Big duel between Cubans men predicted for Varadero

VARADERO, Cuba, July 11, 2017 – A big duel among Cuban teams is being anticipated when the Varadero Beach Volleyball Tournament, the fourth stop of the 2017 NORCECA Circuit gets underway next Friday.

Olympians Nivaldo Díaz and Sergio González, winners of the past two editions of the event and quarterfinalists in Rio, are expected to be challenged by compatriots Karell Peña and Daisel Quesada who have dominated the first three competitions of the year in La Paz, México, Cayman Islands and Ocho Ríos, Jamaica.

The women’s event features the presence of this year’s winning teams with Cubans Leila Martínez and Lidiannis Echevarría, who triumphed in La Paz and Cayman Islands, and Canadians Jamie Broder and Sophie Bukovec who are fresh from collecting the gold in Jamaica.

Sixteen women’s teams and fourteen men’s teams are registered to compete in Cuba.

2017 Winners

La Paz, Mexico

CUB Karell Peña/Daisel Quesada (M)

CUB Lianma Flores-Lidiannis Echeverría (W)

Cayman Islands

CUB Karell Peña/Daisel Quesada (M)

CUB Lianma Flores-Lidiannis Echeverría (W)

Ocho Rios, Jamaica

CUB Daisel Quesada/Karell Peña (M)

CAN Jamie Broder/Sophie Bukovec (W)

Women’s Teams

Canada-A (Jamie Broder/Sophie Bukovec), Canada-B (Megan Nagy/Marie Christine Lapointe), Costa Rica (Yulianna González/Natalia Alfaro), Cuba-A (Leila Martinez/Lidiannis Echeverria), Cuba-B (Lianma Flores/Yanisleidis Sánchez), Cuba-C (Mailin Deliz/Arlin Hechavarría), Guadeloupe (Fanny Katarzayski/Stephanie Rousell), Guatemala (Natalia Girón/Estephanie Bethancourt), Mexico-A (Stephanie Burnside/Paulette Cruz), Mexico-B (Silvia Hendrick/Estefanía Ibarra), Nicaragua (Swan Mendoza/Lolette Rodríguez), St Kitts & Nevis (Brenda Allen/Genelle Howell), United States-A (Jace Pardon/Lara Dykstra), United States-B (Karissa Cook/Katherine Spieler), U.S. Virgin Islands-A (Amber Bennett/Manika Charles), U.S. Virgin Islands-B (Melanie Valenciana/Katherine Wanket).

Men’s Teams

Canada-A (Fiodar Kazhamiaka/Sergey Grabovsky), Canada-A (Hugo Bonneau/Simon Fecteau Boutin), Costa Rica (Andrés Quintero/Esteban Escobar), Cuba-A (Sergio González/Nivaldo Díaz), Cuba-B (Karell Peña/Daisel Quesada), Cuba-C (Luis Reyes/José Luis Aguilera), Cuba-D (Daniel Durá/Hermes Quevedo), Dominican Republic (Víctor Castillo/William Sánchez), Guatemala (Andy Leonardo/Luis García), Nicaragua (Rubén Romero/Dany López), St Kitts & Nevis-A (St Clair Hodge/Rohan Jeffers), St Kitts & Nevis-B (Joshua Dwarkasing/David Pinas), United States-A (Jon Mesko/Skylar Del Solar), United States-B (John Mayer/Jeremy Casebeer).