From FIVB

Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, April 19, 2017 – The Cayman Islands Beach Volleyball Tournament, second stop of the 2017 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Circuit, gets underway on Friday featuring twelve pairs per gender including the champions in La Paz, Mexico two weeks ago.

The pearly-white sands of the Seven Miles Beach temporary beach volleyball complex will be the competition site for the ninth consecutive year with teams hailing from eleven countries.

Preliminary pool play will be contested all Friday and Saturday morning, with quarterfinals scheduled on Saturday afternoon. The semifinals and finals will take place on Sunday.

Cuban duos of Lidiannis Echeverria and Leila Martinez in the women’s field and Karell Peña and Daisel Quesada in the men’s event, were crowned in La Paz, Mexico and are among the pre-tournament favorites when the tournament serves off on Friday.

Women’s defending champions Betsi Flint and Kelley Larsen of United States and two-time winners in NORCECA Jamie Broder and Caleigh Whitaker of Canada are among the top female teams registered to play over the weekend. The Canadian Broder won here in 2013 teaming up with Kristina Valjas.

United States and Canada are fielding two teams per gender while Cayman Islands will have two representatives in the women’s competition.

Women’s Teams

Canada-A (Jamie Broder/Caleigh Whitaker, Canada-B (Charlotte Whitaker/Caleigh Cruickshank), Cayman Islands-A (Marisa Harrison/Stefania Gandolfi), Cayman Islands-B (Melisa Burrowes/Ileann Powery), Cuba (Lidiannis Echeverria/Leila Martinez), Guatemala (Maria J. Orellana/Blanca Recinos), Nicaragua (Swan Mendoza/Lolette Rodriguez), Puerto Rico (Valeria Porrata/Ashley Vasquez), Trinidad & Tobago (La Teisha Joseph/Apphia Glasgow), United States-A (Betsi Flint/Kelley Larsen), United States-B (Jace Pardon/Lara Dykstra), U.S. Virgin Islands (Amber Bennett/Melanie Valenciana).

Men’s Teams

Canada-A (Maverick Hatch/Garett May), Canada-B (Aaron Nusbaum/Ryan Vandeburg), Cayman Islands-A (Casey Santamaria/David Wood), Cuba (Karell Peña/Daisel Quesada), El Salvador (Davis Vargas/Carlos Escobar), Guatemala (Andy Leonardo/Luis García), Nicaragua (Rubén Mora/Dany López), Puerto Rico (Orlando Irizarry/Juan Ribas), St Kitts & Nevis (St Clair Hodge/Kemoroy Percival), Trinidad & Tobago (Marlon Phillip/Daneil Williams), United States-A (Mark Burik/William Kolinske), United States-B (Jon Mesko/Skylar Del Sol).

Past winners in Cayman Islands

2009

CUB Kirenia Ballar/Nirian Sinal (W)

USA Jason Wight/Michael Bruning (M)

2010

PUR Yarleen Santiago/Dariam Acevedo (W)

CAN Martin Reader/Ray Sewell (M)

2011

USA Brooke Hanson/Lauren Fendick (W)

CAN Richard Van Huizen/Josh Binstock (M)

2012

MEX Bibi Candelas/Mayra García (W)

PUR Roberto Rodríguez/Erik Haddock (M)

2013

CAN Jamie Broder/Kristina Valjas (W)

PUR Roberto Rodríguez/Erik Haddock (M)

2014

USA Tealle Hunkus/Kimberly McGiven-Dicello (W)

USA Todd Rogers/Theodore Brunner (M)

2015

USA Jenny Kropp/Whitney Pavlik (W)

CUB Nivaldo Díaz/Sergio González (M)

2016

USA Betsi Flinch/Kelley Larsen (W)

USA Trevor Crabb/Taylor Crabb (M)

For more on this story go to: http://www.fivb.org/viewPressRelease.asp?No=66976&Language=en#.WPjXUSMrIgs