 Bermuda’s Olivia Gazzard and Sophie Weikl have faced a baptism of fire at the 2026 NORCECA Under 18 Women’s Beach Volleyball World Championship Qualifiers, dropping their opening two pool matches in the Dominican Republic. With the top five teams in Juan Dolio set to secure a coveted ticket to the World Championships in the Netherlands this July, the stakes could not be higher on the scenic Caribbean sands.
Drawn in a challenging Pool C, the Bermudian pair opened their account against the fourth-seeded Puerto Rican duo of Ana Isabel Barcias Aponte and Coralys Perez Ortiz. In a 33-minute battle of attrition, Gazzard and Weikl showed glimpses of the chemistry developed over two years of partnership but were ultimately undone by the clinical finishing of their opponents, falling 21–14, 21–16.
The schedule offered little respite for the islanders, who were back on court shortly after to face the third seeds from the host nation, Zoe Paniagua Portorreal and Yerelin Carlenis Reyes Montero. Despite a resilient second-set push that saw the match extend to 38 minutes, the Dominican pair utilised their home-court advantage to seal a 2–0 victory with scores of 21–15 and 21–17.
While the two defeats leave Gazzard and Weikl with an uphill climb to reach the knockout stages, their performances against high-ranking seeds demonstrate a significant step forward in tactical discipline. Having finished 10th in last year’s qualifiers, the duo will be looking to regroup in their remaining pool play matches as they chase the best possible ranking in a field featuring 14 of the region’s powerhouse nations.
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