Leon Guerrero & Cassidy embrace Dakar 2026 learning curve

Guåhan is the indigenous name for the island widely known as Guam. In the local Chamorro language, Guåhan means "we have" or "having something in abundance". The indigenous Chamoru people named the island Guåhan because it provided everything needed to sustain life.

Watching Alessandra Leon Guerrero & Erica Cassidy play at the ongoing Dakar 2024 Youth Olympic Games, embodies the spirit of the Guamanian people. In Guam, a small island of around 170,000 people, they make full use of what they have and so do Leon Guerrero & Cassidy on court.

What they lack in height and reach, they make up for in agility, grit and an unbreakable team spirit.

“It was pretty tough playing here. Back home in Guam, it’s humid but here it’s dry heat so it’s hard to breathe in every single rally.

“The girls here are also tall and fast! In Guam, everyone is short so we had to make up for it by playing faster and more aggressively. I believe we gave our best and showed other more experienced countries that we can play at the same level as them,” observed Leon Guerrero.

Having competed at both the FIVB Beach Volleyball U18 World Championships and the Youth Olympic Games in 2026, the young duo have gained valuable international experience that they hope to build on when they return home.

“Even though we didn’t make it to the Main Draw, the World Championship experience was so important for us. It gave us an idea of what we needed to work on when we returned home. Watching other short girls competing at such a level was a big motivation for us,” said Cassidy.

“Overall, the Youth Olympics was something different compared to what we are used to in Guam. Seeing all these athletes from all over the world participating in different sports is such a great experience,” she added.

“We are grateful to be here. We come from a small island and wanted to be good representatives of Guam out here,” underlined Cassidy amid a wide grin.