Cuban Duo Starts with Victory in Beach Volleyball Pro Tour

The Cuban pair of Noslen Díaz and Jorge Luis Alayo defeated the Dutch team of Rubén Penninga and Matthew Immers 2-0 in the Elite 16 phase of the Beach Volleyball Pro Tour, which began this Tuesday in Hamburg, Germany.

With set scores of 24-22 and 21-14, the Caribbean athletes made a triumphant debut in Group E of this competition, which is part of the most important annual tournament organized by the international federation (FIVB). Earlier this year, they secured a gold medal in a tournament of similar stature in Quintana Roo, Mexico.

This season, they have also achieved fifth-place finishes at the Yucatán Challenger and the Elite 16 in Saquarema, as well as a ninth-place finish in Gstaad, Switzerland.

After participating in six stages of the 2025 Russian League, they rejoined the world circuit. In their debut match on Wednesday, they outperformed Penninga and Immers with a slight advantage in attacks (22-21) and a more significant edge in blocks (9-4). They also committed fewer errors (7-13) than their opponents, although the Dutch pair exhibited stronger serves (1-4).

This Thursday, they will face the Czech world champions Ondřej Perušič and David Schweiner, against whom they have already competed four times, holding a favorable record of three wins to one.

Perušič and Schweiner also won their opening match, defeating the German duo Jonas Sagstetter and Benedikt Sagstetter with scores of 21-17 and 21-18.

The winner of the match between the Caribbean and European pairs will not only secure the top spot in their bracket but will also advance to the quarter-finals, regardless of the outcome in the next round of the top 12, due to the competition format.

Under the guidance of coach Francisco Álvarez Cutiño, the Cuban duo is preparing for their participation in the World Championship in Adelaide, Australia, scheduled for November.