the competition, but still came out victorious, 2-1 (22-20, 18-21, 15-13), over Darby Dunn & Alison McKay.
The second-seeded Canadians reached the semifinals without losing any sets along the way. In a three-set battle for a spot in the final, Dunn & McKay came back from a set down to celebrate a 2-1 (18-21, 21-14, 15-12) victory over Susana Torres & Abril Flores and secured their place on the podium.
🇲🇽🥉 Susana Torres and Abril Flores Win their second consecutive bronze medal of the 2026 NORCECA Beach Tour Season in Güibia 🇩🇴
Flores 🇲🇽 in a three-set thriller 2-1 (21-19, 15-21, 15-10) over Almanzar
The third-seeded Mexicans recovered with a 2-1 (21-19, 15-21, 15-10) win over Almanzar & Payano to collect the bronze.
Their compatriots Antonio Lares & Carlos Andres Ayala, seeded 14th in the men’s main draw, won their pool matches and quarterfinal in straight sets and their final-four matches in tie-breakers. In the semifinals, the Mexican team came from behind to produce an exciting 2-1 (12-21, 21-18, 15-10) turnaround against fellow Mexicans, second-seeded Miguel Sarabia & Jorman Osuna. Lares & Carlos Andres went on to deliver a 2-1 (21-17, 11-21, 15-7) victory over Cuba’s Damian Gomez & Eblis Veranes in the gold medal showdown.
Carlos Andres 🥇🇲🇽 Champions in Güibia 2026 NORCECA Beach Tour
Carlos Andres 🇲🇽 Won 🥇 after an intense three-set clash 2-1 (21-17, 11-21, 15-7) over Cubans 🇨🇺 Gomez
12th-seeded Gomez & Veranes won the other semifinal with a 2-0 (21-19, 21-17) upset of bracket leaders Charles Siragusa & Rowdy Lennon. The Americans bounced back to earn bronze in a hard-fought 2-0 (24-22, 21-18) third-place playoff against Sarabia & Osuna.
16 women’s and 16 men’s duos representing 13 different federations took part in the Santo Domingo event.
The next NORCECA Tour stop will be held in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua from May 15 to 17.
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