At the recent U18 Beach Volleyball South American Championships held in Lima, Peru, teams from Ecuador and Chile, both beneficiaries of the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment initiative, achieved remarkable results by securing silver medals.
Women`s Tournament: Ecuador`s Path to Silver
Ecuador`s women`s pair, Raphaela Roman Espinoza and Valentina Valenzuela Bravo, after an initial loss, demonstrated an impressive four-game winning streak to reach the final. In the semifinals, they confidently defeated Sofia Martinez and Agustina Velazquez of Paraguay with a 2-0 (21-16, 21-13) shutout, guaranteeing themselves at least a silver medal. In a gripping final showdown against the Brazilian duo Isabela Sallaberry Cavalcanti and Ana Beatriz Sanches Francelino, the Ecuadorians managed to win the first set but ultimately succumbed with a 1-2 (13-21, 21-19, 13-15) score, leading to Brazil claiming the gold. The Brazilian pair had previously overcome Venezuelan athletes Valeria Valentina Moreno Figueredo and Aidana Alejandra Mejias Ramirez with a 2-0 (21-13, 21-18) victory in their semifinal match. The Venezuelans then secured the bronze medal by defeating the Paraguayan pair 2-1 (14-21, 21-11, 15-8).
To foster beach volleyball development in Ecuador, FIVB Volleyball Empowerment has allocated a total of USD 294,000 for coach support for their national teams, which are trained under the guidance of Yhovanna Guanipa.
Men`s Tournament: Chile`s Success
In the men`s tournament, the Chilean team, represented by José Tomas Zirpel and George Arentsen, also reached the final after a four-game winning streak. In the semifinals, they overcame Venezuelans Gerardo Andres Bordones Hernandez and Sebastian Alfredo Pereira with a 2-1 (21-12, 13-21, 15-12) victory, securing their podium finish. The gold medal was claimed by the Brazilian pair of Thomas Mathias Endler and Felippe Prudencio Arruda Barbiero, who remained undefeated throughout the tournament, defeating the Chileans 2-0 (21-18, 21-19) in the final. In their semifinal, the Brazilians had triumphed over Matias Gabriel Yegros Gomez and Hugo Felix Benitez Vazquez of Paraguay with a 2-1 (16-21, 21-13, 15-13) score. The bronze medal went to the Venezuelans Gerardo and Pereira, who defeated the Paraguayan pair 2-1 (21-17, 13-21, 15-11) in the third-place match.
The FIVB Volleyball Empowerment program has also provided significant support to Chile`s beach volleyball, allocating USD 294,000 for coach support and an additional USD 22,000 worth of beach volleyball equipment. Chile`s men`s national teams train under the supervision of coach Felipe Gomez Badilla.
In total, the U18 Beach Volleyball South American Championships saw the participation of 14 women`s and 12 men`s teams from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela.
