Attitude prevails over altitude at Bosque Real courts

HUIXQUILUCAN, Mexico, June 6, 2014 - The altitude of the Valley of Mexico and some chilly wind were not obstacles in the beginning of men’s competition at the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Circuit.

Beijing 2008 Olympic Champion Todd Rogers and his partner Theo Brunner stepped into the sand courts at the Bosque Real Country Club and came out with a victory.

Rogers and Brunner of USA1 won in three sets against Simon Fecteau Boutin and James Battiston of Canadá 2 (18-21, 21-17, 15-10).

The champions of the last stop in Manzanillo, Erik Haddock and Roberto Rodríguez, of Puerto Rico, lost against William Montgomery and Slick Stafford, of USA2 (19-21, 21-18, 15-11).

On the host side, Mexico 1 consisted of Juan Virgen and Lombardo Ontiveros, opened with a win over Guatemala’s Julio Recinos and Erick Garrido (21-9, 21-8).

Meanwhile, Cubans Sergio Gonzalez and Nivaldo Diaz, who finally arrived in Mexico after missing the Colima stop, defeated Jerral Nicholas and Edward Peter of US Virgin Islands (21-10, 21-9).

Virgen and Ontiveros played their second match of the day. Rafu Rodriguez and Erick Haddock were on court for the revenge of the match played the week before in Colima. This time victory was for the Mexican pair with 21-14, 21-19 score.

For Mexican teams it was a good start. The couple number 2, of Ulises Ontiveros and Salvador Frias, defeated Carlos Escobar and David Vargas of El Salvador 21-16 and  21-12, while Juan Revuelta and Ricardo Galindo, winners of silver medal in Manzanillo, beat Costa Rica’s Zlatko Pisculich and Brian Monge (21-13, 21-19).

Josh Binstock and Samuel Schachter, of Canada 1, won over Kyle Browne and Hugh Sealey, of Barbados, 21-8 and 21-16.

Another Caribbean battle was between Saint Lucia and Aruba as Saint Lucians Julian Bissette and Joseph Clercent beat Mitchell Daniel and Eargenell de Cuba of Aruba (21-19, 21-18).

Friday Men’s results: M USA1 d CAN2 (18-21, 21-17 y 15-10), M USA2 d PUR (19-21, 21-18, 15-11), M MEX1 d GUA (21-9, 21-8), M LCA d ARU (21-19, 21-18), M CUB d ISV (21-10, 21-9), M MEX2 d ESA (21-16, 21-12), M MEX3 d CRC (21-13, 21-19), M LCA d ARU (21-19, 21-18), M CAN1 d BAR (21-8, 21-16), M USA2 d GUA (21-14, 21-16), M CRC  d BAR (21-19, 21-18), M MEX1 d PUR (21-14, 21-19)