Olivia Gazzard and Sophie Weikl will represent Bermuda at the Norceca Under-18 Women’s Beach Volleyball World Champiosnships Qualifier in the Dominican Republic this week.

Gazzard and coach Lisa LeBlanc will leave the island on Thursday morning to meet up with Weikl, with the action taking place at the Hotel Coral Costa Caribe between Friday and Sunday and set to feature 12 teams.

The Bermuda duo are up against regional powerhouses United States and Canada, with Barbados, Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guadeloupe, US Virgin Islands, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico and the host nation.

The top five teams will automatically qualify for the 2026 Under-18 World Championships, with the remaining teams placed from sixth to twelfth, eligible in order of priority in case any National Federation decides not to attend the World Championship or encounters any difficulty that prevents its participation.

It is the second time Gazzard and Weikl have competed in the World Championships Qualifier after finish tenth in the tournament last year and coach LeBlanc is looking forward to seeing the progress in their games.

“We’re excited to see Olivia and Sophie compete together again,” LeBlanc said.

“They’ve grown both their physical and mental game since last year and I expect them to show that progress against strong competition. It’s a privilege to coach them and watch their continued development through the years.”

Weikl has spent the past year training at RPS Academy in Florida, a high-performance beach volleyball programme, and is thankful for the chance to test herself against some of the best young players in the region.

“We are extremely grateful and proud to represent Bermuda,” Weikl said.

“We’re excited to compete at this level, gain meaningful experience and continue growing both individually and as a team, while striving for the best possible results.”

Gazzard has been competing with the Paradise Hitters under-18 indoor team over the past five months and reunited with Weikl during spring break in Bermuda, where they further strengthened their partnership under the guidance of national coach Ben Barnett.

“It’s a huge honour to be selected and representing Bermuda means a lot to us,” Gazzard said.

“We’re excited for the opportunity to compete at this level, gain valuable experience and continue growing as players.”