T&T warm up for final with third win

ST AUGUSTINE, Trinidad, May 26, 2013: T&T warmed up for the gold medal match against the winner of the Barbados/Honduras encounter with its third straight sets victory, 25-14, 25-14, 25-8 over Anguilla, in their  final round-robin match of  the NORCECA Women’s Second Round  Group I qualifiers to the 2014 FIVB World Championship in Italy on Sunday morning.

This was in the penultimate round-robin match at the University of the West Indies Sports and Physical Educational Centre, St Augustine.

The seventh NORCECA  ranked  T&T “Calypso Spikers” entered the match with  maximum ten points, after sweeping regional rivals, Barbados and Honduras in their first two matches, both by 3-0 margins, and was certain of a spot in the Third Round of qualification while Anguilla, had a 0-2 mark, and needed a win to stand any chance.

However, despite resting first team regulars Channon Thompson, Kelly-Anne Billingy, Sinead Jack and captain Krystle Esdelle for most of the contest, the host proved too much for the visitors, with a 36-10 points advantage on spikes, 8-1 on blocks and 7-0 on service aces.

Leading the way for T&T, which will enter the final as the top team with maximum 15 points, was Abigail Gloud with 13 points, 12 of which were kills while Andrea  Kinsale and  Darlene Ramdin added  11 each, and Abby Blackman, nine in the lopsided  which came in 54 minutes.

For  Anguilla, ranked 22nd in NORCECA, captain Susan Webster was her team leading scorer with eight points.

Commenting after the loss, her team’s third from as many outings, Webster said she knew it was going to be tough against T&T, but she was happy her team enjoyed the match and took it as part of a learning experience.

With regards to their overall play so far, Webster she was somewhat puzzled as to why Anguilla had not played to its true potential.

“We are missing three of our key players through injury, but up to this point we have not reached the level that we can play.

With a ticket to the Third Round of qualification already secured, Esdelle said she was happy to see that her team performances have improved from the first match.

“We knew Anguilla was not as strong as the other teams, so we had to keep our focus and play our own game. 

Justus Connor, coach of Anguilla echoed the views of Webster saying his  team  has played nowhere close to its capabilities.

“Even though T&T maybe a better team on us my belief is that when the whistle blows it’s anyone’s match to win.

Francisco Cruz, T&T’s Cuban-born coach noted he was pleased with how the team has progressed to the next round of qualification while also happy to give some other players a chance to play.

“Everything is fine with how we are playing, but I also had  to keep in mind that some of the other players are nursing injuries  and give the other players the chance to play and develop.’

On Sunday, in the final round-robin match, Barbados and Honduras meet in a virtual battle for the second spot to the next round of qualification to Italy and a place in the Group I qualifying final against T&T from 8pm on Sunday night.

 The other two teams will play for third spot on Sunday from 6pm with the winner still in with a chance to qualify for Italy.

However, it will only do so as the best ranked third placed team of all the six Second Round groups on the NORCECA ranking on January 1, 2014.