Puerto Rico’s Maria Gonzalez and Allanis Navas continued their impressive dominance on the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour by clinching their sixth gold medal at the ninth tour stop held in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Despite being the fourth-seeded team, they displayed exceptional skill and teamwork, losing only two sets across six matches.
In the semifinals, Gonzalez and Navas swept Costa Rica’s Marcela Araya and Eugenia Ramirez. They carried that momentum into the final, where they mounted a comeback after dropping the first set to defeat the USA's Geena Urango and Mariah Whalen, ranked third, in a tight 2-1 match (19-21, 21-17, 15-10).
Gonzalez and Navas have now reached the podium in all seven of their tour appearances this season, with six golds and a single bronze in San Salvador, marking them as one of the most consistent duos on the circuit.
Men's Final Recap
On the men’s side, Americans James Avery Drost and Troy Field came out on top after a gritty 2-1 battle against Cuba’s Damian Gomez and Eblis Veranes in the final (19-21, 21-18, 15-10). Their road to gold included a semifinal win over Mexico's Antonio Lares and Carlos Andres Ayala.
Lares and Ayala bounced back to secure the bronze, defeating Nicaragua’s Ruben Mora and Denis Lopez in straight sets (21-16, 21-18). This marked their fourth medal of the year, reflecting their growing prowess on the tour.
Women's Bronze and Tour Details
Canada’s Alison Mckay and Darby Dunn claimed the women’s bronze medal by beating Araya and Ramirez. This success builds on their gold medal performance earlier in San Salvador.
The Punta Cana event welcomed 15 men’s and 15 women’s teams hailing from 16 different federations, underscoring the tour's competitive diversity.
What’s Next
The NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour moves next to Managua, Nicaragua for its tenth stop, scheduled from November 27 to December 1.
For more details, visit the official article on the FIVB website.
