COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Two U.S. women’s teams earned medals at the 2016 NORCECA season finale in Trinidad & Tobago, but both men’s teams fell outside of podium finishes.
Summer Ross and Kimberly DiCello earned silver on Nov. 27, while compatriots Brooke Sweat and Emily Day won bronze after beating Cuba in their final match.
Men’s teams Theo Brunner and Billy Allen, plus Stafford Slick and Mark Burik were shut out of the podium placements, finishing fourth and fifth, respectively.
The top women’s seed, Ross/DiCello, swept their pool for a 3-0 start that included a sweep of the eventual tournament winners Jamie Broder/Melissa Humana-Paredes of Canada, 24-22, 21-15. In the quarterfinals the pair topped a local team in two sets and then took three sets to move past Sweat/Day 21-15, 21-23, 15-10 in the semifinals.
In the rematch against the Canadians, Ross and DiCello won the first frame 21-17 but couldn’t rally for the final two, falling 21-16, 15-12 in 50 minutes.
Sweat and Day went 2-0 on the first day of the tournament but suffered a loss in their final pool match against Cuba, 21-19, 21-18. A quarterfinal win against Canada set them up for the semifinals, after the loss they needed a rematch win against Yanisleidis Sanchez/Lidiannis Echeverria of Cuba and this time they got it, 21-19, 18-21, 15-13 for bronze.
In a field of 18 teams for the men, compared to 12 for the women, the ride was bumpier for the U.S. Brunner and Allen went 4-0 in pool play and Slick and Burik finished 3-1. Seeded third, Brunner/Allen took down a fourth-seeded Trinidad team in two during the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, the pair received their first loss of the tournament, falling to Canada’s Sam Pedlow/Sam Schachter 21-12, 21-12.
In the bronze medal match, Brunner and Allen rallied for a third set but came up just short of a medal, falling 21-18, 16-21, 15-13 to Cuba.
Slick and Burik also suffered a loss to Canada’s Pedlow/Schachter, theirs coming in the quarterfinals, 21-14, 21-15. Following that match they swept Guatemala 21-18, 21-9, then finished with one final victory, via forfeit, against Canada’s second team for fifth-place.
On the year, American women accounted for 19 NORCECA medals (seven gold, four silver, eight bronze) and the men earned 14 (four gold, three silver, seven bronze).
RESULTS
Women | Trinidad & Tobago, Nov. 25-27
1. Jamie Broder/Melissa Humana-Paredes CAN
2. Summer Ross/Kimberly DiCello
3. Brooke Sweat/Emily Day
Men | Trinidad & Tobago, Nov. 25-27
1. Sam Pedlow/Sam Schachter CAN
2. Sergio Gonzalez/Nivaldo Diaz CUB
3. Daicel Quesada/Karell Pena CUB
4. Theo Brunner/Billy Allen
5. Stafford Slick/Mark Burik
Women | St. Lucia, Oct. 14-16
1. Caitlin Ledoux/Emily Stockman
2. Karen Cope Charles/Natalia Alfaro CRC
3. Emily Day/Irene Pollock
Men | St. Lucia, Oct. 14-16
1. Stafford Slick/Mark Burik
2. Mike Plantinga/Cam Wheelan CAN
3. Ryan Doherty/John Mayer
Women | Playoff #4 | Sept. 7, 2016
1. Caitlin Ledoux/Emily Stockman
2. Emily Day/Irene Pollock
3. Kendra Vanzwieten/Kimberly DiCello
Men | Playoff #4 | Sept. 7, 2016
1. Ryan Doherty/John Mayer
2. Stafford Slick/Mark Burik
3. Theo Brunner/Billy Allen
Women | Boqueron, Aug. 5-7
1. Sara Hughes/Kelly Claes
2. Marie-Christine Lapointe/Megan Nagy CAN
3. Amanda Dowdy/Emily Stockman
Men | Boqueron, Aug. 5-7
1. Felipe Humana-Paredes/Christian Redmann CAN
2. Arnel Cabrera/Kevin Rodriguez PUR
3. Avery Drost/Billy Kolinske
Women | Varadero, July 15-17
1. Yanisleidis Sanchez/Lidiannis Echeverria, CUB
2. Betsi Metter/Kelley Larsen
3. Brandie Wilkerson/Julie Gordon CAN
5. Skylar Caputo/Corinne Quiggle
Men | Varadero, July 15-17
1. Nivaldo Diaz/Sergio Gonzalez CUB
2. Mike Plantinga/Cam Wheelan CAN
3. Miles Evans/Spencer McLachlin
Women | North Bay, July 1-3
1. Sara Hughes/Kelly Claes
2. Brandie Wilkerson/Julie Gordon CAN
3. Kelly Reeves/Ali McColloch
Men | North Bay, July 1-3
1. Marty Lorenz/Adam Roberts
2. Christian Redmann/Felipe Humana-Paredes CAN
3. Mike Plantinga/Cam Wheelan CAN
4. Miles Evans/Spencer McLachlin
Women | Playoff #3 | May 25, 2016
1. Sarah Hughes/Kelly Claes
2. Kelly Reeves/Allison McColloch
3. Kerri Schuh/Branagan Fuller
Men | Playoff #3 | May 25, 2016
1. Adam Roberts/Marty Lorenz
2. Miles Evans/Spencer McLachlin
3. Kevin McColloch/Avery Drost
Women | Punta Cana, April 29 – May 1
1. Leila Martinez/Lianma Flores CUB
2. Betsi Metter/Kelley Larsen
3. Geena Urango/Angela Bensend
Men | Punta Cana, April 29 – May 1
1. Karell Pena/Daicel Quesada CUB
2. Taylor Crabb/Trevor Crabb
3. Jose Rubio/Josue Gaxiola MEX
4. Ed Ratledge/Ty Loomis
Women | Punta Cana, April 29 – May 1
1. Leila Martinez/Lianma Flores CUB
2. Betsi Metter/Kelley Larsen
3. Geena Urango/Angela Bensend
Men | Punta Cana, April 29 – May 1
1. Karell Pena/Daicel Quesada CUB
2. Taylor Crabb/Trevor Crabb
3. Jose Rubio/Josue Gaxiola MEX
4. Ed Ratledge/Ty Loomis
Women | Tamarindo, April 15-17
1. Kelly Reeves/Ali McColloch
2. Yanisleidis Sanchez/Lidiannis Echeverria CUB
3. Betsi Metter/Kelley Larsen
Men | Tamarindo, April 15-17
1. Michael Plantinga/Cameron Wheelan CAN
2. Daneil Williams/Fabien Whitfield TRI
3. Andy Leonardo/Luis Garcia GUA
4. Spencer McLachlin/Miles Evans
5. Michael Boag/Hawk Hatcher
Women | La Paz, April 8-10
1. Julie Gordon/Brandie Wilkerson CAN
2. Kelly Reeves/Ali McColloch
3. Kendra Vanzwieten/Kimberly DiCello
Men | La Paz, April 8-10
1. Nivaldo Diaz/Sergio Gonzalez CUB
2. Billy Allen/Stafford Slick
3. Taylor Crabb/Trevor Crabb
Women | Sonora, April 1-3
1. Kendra Vanzwieten/Kimberly DiCello
2. Julie Gordon/Brandie Wilkerson CAN
3. Kelly Reeves/Ali McColloch
Men | Sonora, April 1-3
1. Nivaldo Diaz/Sergio Gonzalez CUB
2. Billy Allen/Stafford Slick
3. Taylor Crabb/Trevor Crabb
Women | Guatemala City, March 10-13
1. Kelly Reeves/Ali McColloch
2. Julie Gordon/Brandie Wilkerson CAN
3. Leila Martinez/Lianma Flores CUB
6. Kendra Vanzwieten/Kimberly DiCello
Men | Guatemala City, March 10-13
1. Taylor Crabb/Trevor Crabb
2. Jose Rubio/Josue Gaxiola MEX
3. Billy Allen/Stafford Slick
Women | Playoff #2 | March 9, 2016
1. Betsi Metter/Kelley Larsen
2. Geena Urango/Angela Bensend
3. Kelly Reeves/Allison McColloch
Men | Playoff #2 | March 9, 2016
1. Taylor Crabb/Trevor Crabb
2. Ed Ratledge/Ty Loomis
3. Billy Kolinske/Ty Tramblie
Women | Playoff #1 | Feb. 17, 2016
1. Kelly Reeves/Allison McColloch
2. Kendra Vanzwieten/Kimbery DiCello
3. Betsi Metter/Kelley Larsen
Men | Playoff #1 | Feb. 17, 2016
1. Taylor Crabb/Trevor Crabb
2. Billy Allen/Stafford Slick
3. Avery Drost/Billy Kolinske
Related News
NORCECA Broder and Humana-Paredes are multiple champions in TTO
NORCECA Canadians Schachter and Pedlow win men’s gold in Tobago
NORCECA Duel of Cubans in men’s semifinals in Tobago
NORCECA Exciting semifinal women’s matches in Tobago
NORCECA Men’s teams from five countries undefeated in Tobago
NORCECA USA, Canada and Cuba open with two wins in Tobago women’s event
PROSPECTIVE 2017 EVENTS
Feb. 7-12 FIVB Fort Lauderdale Major
. 15-18 FIVB Kish Island (Men only)
March 17-19 FIVB Sydney (Women only)
March 23-26 FIVB Maceio