Home team readies for finals battle with TTO

KINGSTON, Jamaica, Sunday July 30, 2017-AMAICA put together a thoroughly efficient performance in the first two sets and recovered from a slow start in the next to blow past Guadeloupe 3-0 in the semi-final of the 2017 Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Women’s Championship, at the National Indoor Sports Centre on Sunday night.

Importantly, the CAZOVA tournament is also the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) Round Two World Championship Qualifier.

Prior to the start, defending champions Trinidad and Tobago were guaranteed a place in FIVB Round Three elimination.

Jamaica sealed up the second spot on offer for the FIVB Round Three World Championship series with Sunday night’s 25-18, 25-12, 25-19 victory over Guadeloupe.

“It’s good, it feels good. It was our first objective to get to the finals if Trinidad was in the finals and we’ve secured that. It’s now moving onto our second objective, which is trying to win at home and create history,” said Ricardo Chong, as his team celebrated dual success at the final whistle.

They swept through the opening sets, the second in particularly, but got off to a slow start in the third.

“I think that is a little bit of complacency, being up two sets, knowing that as a team we’re a stronger team than Guadeloupe if they played to their potential,” observed Chong. “We called the time-out, spoke to them and they came out back firing.”

Jamaica’s all-round collective effort was reflected in their scoring, with Tahleia Bishop (13), Sashalee Thomas (10), Danaisha Moss (9), Simone Asque (7) and Aiko Jones (6) contributing reasonably well. Bishop had 12 kills and Thomas nailed seven.

Guadeloupe’s scoring was led by Amandine Mauricette and Leslie Figere-Turiaf, who registered all points in seven and five kills, respectively. Sandra Ramier also scored five points, inclusive of two blocks.

Despite a huge error difference, 28 to 19, Jamaica still ran out easy winners.

“We could have done better and we made a lot of direct faults and that’s what I think penalised us to go further,” said Guadeloupe’s captain, Delphine Stephen.

“It’s a sour feeling not moving onto the final. I don’t even know what to say,” added Stephen. “Jamaica were better than us on this one, so congratulations to Jamaica for the next round.”

Her coach, Pascal Douglas, said as much.

“Compared to yesterday there wasn’t any rage and motivation. We will leave this competition with no regrets because we came from far,” said Douglas, in reference to losing their first two games. “Jamaica has been stronger than us on this one.”

Guadeloupe will play the other semi-final loser, Suriname, for third at 4:00 p.m. this afternoon, with Jamaica, runners-up in 2015 when they last participated, battling Trinidad and Tobago for championship honours.

Chong liked the fact they sewed up the semi-final quickly.

He said: “It’s very important because we made sure we had a rest day yesterday, recovered properly for today and hopefully tomorrow will be a little more exciting.”

Assessing the challenge, Chong said: “We’ve played them a few times in the final and it has been a struggle sometimes because they’re a better team and they get more match experience internationally.

“But today Suriname took a set from them so they’re not invincible at this level,” he analysed of the Trinidadians’ 3-1 semi-final win, also on Sunday.