Hunsel is MVP in Aruba

SANTA CRUZ, Aruba, November 27, 2016: Sandrina Hunsel captured three individual awards after propelling Suriname to the gold medal in the CAZOVA Group B qualifying tournament for the 2018 FIVB Women’s World Volleyball Championship tonight.

Suriname won all three matches in the round-robin tournament and then dominated the closing ceremony by picking up eight of the 12 individual prizes.

Hunsel was the Best Scorer as well as one of the two Best Outsider Hitters and the lanky No. 18 also captured the most treasured prize of them all – Most Valuable Player.

Teammate Johnelle Jameson also walked away with three awards as the 16-year-old was voted Best Digger, Best Receiver and Best Libero of the two-day tournament.

Janice Valies and skipper Cheryl Brunings secured the other two awards for Suriname - Best Opposite Hitter and Best Setter, respectively.

Hunsel shared the award for Best Opposite Hitter with Naike Rogatien, the only player from runners-up Martinique to capture an individual prize.

Haiti finished with the bronze medal in the four-team competition, but ended up with three individual awards as Rose Jally Salomon was the Best Server and the No. 10 also shared the Best Middle Blocker prize with teammate Dahjna Blemur.

Hosts Aruba had no players receiving individual awards but ended the tournament being able to boast that they were the only team that forced the gold medallists to play four sets. 

Suriname and Martinique qualified for the second round, which will be hosted by Jamaica in July 2017.

The next edition of the Women’s World Championship will be contested in Japan and this Confederation, NORCECA, will have six qualifiers  plus defending champions United States in the event. 

Individual awards:

Best Scorer – #18 Sandrina Hunsel (SUR)

Best Outside Hitter – # 18 Sandrina Hunsel (SUR), #5 Naike Rogatien (MQE)

Best Opposite Hitter – # 8 Janice Valies (SUR)

Best Middle Blocker – #10 Rose Jally Salomon (HAI), #17 Dahjna Blemur (HAI)

Best Server – #10 Rose Jally Salomon (HAI)

Best Digger – #2 Johnelle Jameson (SUR)

Best Setter – #1 Cheryl Brunings (SUR)

Best Receiver – #2 Johnelle Jameson (SUR)

Best Libero – #2 Johnelle Jameson (SUR)

Most Valuable Player -- #18 Sandrina Hunsel (SUR)