Barbados whips Guadeloupe to reach semis 

RIVIERE-SALEE, Martinique, December 9, 2019 - Three-time reigning champions and five-time winners Barbados became the first team to qualify for the semifinals at the 2019 Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Junior (Under-21) Men Championship with a straight-sets defeat of Guadeloupe.

Winners of their Pool C opener versus Curacao on Sunday night, Barbados, hunting an unprecedented fourth straight and record-sixth crown stormed to victory 25-14, 25-17, 25-19 at the La Ville Riviere-Salee Palais Des Sport.

Stand-out scorer and reigning “Most Valuable Player”, team captain Akeel Oxley noted that his team played a much better overall game than their first, improving in all aspects.

Coach John Stuart added, “I’m glad that we were able to accomplish our first target of getting to the semifinals as quickly as possible.

“We know how tough the match against Guadeloupe was going to be because they are always a big challenge for us.”

Isaac Valetudie, captain of Curacao admitted that coming up against Barbados was a big test for his team first up and they needed to be more consistent with less errors.

Gayetann Broussillon admitted that starting off against the champions was always going to be a big challenge for his team.

“It was our first match and we did not play our best and we now have to come back with a better performance the next time we play.”

With the win, Barbados ended with a 2-0 record and assured of top spot with nine points while Curacao and Guadeloupe meet on Tuesday from 2 pm to determine second and third ahead of their crossover quarterfinals on Wednesday.