Rodell Fraser and Delshun Welcome lead St Vincent to male title

PIGEON POINT, St Lucia, October  20, 2013:   St Vincent and the Grenadines male duo of Rodell Fraser and Delshun Welcome spiked their way to the top spot in the male segment of the  Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association(ECVA) Zone of the  NORCECA Round of the Youth Olympic  Beach Qualification Tournament, which ended here on Sunday afternoon.

The pair formalized  their unbeaten run in the tournament,  in near dominating fashion over Dominica’s Arden Elmes and Yahn Florent, taking both matches in the best of three final series.

The Vincentians  won both matches 2-0. They had to ward off a defiant Elmes and Florent in the first  match, but came through 21-16, 22-20. In the second match, Fraser and Welcome blew away their opponents 21-9, 21-5. 

Fraser and Welcome, not only won the gold medal, but booked a berth for St Vincent and the Grenadines to the 2014 Youth Olympic Games, when Beach Volleyball makes its debut.

There was more history making achievement, as it will be the first time St Vincent and the Grenadines will be represented at the Olympic Games in a team sport.

In addition, they finished the two day tournament, dropping only one set and ended  with a 10-1 win /loss ratio.

Before meeting Elmes and Florent, Fraser and Welcome saw off Grenada’s team of Sherman Clement and Jayvon Gilbert  in two straight matches, to sweep the series without many complications.

The Vincentians won 2-0( 21-14, 21-15 ) and (21-14, 21-11).

And, it was an expected result according to Fraser and Welcome, who concurred that they were the best pair show.

“ We knew we were the best from day one…  We knew once we trained hard, it would have come easily for us…We trained very hard for this for the past two months, now we are overjoyed”, Fraser said with a broad grin.

Both acknowledgedthough, that they would have to work harder, to ensure that  they  are the two who head to China  in August , 2014.

Second place Dominica had a harder route to the final, taken to the golden set by the St Lucian combination of Alexander Augier and AndreMarquis .

St Lucia won match one- 2-0 ( 21-11, 22-20), but Dominican sent the contest into a golden set , as they took match two 2-1( 21-23, 21-10, 15-11).

Elmes and Florent edged out Augier and Marquis in the golden set , 16-14 in thrilling fashion.

St Lucia came away with the third spot, taking the two matches at the expense of Grenada.St Lucia won 2-0 ( 21-12, 21-15) and 2-0 ( 23-21, 21-13).

But it is not all over for Dominica and  St Lucia, as they have another chance at qualification in the second round which begins next year.

Full Day’s Results

FINAL  Best of three: VIN d DMA 2-0 ( 21-16, 22-20) and 2-0 9 21-9, 21-5). Semifinals – VIN d GRN 2-0 and 2-0 ( 21-14, 21-15) and (21-14, 21-11). LCA d  DMA 2-0 ( 21-11, 22-20) . DMA d LCA 2-1 ( 21-23, 21-10, 15-11). Golden Set:  DMA d LCA 16-14. Third Place SLU d GRN  2-0 (21-12, 21-15 ) and 2-0 ( 23-21, 21-13)