For Julibeth Payano Veras, confirming their slot in the 2025 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships has been a career peak. She could hardly believe that she was going to play against the world’s best in Adelaide.
“I deeply believe in luck: the harder I work, the luckier I get,” said the 26-year-old Payano.
An established player in the Dominican Republic’s beach volleyball programme, Payano previously competed alongside former partner Bethania Almanzar. The pair represented their country at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, and captured silver at the Central American and Caribbean Games in El Salvador that same season.
Payano and Almanzar also competed in the 2023 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships in Tlaxcala, where they gained valuable experience despite not registering a win. That campaign laid the foundation for the current team’s renewed focus on global competitiveness.
At just 20 years old, Crismil Paniagua Hinojosa represents the programme’s emerging talent, bringing youthful energy and high potential to the partnership. Paniagua, who has played alongside several partners, showcased her promise early in the youth ranks, earning multiple podium finishes since 2022 at the Youth Pan American Games and NORCECA youth events. Her rapid development saw her compete in both the FIVB Beach Volleyball U19 and U21 World Championships in 2023.
Paniagua & Payano celebrate in a match at the NORCECA Olympic Qualifier in 2024.
In 2024, Paniagua & Payano officially joined forces as the Dominican Republic’s flagship duo. Their strategic combination, pairing the experienced defender and server Payano with the athletic and fast-developing Paniagua, quickly yielded results across the regional circuit.
As a fully dedicated pair, Paniagua & Payano became consistent contenders on the NORCECA Tour, frequently reaching the semifinal stage and challenging the region’s top teams. They capped their 2024 campaign with a fourth-place finish at the NORCECA Tour Final on home sand in Juan Dolio.
Their momentum carried into the 2025 season as they powered through the qualification process and secured their World Championship berth with a strong performance at the NORCECA World Championship qualifier in Punta Cana.
Paniagua & Payano will enter Adelaide as the 38th-seeded team, drawn into Pool K alongside Switzerland’s Anouk Verge-Depre & Zoe Verge-Depre, Austria’s Dorina Klinger & Ronja Klinger, and Australia’s Elizabeth Alchin & Georgia Johnson.
The team’s journey, previously centred on continental tours and regional multi-sport platforms, is now firmly shifting toward greater exposure on the international stage, a transition strongly supported by the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment Programme.
For the current period, the FIVB has allocated USD 42,000 in Empowerment support to the Dominican Republic Volleyball Federation. This funding has been instrumental in covering the team’s training and logistical needs in preparation for major events such as the World Championships.
The FIVB’s assistance, delivered through the NORCECA regional hub, aims to sustain a long-term programme focused on achieving competitive results at the continental level while nurturing the next generation of Dominican beach volleyball athletes.
Though Paniagua & Payano are the Dominican Republic’s lone representatives in Adelaide, their presence sends a powerful message. The sustained support and focus on youth integration ensure that the future of Dominican beach volleyball continues to shine bright.
Photo source: NORCECA
