AVP’s Brittany Hochevar Wins Bronze in Guatemala

By Alex Baker

The AVP’s Brittany Hochevar and her partner Emily Day captured the bronze medal in the women’s competition at this weekend’s third stop on the 2013 NORCECA Beach Circuit. Hochevar and Day reached the semis of the Gatorade Guatemala Beach Volleyball Tournament in Guatemala City, where they were defeated by fellow Americans Jenny Kropp and Whitney Pavlik.

Hochevar and Day faired better in the third place match, where they prevailed over the Guatemalan duo of Maria Jose Orellana and Lourdes Ramirez 21-13, 21-8.

Kropp and Pavlik went on to the final, but had to settle for silver after losing out to Canadian first-time gold medal winners Kacie Mactavish and Caleigh Whitaker, 21-17, 21-16.

Hochevar and Day had earlier bested the Canadians Victoria Altomare and Sophie Bukovec in the quarterfinals, 21-19, 21-16.

The gold medal on the men’s side went to Mexico’s Lombardo Ontiveros and Juan Virgen who came from behind to defeat the Cuban duo of Karell Pina and Sergio Gonzalez, 16-21, 21-16, 16-14. Ontiveros and Virgen are emerging as a powerhouse in 2013, having already captured the gold medal at the last stop on the 2013 NORCECA Tour at Boca Chica, Dominican Republic earlier this month.

The American duo of John Mayer and Stafford Slick lost out on the men’s bronze, falling to Puerto Ricans Roberto Rodrigues and Erick Haddock, 24-22, 16-21, 15-12.

The next round of NORCECA competition will kick off on June 6 in Toluca, Mexico.