Luis Alayo

Havana, Jul 4 (RHC) - Cubans Noslen Diaz and Jorge Luis Alayo finished in ninth place in the Elite tournament of the World Beach Volleyball Pro Tour 2025, after losing in two sets to Steven van de Velde and Alexander Brouwer, from the Netherlands.

In the Round of 12 of the tournament organized in Gstaad, Switzerland, the European duo won 26-24, 21-16, with better numbers in attack (29-23) and service (3-0), and equal with their opponents in blocking (7) and own errors (8).

Van de Velde was the top scorer with 26 points (19 spikes and 7 blocks) and was followed by his partner with 13 points (10 attacks and 3 aces).

For the Cubans, Alayo totaled 20 (13-7-0) and Diaz 10, all from attacks, according to the official FIVB site.

In the stops of Quintana Roo, Mexico, in March, and Saquarema, Brazil, in April, the Cubans sentenced their opponents with sweeps, but this time they got even and could not reach the quarterfinals.

In Friday's morning session, in the Round of 18, they won in two identical 21-19 sets against the Austrians Christoph Dressler and Phillipp Waller.

The Caribbeans reached this stage after a 2-1 (23-25, 21-18, 16-14) victory over Brazil's Loyola Stein-Santo Maior Wanderley on Thursday in Group F, before a hard-fought 2-1 (23-21, 19-21, 14-16) loss to Luini Leon and Matthew Immers of the Netherlands.

Source: JIT