Mexico`s national beach volleyball teams demonstrated exceptional performance at the recent NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour event held in Paramaribo. The country proudly secured a gold medal in the women`s division and a silver in the men`s, with significant backing from the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment program. Atenas Gutierrez and Susana Torres of Mexico were crowned champions in the women`s competition, sharing the medal stand with USA`s Piper Ferch & Erin Inskeep, who earned silver, and Canada`s Kaylee Glagau & Emma Glagau, who took bronze. In the men`s tournament, Mexico`s Antonio Lares & Carlos Andres Ayala delivered a strong performance to claim the silver medal. The men`s gold was won by American duo Taylor Crabb & Trevor Crabb, while their compatriots Derek Bradford & Zephyr Dew secured the bronze.
The FIVB Volleyball Empowerment initiative has been a crucial support system for Mexico`s national volleyball and beach volleyball programs. To date, a total of USD 1,328,000 has been allocated for coaching assistance, and the Mexican federation has also received USD 23,000 worth of specialized beach volleyball equipment. The men`s national beach volleyball pairings benefit from the expertise of Argentinean coach Ruben Barrera, while the women`s teams are guided by Brazilian instructor Reis Castro.
Women`s Tournament Highlights
The top-seeded Mexican duo, Atenas Gutierrez & Susana Torres, navigated the Paramaribo tournament flawlessly, achieving an undefeated record across all five matches. Their dominance was challenged only once, in a hard-fought gold medal encounter against USA`s Piper Ferch & Erin Inskeep, which they won 2-1 (8-21, 21-16, 18-16) after an impressive comeback. This victory marked a significant milestone for the Mexican pair, as it was their first NORCECA Tour gold medal, adding to their existing nine continental tour medals (eight silver and one bronze).
In the women`s semifinals, Gutierrez & Torres defeated Canada`s Kaylee Glagau & Emma Glagau with a decisive 2-0 (21-16, 21-19) victory. The sixth-seeded American pair, Ferch & Inskeep, also reached the final without a loss, comfortably overcoming the third-seeded Surinamese home favorites, Janneke Tammenga & Chagnaz Frankel, in a 2-0 (21-10, 21-13) sweep. The bronze medal match saw the second-seeded Canadian team triumph over Tammenga & Frankel with a 2-0 (21-9, 21-14) shutout.
Men`s Tournament Highlights
On the men`s side, Mexico`s third-seeded pair, Antonio Lares & Carlos Andres Ayala, exhibited strong form throughout the tournament, building a four-game winning streak. Their pathway to the podium was secured with a 2-0 (21-19, 21-15) semifinal victory against Canada`s fifth-seeded Cameron Chadwick & Robert Kemp. This silver medal finish marked their first on the continental tour this season, complementing a gold and a bronze previously earned.
The seventh-seeded American brothers, Taylor Crabb & Trevor Crabb, were unstoppable in Suriname, winning all five of their matches. Their only dropped set came in an intense 2-1 (15-21, 21-18, 15-12) semifinal battle against fellow Americans, second-seeded Derek Bradford & Zephyr Dew. The Crabb brothers then proceeded to secure a thrilling 2-0 (21-18, 36-34) victory over Lares & Carlos Andres in the gold medal match, claiming the championship in their first NORCECA Tour appearance together since 2016. Derek Bradford & Zephyr Dew rebounded from their semifinal loss to win the bronze medal, defeating Chadwick & Kemp 2-0 (21-18, 21-17).
The Paramaribo event featured a diverse lineup of talent, with a total of seven women`s and nine men`s teams representing six different national federations. Looking ahead, the sixth stop on the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour is scheduled to take place in Manzanillo, Mexico, from August 29 to 31.
