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St. Maarten clinch semifinal spot; beat host BVI in thrilling 5 setter
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, October 14, 2023. - St. Maarten are the fourth
semifinalist in the ECVA U23 Male Championship after a thrilling five
set victory over host the British Virgin Islands. The match 19 win was
laced with emotion, stunning turning arounds and nail-biting rallies.
St. Maarten responded after an inspirational move, where their captain
was inserted into the match in the latter half of the fourth set. He was
sidelined up to that point because of personal reasons but his
introduction to the game motivated his team. They took that momentum
right into the fifth set.
Top scorer for the match was the British Virgin Islands Kymal Panchoo
with 16 points. The leading scorer for St. Maarten was Marcin
Kwiatkowski. He tallied 15 points.
The host team British Virgin Islands won the first set behind several
key blocks and forcing the opponent to play out of system. The vocal
support of the home crowd also provided added incentive to come out
firing.
St. Maarten were able to silence the crowd with added hustle and
consistent serving and attacks and by the time both teams began trading
points in the latter stages of the set, the visitors had established a
comfortable lead.
In the third set, St. Maarten rode the momentum from the previous set.
They led eight (8) to zero (0) at the first technical timeout. Playing
from behind proved too much for the host and they conceded the set.
The host came alive in the fourth set. They reverted to their blocking
strategy and it rattled the St. Maarten players. Their captain Panchoo
got a whiff of the “Midas touch”; he carried his team. It was a stunning
turnaround for the home side.
The fifth set was a full on battle, as both teams fought to gain the
advantage. At the point of switching, St. Maarten held a slim lead and
they were able to diffuse a last charge to steal the set.
St. Martin’s coach Nicholas Henrietta was beaming with pride. He
emphasized how proud he was of his team and noted that they will relish
the victory as it provides additional confidence heading into the
semifinal.
The British Virgin Islands coach Kwele Williams said he was impressed
with the level of play that his team showcased in the loss and noted
that it was indicative of a passion to continue their volleyball growth.
The four semifinalists are St. Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, St. Vincent
and the Grenadines and St. Maarten. Both semifinals will be played
tomorrow morning (October 15).
Follow the link below for live streaming:
https://www.youtube.com/@ecva.volleyball |
