St Kitts and Nevis stop Grenada to set up showdowns

LABORIE, Grenada, August 20, 2016: St Kitts and Nevis’ men bounced back from their loss to St Vincent and the Grenadines to oust Grenada 3-1 (25-18, 25-22, 21-25, 25-22) Saturday at the Laborie Indoor Facility to set up  Group B of the NORCECA Zone FIVB World Championships Qualifiers.

The win for St Kitts and Nevis placed both teams after two matches were in a 1-1 win /loss situation, therefore it will must wins in their next encounters on Sunday to enhance their chances of playing in the title match.

In crafting their team’s triumph, Jason Liburd, St Kitts and Nevis’ Opposite counted 13 points, while Outside Hitters- Rohan Jeffers and St Clair Hodge,  penned 12 points to their names.

Grenada’s statistics in the points segment, showed Outside Hitter- Kevon Noel scoring 11 and Middle Blocker- Mikel John registering 10.

Both teams were equal on Spikes, 35-35, but St Kitts and Nevis outdid Grenada on Blocks, 8-6.

Grenada was the superior team on sets 21-19 and on reception, 29-19.

Joao Carlos Morales de Campos, St Kitts and Nevis’ coach, thumbed being settled as the major factor for his team’s win on the night.

“We got over being anxious in the first match against St Vincent and the Grenadines... We played better as the players were all relaxed in this our second match and I used all players and this was important”, de Campos said.

He added that the win placed his team in a better position to advance to the final, but must first get over Bermuda, but must do so convincingly.

The mood was different for Raphael Brathwaite, coach of the Grenada team.

A subdued Braithwaite said at the end of his team’s loss, “Our team did not have the zeal as they had in their first match and did not look that they really wanted to win... They, in my estimation just went through the motions”.

Looking ahead to his team’s next match up against St Vincent and the Grenadines, Brathwaite projected, “It will be a crucial game for us, we have to at least take two sets from St Vincent and the Grenadines and hope that Bermuda beat St Kitts and Nevis so that we can get a chance to make it to the finals”.

Sunday’s first match sees St Kitts and Nevis going head to head with Bermuda.