GUANACASTE, Costa Rica, April 13, 2016 – Fresh from winning their first ever gold medal in the history of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Circuit, Canadians Julie Gordon and Brandie Wilkerson lead the parade of teams going to compete at the Guanacaste Tournament in Tamarindo Beach, Costa Rica.

Gordon and Wilkerson claimed the gold medal at La Paz in Baja California Sur, Mexico after finishing second in the previous two stops of the 2016 season in Guatemala City and Guaymas, Mexico.

They will be joined by the United States team of Kelly Reeves and Allison Daley-McColloch that also have finished on the podium in the three previous tournaments of the year.

Reeves and Daley-McColloch opened the season by defeating Gordon/Wilkerson in the decisive match in Guatemala City but lost to the Canadian pair in La Paz for the gold medal. They had to settle for the bronze medal in Guaymas.

Costa Ricans Karen Cope and Nathalia Alfaro are one of the three local teams set to take part in the women’s competition. Last year, they finished third in Tavares, Florida and followed with a silver medal in St Lucia.

Cubans Yanisleidis Sanchez and Lidiannis Echeverría, who last year finished second in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, are also registered to take part as one of the strongest teams to watch.

The men’s field features the return to the beach of Puerto Rico’s legendary indoor star Hector Soto this time partnering Sergio Figueroa.

Canadians Christian Redmann and Felipe Humana are considered as pre-tournament favorites after winning a silver medal in Varadero, Cuba last year.

The other Canadian team of Cameron Wheelan and Michael Plantinga has achieved previous success in NORCECA Circuit winning the silver medals in Antigua Guatemala and Chula Vista, California in 2014.

Teams will be distributed in four pools of four teams based on their rankings with the top two teams from each pool advancing to the main draw. The other teams will play for the positions 9 to 16.