St. Kitts and Nevis and Bahamas post golden set victories

Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, December 2, 2011 – St. Kitts and Nevis and Bahamas claimed golden set victories to advance along with Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago to the semifinals of the Inter Zonal NORCECA Men’s Beach Volleyball Continental Cup following Friday’s opening day action.

The event forms part of the qualification process towards the 2012 London Olympic Games. The top five teams of the competition will play in the third phase against the top five countries of Central America.

Shawn Seabrookes and St. Clair Hodge gave St. Kitts and Nevis an early lead with a 2-1 (21-9, 17-21, 15-11) victory over Barbados’ Kyle Browne and Jabarry Goodridge only to see Hugh Sealey and Winston Gittens tying the best-of-three series with a 2-1 (15-21, 22-20, 18-16) thrilling win against Carl Steadroy Collins and Kemoroy Percival. The golden set finished 15-12 with Seabrookes/Hodged defeating Browne/Goodridge.

Bahamas’ Muller Petit and Renaldo Knowles won 2-1 (21-13, 17-21, 15-4) over Cayman Islands’ Philippe Deslandes and Olney Thompson but the home crowd favorites Shervin Rankin and Richard Campbell responded with a 2-0 (21-9, 21-17) victory against Byron Fergunson and Princtanique Wilson. The golden set went to Petit/Knowles who claimed a 15-10 victory against Rankin/Campbell.

Jamaica’s Wayne Scott and Mark Lewis won 2-0 (21-18, 21-12) over St. Lucia’s Julian Bissette and Dayne Williams followed by Andre McLean and Donovan Richards who defeated Gillan Octave an Faulkner 2-0 (21-13, 21-12).

Trinidad and Tobago scored a 2-0 victory over Antigua when Fabien Whitfield and Simon Blake overwhelmed Olsen Joseph and Kilon Cabrall 2-0 (21-6, 21-10) and Christian Francois and Sean Morrison downed Angus Gittens and Rawle Lee 2-0 (21-11, 21-11).

The double-elimination tournament continues on Saturday with twelve matches at the Seven Miles Beach of Grand Cayman.

Friday’s results: JAM d VIN (2-0), CAY d DOM (2-0), JAM d LCA (2-0), TRI d ANT (2-0), SKN d BAR (2-1); BAH d CAY (2-1), BAR d VIN (2-0), DMA d ANT (2-1).