Of all the big sporting events held annually in the Cayman Islands, the NORCECA beach volleyball weekend always rates as one of the most popular.
From Friday, volleyball fans will be treated to riveting action from some of the world’s best players in the North Central American and Caribbean Confederation region, which will be held for the fifth consecutive year at Public Beach between 22 and 24 March.
The fact that Todd Rogers, one of the most famous beach volleyball players of all-time, is competing, adds cache to the tournament, the first stage of the 2013 NORCECA Circuit.
Rogers, who teamed up with Phil Dalhausser to claim the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Games and the 2007 FIVB World Championship in Gstaad, Switzerland, will partner this time with Ryan Doherty. Rogers and Dalhausser also captured the bronze medal at the FIVB 2009 Beach Volleyball World Championship in Stavanger, Norway and notched plenty of other records in a long partnership.
Rogers, nicknamed “The Professor”, and Dalhausser failed to defend their gold medal at the London 2012 Olympic Games as the pair was eliminated in the round of 16.
Rogers, 39, won the award as the World Volleyball Association’s best defensive player three years in a row from 2006 and he was also the best setter in 2005 and most inspirational in 2008. It’s no wonder local volleyball president Noel Williams is thrilled Rogers is on his way.
“It is an honour to be hosting the NORCECA tournament for a fifth time and again the first leg,” Williams said. “This year is the biggest ever with over 40 teams. It has given us a nice problem to have in that we don’t have enough hotel rooms to accommodate all the players and officials.
“Thankfully, there are families and players who can host them. This is sports tourism at its best.
“We’ve been working towards this for years and when we first hosted it people laughed at the suggestion that it would get this big,” Williams added. “No other Caribbean or Central American country has managed to attract a gold medal winner. Rogers is excited too about coming here because he’s heard so many good things.
“Him coming here is spectacular news, which is going around the world. This is just a start. Look out for many more top people to follow.”
The most accomplished women’s team is the American pairing of Jenny Kropp and Whitney Pavlik. They train in Manhattan Beach, California, the Mecca of beach volleyball.
Kropp and Pavlik finished the 2011 and 2012 seasons as the No. 1 seeded team on the NORCECA circuit. They made history in 2012 with their series sweep of the Jose Cuervo Pro Beach Volleyball Series.
Tournament director Fareed Hosein said: “Todd Rogers competing in our tournament is a significant achievement and highlights the success and importance of Cayman Islands volleyball on the NORCECA tour. Due to the buzz about our tournament, players from NORCECA countries are very interested in coming here. Expect new things, more top players and more fun things for the fans.”
Doherty is relatively new to the sport after pursuing a career as a professional baseball pitcher until 2007, when he was released by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The region’s strongest teams, like the US, Canada and Mexico, have made the event the top priority. Puerto Rico’s Roberto Rodriguez and Erick Haddock won the men’s competition last year. The tandem of Mexican women Bibiana Candelas and Mayra Garcia took top honours for the female division. Both teams went undefeated in the tournament.
The men’s runners up were Canada’s Samuel Schachter and Maverick Hatch, while Mexican partners Marta Revueltas and Vanessa Virgen finished second in the women’s circuit.
London Olympians Joshua Binstock and Martin Reader were third here last year, and Puerto Rico’s Yarleen Santiago and Yamileska Yantin took the women’s bronze.
Cayman had a good showing last time. Shervin Rankin and Richard Campbell reached the quarterfinals. The other Cayman men’s teams of Philippe Deslandes and Duncan Hamann, along with Andrew Gordon and Olney Thompson, were eliminated in group matches. Top local women’s team Jennifer Bily and Cristin Alexander were knocked out in the preliminary stages.
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