At the recent NORCECA U21 Beach Volleyball Championships held in Juan Dolio, Dominican Republic, the Puerto Rican duo of Miabella Musignac and Alanis Nieves secured the silver medal in the women`s tournament. This achievement highlights the impact of support received through the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment program.
The women`s competition saw Zoey Henson and Sarah Wood from the USA clinch the gold medal as continental champions, while Ofure Odigie and Ruby Sorra representing Canada took home the bronze.
In the men`s event, the gold medal was won by the American pair Malachi Brewington and Titus Lance. The men`s podium was completed by Julian Araya and Esteban Gonzalez of Costa Rica with silver, and Melvin de Jesus and Ramon de Jesus from the Dominican Republic earning the bronze.
The Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation`s beach volleyball department has significantly benefited from FIVB Volleyball Empowerment, receiving a total of USD 168,000 in coach support for their national teams, alongside USD 17,500 designated for beach volleyball equipment. Coach Angel Pena oversees the Puerto Rican teams, including Musignac and Nieves.
Women`s Tournament Highlights
Miabella Musignac and Alanis Nieves, who were seeded 13th in the women`s main draw, demonstrated strong performance throughout the championships. They lost only two matches, both times to the eventual champions, Henson and Wood of the USA. The Puerto Rican pair won all their other four games in straight sets, including a notable 2-0 (21-13, 21-19) upset victory in the semifinal against the second-seeded Costa Rican team of Laura Molina and Sofia Vega. This crucial win guaranteed their medal.
In the other women`s semifinal, Henson and Wood defeated Canada`s Odigie and Sorra in a tightly contested match, 2-0 (22-20, 25-23). The American duo then went on to claim the title with a decisive 2-0 sweep (21-13, 21-11) against Musignac and Nieves in the final, concluding their tournament with a perfect record of six straight-set victories.
The bronze medal match in the women`s event saw Ofure Odigie and Ruby Sorra of Canada secure their podium spot with a 2-0 win (21-15, 21-18) over Costa Rica`s Molina and Vega.
Men`s Tournament Highlights
The men`s tournament also featured strong performances, with the USA`s Malachi Brewington and Titus Lance remaining undefeated on their path to the gold medal. They dropped only one set throughout the tournament, during their 2-1 semifinal victory (20-22, 21-10, 15-11) against the ninth-seeded Canadian pair, Louis Charbonneau and Henry Heider. The final match saw the Americans deliver an emphatic 2-0 win (21-11, 21-14) over Julian Araya and Esteban Gonzalez of Costa Rica.
The 14th-seeded Costa Rican team of Araya and Gonzalez earned their place in the final by achieving a 2-0 upset (21-17, 21-14) over the top-seeded home favorites from the Dominican Republic, Melvin de Jesus and Ramon de Jesus, in their semifinal clash.
The Dominican Republic pair rebounded from their semifinal loss to claim the bronze medal, defeating Canada`s Charbonneau and Heider with a 2-0 sweep (21-17, 21-12) in the third-place match.
The NORCECA U21 Beach Volleyball Championships in Juan Dolio successfully brought together 15 women`s and 15 men`s teams, representing 18 different national federations, showcasing promising young talent from across the region.
Oliver Wrenwick 
Finley Blackwood