Grand stand finish looms as Men chase ECVA title

CASTRIES, St Lucia, February 24, 2024:  A grand stand finish looms as quarter finalists in the Men’s segment of the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Senior Beach Volleyball Tournament here at the Cul de Sac Bay, have been decided, after eight matches that were completed on day two.

St Kitts and Nevis winners of Group A, will face off against St Lucia Team Two , while St Lucia Team One,  who took Group B will oppose St Lucia Team Three.

Group C winners- St Vincent and the Grenadines  will take on  Dominica  Team One and  Grenada, winners of Group D faces Antigua and Barbuda.

In the final set of group matches, St Kitts and Nevis pair of Elkreen Morton and Clerique  Ward  beat Dominica’s  Yahn Florent and Ray Robinson 2-0 ( 21-17, 21-13) to maintain their unbeaten run.

But a little more challenge was on offer for the St Lucia Team One of Sheldon Descartes and Joseph Clercent who had to dig deep to ward off  Bermuda’s Kyle  Hamilton and Benjamin  Barnett 2-1( 21-8, 27-29, 15-9)  to also register their second win in as many matches.

To top Group C, St Vincent and the Grenadines pair of Jamaar Cropper and Ronaldo Franklyn had a hard -fought 2-0 ( 21-17, 23- 21) triumph over Antigua and Barbuda’s Adrian Constant and  Jamarie James, with Darron Oxford and Isaac Nelson of Grenada comfortably defeating  Anguilla’s Aiden Hazzard  and Da’ Qwan Fredericks 2-0( 21-11, 21-15).

It was Anguilla’s second loss for the day, as they were beaten by St Lucia’s Team Three of Jevauny Roberts and Peter Emmanuel, 2-0 ( 21-14, 21-16)

In the play offs to decided the other quarter finalists Rio Victor and Darnell Eudoxie of St Lucia Team Two ousted the Dominica Team Two combination of Bill Frederick and  Mervin Mingo 2-1 ( 21-15, 17-21, 15-12)

Antigua and Barbuda’s Constant and James, overcame Bermuda’s Hamilton and Barnett 2-0 (21-18, 21-19) and Dominica’s Florent and Robinson Anguilla’s Hazzard  and Fredericks 2-0( 21-9, 21-14).

Also advancing from the play off was St Lucia Team Three represented by Jevauny Roberts and  Peter Emmanuel. They beat the British Virgin Islands’ J’adon George and Jose Ramirez 2-0( 21-12, 21-13).

The semifinals will feature the winner between St Lucia Team Two and  St Kitts and Nevis versus either Antigua and Barbuda or Grenada, and the winners of the  St Lucia Team One versus St Lucia Team Three, against the St Vincent and the Grenadines/ Dominica duel.

A mouth- watering final pits the winners of the semi-finals, while the losers battle for the consolation third place.