Canada’s Samuel Schachter and Jonathan Pickett triumphed at the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour Finals in Juan Dolio, Dominican Republic, finishing the tournament without dropping a single set. Their gold-medal performance was capped with a decisive victory over Cuba’s Damian Gomez and Eblis Veranes, wrapping up the final (21-18, 22-20) in straight sets.
This was a standout debut for Jonathan Pickett, who joined forces with veteran Olympian Schachter to dominate the competition. Their unblemished record reflects both talent and chemistry, a promising sign for the future of Canadian beach volleyball.
Men’s Podium Results
- Gold – Samuel Schachter & Jonathan Pickett (Canada)
- Silver – Damian Gomez & Eblis Veranes (Cuba)
- Bronze – Yoel Guardado & Christopher Guardado (El Salvador)
In a thrilling bronze medal match, El Salvador overcame the host nation’s Hayerling and Melvin De Jesus in a hard-fought 2-1 battle (19-21, 22-20, 18-16).
Women’s Podium Results
- Gold – Geena Urango & Megan Rice (United States)
- Silver – Marie-Alex Bélanger & Lea Monkhouse (Canada)
- Bronze – Maria Gonzalez & Allanis Navas (Puerto Rico)
The U.S. team of Geena Urango and Megan Rice seized gold after three competitive sets against Canada’s Bélanger and Monkhouse (21-19, 19-21, 15-5). Puerto Rico’s Gonzalez and Navas dominated their bronze medal match with a straight-sets win over Venezuela (21-14, 21-5).
The 2025 season brought together 16 men’s and 14 women’s teams from 17 national federations across North and Central America and the Caribbean. For Puerto Rico, Gonzalez and Navas completed a stellar year with their ninth podium finish in as many events—including an astounding seven titles.
Canada’s dual-medal performance affirms the growing impact of the FIVB Empowerment Program, which supports national programs in bolstering their international competitiveness. With the international season next, these results bode well for Olympic qualification prospects for several teams.
Read the full report from FIVB here.
