Last week, at the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour event held in Paramaribo, Mexico`s teams, supported by FIVB Volleyball Empowerment, achieved remarkable success. The women`s duo of Atenas Gutierrez and Susana Torres clinched the gold medal. Sharing the women`s podium were Piper Ferch and Erin Inskeep from the USA, and Kaylee Glagau and Emma Glagau from Canada. In the men`s competition, Mexico`s Antonio Lares and Carlos Andres Ayala earned the silver medal. The men`s gold went to American brothers Taylor Crabb and Trevor Crabb, while their compatriots Derek Bradford and Zephyr Dew secured the bronze.
Mexico`s national volleyball and beach volleyball teams have received substantial backing from FIVB Volleyball Empowerment, totaling USD 1,328,000 for coaching support. Furthermore, the Mexican federation was provided with USD 23,000 worth of beach volleyball equipment. The men`s national beach volleyball pairs are currently coached by Argentina`s Ruben Barrera, while Brazil`s Reis Castro guides the women`s teams.
Women`s Tournament Highlights
The top-seeded Mexican pair, Atenas Gutierrez and Susana Torres, dominated the Paramaribo tournament, going undefeated through all five matches. Their only dropped set occurred during a challenging 2-1 (8-21, 21-16, 18-16) comeback win against the USA`s Piper Ferch and Erin Inskeep in the gold medal final. This victory marked a historic milestone for the Mexican duo, securing their first NORCECA Tour gold after previously earning eight silver and one bronze medals.
The sixth-seeded American team of Ferch and Inskeep also advanced to the final without a loss. In the semifinals, Gutierrez and Torres defeated Kaylee and Emma Glagau 2-0 (21-16, 21-19). Meanwhile, Ferch and Inskeep comfortably swept their match against the third-seeded Surinamese home favorites, Janneke Tammenga and Chagnaz Frankel, with a 2-0 (21-10, 21-13) score.
In the match for the bronze medal, the second-seeded Canadian duo secured a dominant 2-0 (21-9, 21-14) victory over Tammenga and Frankel.
Men`s Tournament Highlights
The third-seeded Mexican pair, Antonio Lares and Carlos Andres Ayala, made a strong impact in the men`s tournament, achieving a four-game winning streak. This culminated in a 2-0 (21-19, 21-15) semifinal victory against Canada`s fifth-seeded Cameron Chadwick and Robert Kemp, guaranteeing them a medal. This silver medal marked their first runner-up finish on the continental tour, complementing a gold and a bronze previously earned this season.
The seventh-seeded American brothers, Taylor and Trevor Crabb, had an impressive run in Suriname, winning all five of their matches. They conceded only one set during their 2-1 (15-21, 21-18, 15-12) semifinal triumph over their second-seeded compatriots, Derek Bradford and Zephyr Dew. In a thrilling gold medal match, the Crabb brothers then secured a tense 2-0 (21-18, 36-34) victory against Lares and Carlos Andres. This marked their triumphant return to the NORCECA Tour as a duo, their first appearance together since 2016.
Bradford and Dew recovered from their semifinal loss to win the bronze medal, sweeping their match against Chadwick and Kemp 2-0 (21-18, 21-17).
Tournament Overview
The tournament in Paramaribo featured a total of seven women`s and nine men`s teams, representing six different national federations.
The next event on the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour will be its sixth stop, scheduled to take place in Manzanillo, Mexico, from August 29 to 31.
Finley Blackwood 
Oliver Wrenwick