Former world junior champion to compete in Boca Chica

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, March 27, 2013 – USA’s Summer Ross, the U-19 and U-21 beach volleyball world champion in 2010, is one of the stars to compete on the pearly sands of  Boca Chica when the Santo Domingo Tournament serves off on the weekend.

Ross, who will team up with Brittany Hochevar, is the only player to win both tournaments in the same year. The other American women team consists of Jennifer Fopma and Brooke Sweat.

In September 2012, Summer won the FISU World University Championship in Maceio, Brazil, with partner Emily Day.

American women have won twice the gold medal in Boca Chica. In 2007, Paula Roca and Alizia Polzin triumphed in the inaugural female event while Jenny Kropp and Whitney Pavlik topped the field in 2011.

Puerto Rican Yarleen Santiago and Cuban Nirian Sinal are the only players to repeat as champions among the women. Santiago won in 2010 and 2012 while Sinal did it in 2008-09.

In the men’s field, Roberto Rodriguez of Puerto Rico will defend the title he won last year when teamed up with Orlando Irizarry. Mexico’s Juan Virgen, the 2010 winner with Aldo Miramontes, is another former champion competing in Boca Chica, this time with Lombardo Ontiveros as his partner.

Players from Canada, Cayman Islands, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Trinidad & Tobago, United States, U.S. Virgin Islands and Dominican Republic have registered to play in Boca Chica.