Although none of the three Cayman
Islands teams reached the final stages of the NORCECA beach volleyball tournament
on Sunday, Public Beach was packed all day to see world class performances.
Canadians Richard Van Huizen and
Josh Binstock defeated Puerto Ricans Roberto Rodriguez and Christopher
Underwood 21-19, 21-14 taking home the men’s gold medal at the Cayman Islands
Beach Volleyball Tournament.
It was a gutsy performance by Van
Huizen who battled with cramps in both legs during the whole day and had to
play two three-setter before arriving into the final match of the competition.
“I struggled in the first set but
then I felt 100 per cent in the second set,” Van Huizen said. “I controlled
what I could control and managed myself physically.”
“I have had to deal with these
issues before and as soon as I arrived today I knew it was going to be a tough
day for me with the hot weather.”
He thanked the NORCECA medical
staff, the volunteers and all the people working behind the scenes to make the
event possible.
Earlier on, Van Huizen and Binstock
came from behind to edge the USA-2 team of Jon Mesko and Paul Baxter by score
of 19-21, 21-16, 16-14 and then erased a one-set deficit to prevail against
Mexicans Ulises and Lombardo Ontiveros 19-21, 21-17, 15-8.
Rodriguez and Underwood defeated
countrymen Orlando Irizarry and Amaury Velasco 21-18, 21-14 and followed that
with a 21-17, 19-21, 15-13 win over Martin Reader and Chaim Schalk of Canada-2.
In the bronze medal match, the
Ontiveros brothers battled hard to defeat Reader/Schalk by score of 21-16,
15-21, 15-12.
In the women’s final, Brooke Hanson
and Lauren Fendrick of USA-1 claimed the gold medal at Public Beach. It was the
first stop of the 2011 NORCECA Circuit.
The Americans beat Mexico-1 pairing
of Martha Revuelta and Xitlali Herrera (21-13, 21-14).
It was the third win of the day for
the Hanson/Fendrick duo. They earlier defeated Vanessa Virgen and Cinthia Cruz
of Mexico-2 (21-10, 21-14) and beat Heather Bansley and Elizabeth Maloney of Canada-1
21-17, 21-17.
Revuelta and Herrera recorded a
21-17, 21-14 victory over Costa Ricans Ingrid Morales and Natalia Alfaro and
upset defending champions Yarleen Santiago and Dariam Acevedo of Puerto Rico-1
with a 21-19, 19-21, 15-11 in the semi final.
The bronze medal went to Canadians
Bansley/Maloney who defeated Santiago/Acevedo 21-18, 21-14.
MEN
Men’s Quarterfinals: MEX d. USA-1
(21-17, 21-13), CAN-1 d. USA-2 (19-21, 21-16, 16-14), PUR-2 d. PUR-1 (21-18,
21-14), CAN-2 d. DOM (21-16, 24-26, 15-11).
Semifinals: CAN-1 d. MEX (19-21,
21-17, 15-8), PUR-2 d. CAN-2 (21-17, 19-21, 15-13).
Bronze Medal Match: MEX d.
CAN-2 (21-16, 15-21, 15-12).
Gold Medal Match: CAN-1 d. PUR-2 (21-19, 21-14).
WOMEN
Women’s Quarterfinals: MEX-1 d. CRC
(21-17, 21-14), PUR-1 d. USA-2 (19-21, 21-16, 15-13), USA-1 d. MEX-2 (21-10,
21-14), CAN-1 d. GUA (21-19, 21-12).
Semifinals: MEX-1 d. PUR-1 (21-19, 19-21,
15-11), USA-1 d. CAN-1 (21-17, 21-17).
Bronze Medal Match: CAN-1 d. PUR-1
(21-18, 21-14).
Gold Medal Match: USA-1 d. MEX-1 (21-13, 21-14).
Related Videos
