Membership
B.J. Hoeptner Evans
Manager, Media Relations and Publications
Phone: (719) 228-6800
E-Mail: bj.evans@usav.org
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (April 1, 2012) – The U.S. women’s team of Jenny Kropp (Hawthorne, Calif.) and Whitney Pavlik (Laguna Beach, Calif.) won the gold medal on Sunday at the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour event in Guatemala.
The U.S. men’s team of Matt Heagy (Phoenix, Md.) and Tony Pray (Tucson, Ariz.) took silver in the first international competition for both players.
A packed crowd at Campo Marte saw Kropp and Pavlik defeat the Guatemala-1 team of Susana Alvarado and Lourdes Ramirez, 21-18, 21-15.
“The crowd was great. We enjoyed the whole tournament, especially winning the gold,” said Pavlik finished fifth in Guatemala last year with partner Kropp. The pair went on to win the gold medal at the 2011 NORCECA Tour event in the Dominican Republic.
In Sunday’s semifinals, Kropp and Pavlik downed Anthazia Mason and Shari Matthews of Barbados, 21-11, 21-13 in 35 minutes.
On the men’s side, Pray and Heagy fell to Roberto Rodriguez and Pablo Guzman of Puerto Rico, 21-16, 21-19 in the gold medal match. Nevertheless, the silver is the first international medal that either player has won.
In the semifinals, Pray and Heagy came from behind to defeat the Guatemala-1 team of Andy Leonardo and Erick Garrido by, 18-21, 21-16, 15-11.