Antigua blots St Lucia’s record in five setter

ST. JOHN’s, Antigua and Barbuda, August 23, 2019 -  Antigua and Barbuda lost the first two sets, but rebounded to blot St Lucia’s record, winning 3-2 (10-25, 20-25, 25- 23, 25-20, 15-9) in the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Under-20 Female Volleyball Tournament, here at the YMCA Sporting Complex.

St Lucia, who had straight sets wins over Bermuda and Saba, seemed on course to make it another formality after winning sets one and two.

However, Antigua and Barbuda regrouped, and buoyed by the home support, rallied to take the match beyond three sets, and eventually trumped the duel.

Topping Antigua and Barbuda’s scoring was Nashea Browne, who had 14 points. Clio Phillip with 15 points, led St Lucia’s scoring.

An excited Nashea Browne, Antigua and Barbuda’s Captain, in reflecting on the close match recalled, “At first we started off shaky, but we got back in the game and we executed well to win the match”.

Anticipating another strong challenge from Bermuda in the semi-finals, Browne wants her players to have the same mind-set, as they had against the St Lucians.

  “I’m hoping for the same energy, positivity when we come up against Bermuda and also come up with a win”, Browne stated.

Similarly, Head Coach of the Antigua and Barbuda team- Rixon Joseph was equally analytical of the nervy but exciting match versus St Lucia.

“In the first two sets, my team was still nervous but we had to make some changes, putting certain players in different positions to actually get a good outcome from the game”, Joseph reported.

He advised, “As long as come and play Volleyball as we played against St Lucia, I know we will win surely against Bermuda”.

But it was a different tone for the Coach of St Lucia – Terry Verdant.

“Tonight’s game was a disappointment to me but at least we played our bad game tonight”, Verdant acknowledged.

Both Verdant and team Captain- Amalia Louis exuded “confidence” of getting past Saba in the semi-finals.

St Lucia finished the preliminary round in first place, with Bermuda – second. Antigua and Barbuda was third and Saba- fourth.

St Lucia plays Saba in the first semi- final, with Bermuda facing Antigua and Barbuda in the second.