U.S. Men's Beach Team on a Roll in Guatemala

B.J. Hoeptner Evans
Manager, Media Relations and Publications
Phone: (719) 228-6800
E-Mail: bj.evans@usav.org

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (April 10, 2010) – Top seeded Michael Bruning and Jason Wight of United States got off to a good start in the men’s bracket on Friday in Guatemala City, Guatemala, site of the fourth stop on the 2010 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Circuit.

The United States does not have a women’s team competing in the tournament.

Bruning (Tucson, Ariz.) and Wight (West Springfield, Va.) opened the day by defeating Joseph Clercent and Dayne Williams of Saint Lucia, 21-11, 21-17 in 28 minutes. They followed with a victory against Julio Recinos and Erick Garrido of Guatemala, 21-9, 21-18 in 32 minutes.

“Our strength relies on our knowledge of each other and that was a key today for the victories,” said Bruning, who is serving as the team’s captain.

Cubans Kanell Piña and Sergio González defeated siblings Andy and Juan Luis Marin of Belize, 21-7, 21-4, and Mark Lewis and Danny Wilson of Jamaica, 21-18, 21-15.

Jessie Lelliott and Benjamin Saxton of Canada also won easily against Luis Baide and Manuel Serrano of Honduras, 21-10, 21-6. The Canadian pair battled with Dominicans Yewddys Perez and German Recio and prevailed, 21-19, 21-18.

Villegas and Piskulich of Costa Rica advanced in the winners’ round with three-set victories over El Salvador's Jeovanny A. Medrano and David G. Vargas, 2-1 (16-21, 21-13, 15-11) and Puerto Rico’s Orlando Irizarry and Joseph Gil 2-1 (15-21, 21-9, 20-18).

Tags: Beach, Beach Volleyball, NORCECA Beach Circuit