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Monday, May 25, 2026
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Hamilton & Sousa Set for NORCECA Beach Tour 5th Stage
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The Bermuda Volleyball Association (BVA) announced that Kyle Hamilton and Brandon Sousa will represent the island at the upcoming 5th Stage of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour in San Salvador, El Salvador, taking place May 29th – 31th.
The tournament is the latest stop on the 2026 NORCECA Beach Tour calendar and will feature teams from across North, Central America, and the Caribbean competing for valuable international experience and ranking points.
Participating Teams include Canada, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras,U.S. Virgin Islands, Mexico, Nicaragua, St. Kitts & Nevis and the United States.
Hamilton has established himself as one of Bermuda’s premier blockers, bringing a strong presence at the net and valuable international experience to the team. Sousa has played as a defender in several international competitions.
Both athletes bring valuable experience from regional beach and indoor volleyball competitions over several years and continue to develop their partnership on the international stage. “I am excited to participate in the El Salvador Tour Stop with Kyle," said Sousa. "We have been preparing hard and are eager to continue establishing Bermuda on the Regional Beach Volleyball Tour.” "The opportunity to compete at the NORCECA level is massive for us," said Hamilton. "The field in El Salvador is incredibly strong, but our preparation has been solid. We’re ready to execute our game plan and show the progress Bermuda beach volleyball is making on the international stage."
“The level of competition at these events is extremely high, and the importance of getting to experience playing against this level provides valuable experience and development opportunities for our athletes” said the Men’s National Beach Team’s coaching staff.
Hamilton and Sousa have been preparing for the opportunity through ongoing training and competition as Bermuda continues to strengthen its presence within regional beach volleyball. The BVA extends its support and best wishes to the team and coaching staff as they compete in El Salvador.
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Sunday, May 24, 2026
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Bermuda Pair Conclude Punishing Mexican Campaign
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Bermuda’s Benjamin Barnett and Braedon Medeiros-Cooke saw their challenging campaign at the fourth stop of the 2026 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour draw to a definitive close on the sun-baked sands of Ciudad Madero, Tamaulipas, Mexico.
Navigating a highly demanding tournament structure against some of the absolute powerhouses of the North, Central American, and Caribbean circuits, the young island duo wrapped up their international tour by anchoring themselves firmly among the top 14 teams in the final standings.
Having battled through a grueling preliminary pool stage, Barnett and Medeiros-Cooke took to the court for their final classification fixture, squaring off against Hayerling Francisco De Jesús Goris and Oscar José Martínez López from the Dominican Republic in the 13th and 14th place play-off match.
The Dominican tandem set a blistering tempo right from the opening whistle, using their height advantage at the net and precise service placement to keep the Bermudians on the back foot. Barnett and Medeiros-Cooke worked tirelessly to establish their defensive transition, but the clinical Dominican attack ran away with the opening frame, taking it 21-9.
The second stanza proved to be a far more competitive and physical encounter as the mid-Atlantic pair adjusted to the tactical lines of their opponents. Displaying immense grit under the intense Mexican heat, Barnett and Medeiros-Cooke orchestrated several impressive rallies and sharpened their block coverage to trade points through the mid-game stretch.
Ultimately, the international pedigree and explosive power of De Jesús Goris and Martínez López shone through in the closing phases. The Dominican pair wrapped up the straight-sets victory, taking the second set 21-13 to seal the contest in a fast-and-furious 27 minutes.
While the 14th-place finish leaves the Bermudian tandem hungry for further tactical growth, the valuable world-ranking points and elite mileage accumulated in Tamaulipas provide a massive developmental foundation as they prepare for the upcoming regional stages of the seasonal calendar.
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Saturday, May 23, 2026
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Bermuda Pair Struggle in Mexico Continues
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Bermuda’s Benjamin Barnett and Braedon Medeiros-Cooke suffered a final pool-stage setback as their challenging campaign at the fourth stop of the 2026 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour drew to a close in Madero, Tamaulipas, Mexico.
Stepping back onto the continental sand after enduring consecutive straight-sets losses on opening day, the island duo faced an uphill struggle to alter their fortunes in a highly demanding Group D bracket.
The task grew even steeper for the young Bermudian partnership as they drew a formidable assignment against local Mexican favorites Carlos Andrés Ayala Herrera and Inés Antonio Vargas Lares.
Backed by a vocal and enthusiastic home crowd, the clinical Mexican pair put on an absolute masterclass in serving and defensive transition from the opening whistle. Barnett and Medeiros-Cooke worked tirelessly to break through the hosts' resolute net defense but struggled to cope with the extreme afternoon heat and unforced handling errors.
Ayala Herrera and Vargas Lares completely dictated the tempo of the opening frame, cruising to a comfortable 21-5 victory.
The second match followed an identical pattern, with the Mexican team maintaining their high-octane intensity. Despite a few resilient rallies from the mid-Atlantic pair, the technical supremacy and international pedigree of the host nation ultimately shone through.
The home favorites wrapped up the match in rapid fashion, taking the second set 21-6 to seal a comprehensive 2-0 victory.
The defeat sends Barnett and Medeiros-Cooke to the 13th/14th Place match.
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Friday, May 22, 2026
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Bermuda Pair Endure Tough Opening Day on Tour in Mexico
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Bermuda’s Benjamin Barnett and Braedon Medeiros-Cooke suffered a bruising baptism of fire on the opening day of the fourth stop of the 2026 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour in Madero, Tamaulipas, Mexico.
Stepping onto the international sand against some of the region’s most decorated heavyweights, the island duo found themselves on the wrong end of back-to-back straight-sets defeats as the preliminary pool stage got underway. With 14 elite men's teams representing 11 nations descending on Ciudad Madero, the tournament quickly lived up to its reputation as a punishing proving ground.
Bermuda’s campaign opened with a daunting assignment against the formidable United States tandem of Paul Lotman and Brian Miller. Lotman, a highly experienced former indoor Olympian, teamed up seamlessly with the explosive Miller to completely smother the Bermudian attack from the first whistle.
Barnett and Medeiros-Cooke struggled to find answers for the Americans' towering presence at the net and relentless service pressure. The clinical US pairing dictated the tempo throughout, comfortably wrapping up a dominant 2-0 victory with a lopsided 21-8, 21-7 scoreline to lay down an early marker in the sand.
Hopes of a swift Bermudian recovery were ruthlessly dashed in their second outing of the afternoon, as Barnett and Medeiros-Cooke ran headfirst into an elite Nicaraguan outfit. The seasoned partnership of Rubén Alejandro Mora Romero and Jefferson De Jesus Cascante Herrera showcased the formidable chemistry that has long made them central figures on the Central American circuit.
While the Bermudians showed flashes of resilience and improved their defensive coordination in the second frame, the class of the Nicaraguans ultimately shone through. Mora and Cascante capitalized on early unforced errors to secure another straight-sets 2-0 victory, stopping the clock at 21-10, 21-13.
The consecutive setbacks leave Barnett and Medeiros-Cooke with an uphill struggle in the standings as they look to dust themselves down, adjust to the grueling Mexican heat, and unlock their true potential in the remaining pool fixtures.
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Tuesday, May 19, 2026
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BVA Confirm Barnett & Medeiros-Cooke Heading to Mexico
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The Bermuda Volleyball Association (BVA) confirmed www.islandstats.com’s report last week that Benjamin Barnett and Braedon Medeiros-Cooke will represent Bermuda at the upcoming 4th Stage of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour taking place in Madero, Tamaulipas, Mexico, May 22nd – 24th, 2026.
The Tournament will bring together top beach volleyball teams from across North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, providing another valuable opportunity for Bermuda’s athletes to compete on the international stage at the regional level.
Medeiros-Cooke has previously represented Bermuda on the international beach volleyball stage, competing in previous NORCECA events and continuing to develop as one of the island’s emerging beach volleyball athletes. Barnett brings growing international experience to the event, having represented Bermuda at both ECVA and NORCECA competitions.
This Tour Stop marks an exciting new partnership for the Bermuda pair as they look to continue Bermuda’s recent progress on the regional beach volleyball circuit.
Barnett said: “I’m excited for the opportunity to compete in Mexico and represent Bermuda again on the NORCECA stage. Every tournament at this level is a chance to improve, gain experience and test ourselves against some of the best teams in the region.”
Medeiros-Cooke added: “Competing internationally is always a great experience, and I’m looking forward to playing alongside Ben in Mexico. We’ve been preparing well and are ready to compete hard for Bermuda.”
BVA Head Coach Rick Bevis and Assistant Coach Meagan McPeek said the tournament represents another important opportunity for Bermuda’s athletes to continue gaining experience on the international beach volleyball circuit.
“The NORCECA Tour consistently provides a very high level of competition, and opportunities like this are critical for the continued growth of our athletes,” the coaching team said. “Ben brings valuable international experience, and Braedon has continued to develop through consistent hard work and competition. We’re excited to see this partnership represent Bermuda in Mexico.”
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