The Bermuda Volleyball Association (BVA) is proud to spotlight the continued rise of beach volleyball athletes Olivia Gazzard and Sophie Weikl, who return to international competition this month following a strong and promising performance at the 2025 NORCECA U18 Women’s Beach Volleyball World Championship Qualifier in the Dominican Republic.
Facing top junior teams from across North, Central America, and the Caribbean, the Bermudian duo demonstrated resilience, composure, and clear development, finishing an impressive 10th overall at the 2025 Qualifier event.
While just outside qualification for the 2025 FIVB U18 World Championships, their performance marked an important step forward and highlighted their growing competitiveness on the regional stage.
Since that event, both athletes have continued to develop their game. Weikl has spent the past year training at RPS Academy in Florida, a high-performance beach volleyball program, while Gazzard has been competing with the Paradise Hitters U18 indoor team over the past five months. The pair reunited during spring break in Bermuda, where they further strengthened their partnership under the guidance of National Beach Team Head Coach Ben Barnett. Having trained together for the past two years both on the beach and indoors, their chemistry and cohesion were quickly re-established.
As they prepare for the 2026 NORCECA U18 Qualifier, taking place April 24-26,2026 in the Dominican Republic, the team brings renewed confidence and experience.
The duo will again face teams from across the region from Barbados, Canada, Cayman, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, U.S. Virgin Islands, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico & USA.
Coach Lisa LeBlanc, who will accompany the team, shared her enthusiasm:
“We’re excited to see Olivia and Sophie compete together again. 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.”
The athletes are equally eager for the opportunity. “We are extremely grateful and proud to represent Bermuda at the U18 NORCECA Women’s World Qualifier,” said Weikl. “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 added, “It’s a huge honor to be selected for the Under-18 NORCECA Women’s World Qualifier. Representing Bermuda means a lot to us. We’re excited for the opportunity to compete at this level, gain valuable experience, and continue growing as players.”
The BVA remains committed to supporting its National Team athletes and strengthening Bermuda’s presence on the international beach volleyball stage and extends its full support to Gazzard and Weikl at their upcoming competition.
The BVA will provide updates throughout the competition. Additional news and results can also be found on the BVA and Bermuda Volleyball National Teams’ Facebook and Instagram pages.
For more information, please refer to the links below. NORCECA also posts regular updates on its event through its official social media channels.
