Allanis Navas pairs with Kelly Sánchez after María González injury
The beach volleyball duo will compete in the NORCECA Pre-Olympic qualifier in Vega Baja next month with limited time to build chemistry.
File photoThe short version
- El Nuevo Día reported that Kelly Sánchez will replace the injured María González as Allanis Navas' partner in the national beach volleyball team
- Ángel “Cholo” Peña confirmed the change and noted the pair must gain NORCECA and FIVB tournament experience before the qualifier
- El Vocero reported that Navas announced the partnership on Instagram calling Sánchez a warrior and excellent athlete for Puerto Rico
- González suffered an ACL tear in her left knee during September training in California and underwent surgery
New partnership formed
Kelly Sánchez will be the new beach volleyball partner for Allanis Navas in Puerto Rico's national team following the injury to María González, according to national coach Ángel “Cholo” Peña. El Nuevo Día reported. The new duo faces a short preparation period before the NORCECA Pre-Olympic tournament scheduled for Nov. 4-9 in Vega Baja, which offers one Olympic berth per gender for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
Navas announced the change on her Instagram account. El Vocero reported that in the post Navas wrote she is grateful to Sánchez for accepting the challenge and feels happy to have her as a partner in this new stage. The pair will aim to represent Puerto Rico with pride in the upcoming competition.
What the sources posted
Posts and statements below are the sources' own words, quoted as published. They are not independently verified.
La vida y el deporte nos presentan retos que no esperábamos, pero también oportunidades para seguir creciendo. Demasiado agradecida con Kelly Sánchez por aceptar este reto. Una guerrera y excelente atleta de Puerto Rico, que sé que dará lo mejor de sí en cada oportunidad. Me siento muy contenta de tenerte como compañera en esta nueva etapa. ¡Vamos juntas a darlo todo y a representar a Puerto Rico con mucho orgullo!
The source's own post, quoted as published. Not verified by PuertoRico.com. View post
Injury details and background
González injured her left knee during specialized training in California in September while preparing for the qualifier, El Vocero reported. She underwent surgery and is expected to be sidelined for six months to a year. The injury is a significant setback as Navas and González had formed a successful partnership for a decade, winning consecutive gold medals at the Central American and Caribbean Games in 2023 and 2026.
Sánchez comes from indoor volleyball where she plays for the Valencianas de Juncos in the Liga de Voleibol Superior Femenino. According to Peña she has beach volleyball experience having won four LAI championships with the Universidad Ana G. Méndez. The coach evaluated seven candidates before selecting Sánchez for her performance and chemistry with Navas.
Roles and challenges ahead
Peña told El Nuevo Día that Sánchez's offensive power and jump serve will add to the team while she takes on net responsibilities previously held by González. Navas will continue to handle defense. "Las funciones se quedan igual," the coach stated. The team must develop quickly as the United States and Canada are strong regional contenders for the Olympic spots.
The coach added that no other local player matches the elite experience of Navas and González, making the transition challenging. It remains unclear if the Navas-Sánchez partnership is temporary or long-term.
Where the sources differ
Both El Nuevo Día and El Vocero agree that Kelly Sánchez is replacing the injured María González as Allanis Navas' partner and that the change was confirmed by coach Ángel “Cholo” Peña. El Nuevo Día gives the Pre-Olympic dates as Nov. 4-9 while El Vocero reports Nov. 6-8. El Vocero states the injury was to the left knee and quotes Peña on short-, medium- and long-term planning; El Nuevo Día says right knee and focuses on the need for NORCECA and FIVB tournaments. Both note the decade-long prior partnership and recent Central American and Caribbean gold medals.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not specify the exact recovery timeline beyond a range of six months to a year, whether Sánchez's role is permanent or only for the qualifier, the full list of the seven candidates evaluated, or details on the training plan for the new pair in the weeks before the NORCECA event. They also do not address whether the United States will send a second pair or how many total berths are available.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Reporting ¿Quién es? Allanis Navas ya tiene nueva pareja tras la lesión de María González
- Reporting Allanis Navas encuentra nueva compañera tras la lesión de María González
How we checked this
El Nuevo Día and El Vocero both covered the partnership announcement and provided statements from coach Ángel “Cholo” Peña and from Navas' Instagram post. The exact tournament dates and knee side are the main points that rest on a single source.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.