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SPANISH TOWN, Jamaica, August 30, 2015 - Jamaica is the 2015
Caribbean Zonal Volleyball under 19 champions! The hosts of the
2015 tournament as they defeated Barbados 25-22, 25-23, 25-16 to
win the four-team tournament, the first it had ever won in
international volleyball competition at any level.
The team will now represent CAZOVA in the NORCECA Under 19
tournament that is to be held sometime between later this year
and next year.
Jamaica also exacted a measure of revenge on the defending
champions that beat them three sets to one on the first day of
the tournament last Thursday.
In Sunday’s final, Jamaica overcame a six-point deficit in what
was a keenly contested first set that got the home crowd
consisting mainly of college students cheering wildly.
Barbados again began the second set racing to an 8-2 lead before
a time out was called. On the resumption Jamaica went on an
eight-one run to lead 10-9. Ten to nine soon became 13 to nine
as the Jamaicans tried to race to a two-set to love lead.
Barbados weren’t having it.
The defending champions came into the final on an unbeaten
streak of four games and were not going to roll over and die.
Spurred by their outside hitter No. 2 Brandon Callender, who had
18 spikes, and libero Akeel Oxley, Barbados rallied to take the
lead 22-18, when Jamaica’s head coach Steve Davis called a time
out.
Following the break, Jamaica clawed their way back to eke out a
close win 25-23.
Facing a daunting task of winning three straight sets against an
opponent growing in confidence as the game went on, Barbados
battled bravely but the influence of tournament MVP Jovan
Thomas, Jamaica’s captain whose nine left handed spikes were
virtually unstoppable, and six from No.8 Shavar James Jamaica
they fairly raced to a comfortable 25-16 win to snatch the
title. |
