Antigua pouch male ECVA Youth title

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, April 20, 2014 -Antigua and Barbuda was taken the distance by Grenada, but came away winner of the male category of the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Youth Championships.

Antigua and Barbuda persevered to win 3-2 (25-12, 25-21, 11-25, 22-25, 15-11) in front a vocal and supportive home crowd. It was the second occasion in the championships that Antigua and Barbuda had toppled Grenada 3-2.

Adrian Constant – captain of the triumphant Antigua and Barbuda team values the win for the development of the sport on the island.

“It means that the pipeline is open for the youths to come into good seniors; It means that we have a good future …Our senior players most of them are exiting the game and it is good that we have youngsters that are willing to play and replace them”, Constant optimistically said.

Reflecting on the title match, Constant stated: “We played well in the first and second sets, but were a little shaky in the third and fourth, but like the two other fifth sets games we played we found the heart and it was all heart in the fifth set”.

Despite losing on the night, Grenada’s coach- Raphael Braithwaite was high in praise for his players.

“To have lost your first two matches and come back and reach the final is commendable … Also losing the first two sets in the semi-final and final and then taking the match to five sets, we are indeed winners”, Braithwaite remarked.

Braithwaite said reaching the final adds a fillip for the progress on the sport in Grenada.

Preceding the final, St Vincent and the Grenadines handed St Lucia  their second successive defeat, coming from two sets down to take the third place play off 3-2 (25-15, 26-24, 25-14, 25-8, 16-14) as the temperature rose to fever pitch for another time in the championships.

In the minor places, Bermuda blanked French St Martin 3-0 (25-12, 25-22, 25-22), to take the fifth place.

Final positions:  1. Antigua and Barbuda, 2. Grenada, 3. St Vincent and the Grenadines, 4. St Lucia, 5. Bermuda, 6. French St Martin.