NORCECA Tour podiums in Honduras swept by Empowerment teams

Pairs from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic and Nicaragua bring home medals from Roatan Island

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Jul 13, 2026
NORCECA Tour podiums in Honduras swept by Empowerment teams

All six spots on the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour podiums in Roatan Island, Honduras were occupied by teams representing FIVB Volleyball Empowerment supported federations. Antonio Lares & Carlos Andres Ayala claimed another gold for Mexico. Julian Araya & Stanley Grant of Costa Rica and Ruben Mora & Jefferson Cascante of Nicaragua completed the men’s podium. Puerto Rico’s Allanis Navas & Maria Gonzalez triumphed in the women’s competition, with Mexico’s Susana Torres & Abril Flores and Dominican Republic’s Julibeth Payano & Crismil Paniagua finishing first and second runners-up.

Mexico’s national teams in beach volleyball and volleyball have been the beneficiaries of a total of USD 1,648,000 combined in coach support from FIVB Volleyball Empowerment so far. In addition, USD 23,000 in beach volleyball equipment has been granted to the Mexican federation. Mexico’s men’s beach volleyball national duos are training under the supervision of Brazilian coach Ricardo Santos, a four-time Olympian, a three-time Olympic medalist, an Athens 2004 Olympic champion and a 2003 world champion as a player, while their female compatriots are coached by the professional team of another Brazilian instructor – Reis Castro.

The Federacion Puertorriquena de Voleibol’s beach volleyball department has been funded by FIVB Volleyball Empowerment with a total of USD 210,000 in coach support for their national duos, in addition to USD 17,500 in beach volleyball equipment. Coach Angel Pena is in charge of the Puerto Rican teams.

The Federacion Costarricense de Voleibol has been granted USD 42,000 in FIVB Volleyball Empowerment coach support for their national beach volleyball teams benefiting from the expertise of Brazilian coach Luciano Manhaes, in addition to USD 6,000 in beach volleyball equipment.

Dominican Republic’s beach volleyball department has also been granted USD 42,000 in FIVB Volleyball Empowerment coach support for their national duos, working under the supervision of Cuban expert Alexander Masso Reyes, in addition to USD 11,500 in beach volleyball equipment and USD 6,000 for a national team coach development knowledge transfer program.

Federacion Nicaraguense de Voleibol has been allocated USD 31,500 in FIVB Volleyball Empowerment coach support for their national beach volleyball teams, currently guided by Cuban instructor Eduardo Palomo Zayas.

Puerto Rico’s Allanis Navas & Maria Gonzalez cruised through the women’s tournament on a run of six wins, dropping only a set in the process. They qualified for the final after a narrow 2-1 (16-21, 21-11, 17-15) semifinal victory over Dominican Republic’s Julibeth Payano & Crismil Paniagua. In the gold medal showdown (pictured in the main photo; source: NORCECA), the Puerto Ricans mastered a 2-0 (21-12, 21-18) win over Mexico’s Susana Torres & Abril Flores to collect their 12th NORCECA Tour gold, but first in 2026.

Torres & Flores reached the final without dropping a single set. They crowned their perfect five-match run with an emphatic 2-0 (21-15, 21-11) upset of top-seeded Americans Sarah Wood & Taylor Hagenah to secure their sixth NORCECA medal out of six appearances on the Tour together, all in 2026.

Payano & Paniagua brought the bronze home to the Dominican Republic after a 2-0 (21-14, 21-15) sweep of the third-place playoff against the US duo, making their first NORCECA Tour podium as a team.

Women’s results and standings

Mexico’s Antonio Lares & Carlos Andres Ayala bagged their fifth consecutive gold in six NORCECA Tour appearances this year. At their first participation of the season, they also reached the final, but settled for silver. In Roatan Island, Lares & Carlos Andres won all six of their matches to triumph on top of the podium. The only set they dropped along the way was in their hard-fought semifinal against Nicaragua’s Ruben Mora & Jefferson Cascante, whom they beat by 2-1 (21-15, 28-30, 15-12). The Mexicans followed up with an epic 2-0 (35-33, 21-13) straight-set win over Julian Araya & Stanley Grant of Costa Rica for the gold.

Teenagers Araya & Grant put together a 2-0 (21-11, 21-19) semifinal win over Dominican Republic’s Hayerling De Jesus & Oscar Martinez to shape up a perfect five-match streak of straight-set victories that led them to the gold medal showdown and guaranteed them their second NORCECA Tour podium.

In the third-place game, Mora & Cascante beat De Jesus & Martinez by 2-0 (21-19, 21-13) to take the bronze and celebrate their first Tour podium together.

Men’s results and standings

14 women’s and 16 men’s duos representing 14 different federations took part in the Roatan Island event.

The next NORCECA Tour stop will be held in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic from October 22 to 26.

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