GUATEMALA, April 4, 2009.- Cubans Nirian Sinal and Kirenia Ballar and Americans Beth Van Fleet and Saralyn Smith qualified as the top two semi finalists of the Gatorade’s Guatemala Beach Volleyball Tournament, the second leg of 2009 Norceca Circuit.

Both pairs won their two matches on Saturday while two others made the final four’s round via the losers’ bracket under the double-elimination system.

Sinal-Ballar won 21-10, 21-10 over Blanca Resino-Susana Alvarado of GUA-2 and then beat Costa Ricans Ingrid Morales-Natalia Alfaro 21-11, 21-11. Van Fleet-Smith first defeated Maria Orellana-Anna Ramirez of GUA-1 by score of 21-13, 21-15 and then downed Mexicans Vanessa Virgen-Diana Estrada 21-15, 21-19.

Orellana-Ramirez and Virgen-Estrada also entered the semis. The Guatemalans defeated Ivonne Soler-Laura Soler of El Salvador 21-16, 22-20 and Morales-Alfaro 21-10, 21-12. Virgen-Estrada defeated Resino-Alvarado 21-8, 21-11.

Women’s Results on Saturday:

CUB d. GUA-2 (21-10, 21-10), CRC d. TTO (21-10, 21-12), USA d. GUA-1 (21-13, 21-15), MEX d. ESA (21-14, 21-15), GUA-2 d. TTO (21-19, 21-19), GUA-1 d. ESA (21-16, 22-20).

Quarterfinals: CUB d. CRC (21-11, 21-11), USA d. MEX (21-15, 21-19), GUA-1 d. CRC (21-10, 21-12), MEX d. GUA-2 (21-8, 21-11).