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PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, February 17, 2016 - Technocrats sounded
a warning to all clubs in the Flow T&T Volleyball Federation
Premier Division League when it swept long-time rival Glamorgan
in both their men and women season openers at the Central
Regional Indoor Sports Arena, Chaguanas, on Tuesday night.
Both matches were repeats of last season’s title deciders,
however, by the end of the opening night of competition,
Technocrats were the ones beating their chest loudest as they
target the top prize of $30,000 in each division.
Technocrats showed its depth on the night, led by new Captain
Newton Grant, and fellow national players Marlon Phillip and
Nicholas Prescott as well as ex-captain and national stand-out
Sean Morrison, they rallied for a come-from-behind win over the
Saleem Ali and Ryan Stewart led Glamorgan in five entertaining
sets, 18-25, 25-20, 26-24, 13-25, 17-15 in two hours and 17
minutes.
The other teams in the men’s competition are BIG South East Port-of-Spain
(SEPoS), Challengers, Defence Force, Southern United Volleyball
Academy, Titans, Toco Youths Volleyball Academy and T&T
Development Academy.
Billingy, Forde power Technocrats to victory
Earlier on in the night’s opening match, current national
captain Renele Forde and her predecessor, Kelly-Anne Billingy
combined to lead Technocrats to a straight sets win, 26-24,
25-18, 25-20 over defending champions, Glamorgan in a repeat of
last season’s title match.
Outside hitter, Billingy, a former top Caribbean spiker, scorer
and “Most Valuable Player” awardee led all scorers with 13
points, inclusive of eight spikes while Forde added 11,
highlighted by four spikes, two blocks and two aces apiece in
the one hour and 23 minutes contest.
On the opposite side of the net for the Glamorgan squad which
featured a host of national youth team players Reanna Young had
a team-high nine points while senior T&T international middle-blocker
Jalicia Ross-Kydd got eight.
Technocrats dominated on spikes 28-21 and aces, 9-5 while
Glamorgan had the slight edge on blocks, 8-7.
The other clubs in the Women’s Premier Division are BIG SEPOS,
Southern United Volleyball Academy, University of T&T (UTT),
West Side Stars and T&T Development Academy.
The top two teams at the end of the two rounds of men’s and
women’s matches will qualify straight to the semifinals, while
third to sixth contest quarterfinals.
The men and women winners will each collect $30,000 while second
gets $20,000; third $15,000; fourth—$10,000 while fifth and
sixth will get $7,500, and the other places $5,000 each.
Prior to the start of the double-header, a brief opening
ceremony took place after which Minister of Sports Darryl Smith
took the first serve.
Also in attendance and making brief addresses were T&T Olympic
Committee president Brian Lewis, Managing Director of Flow,
Brian Collins; Wendy Mc Donald Marketing Director of Flow; and
NORCECA vice-president Mushtaque Mohammed and Daymian Stewart
President of the T&TVF. The night will also featured a
performance by newly-crowned International Soca Monarch winner
Aaron “Voice” St Louis, who performed his hit song, Cheers To
Life. |
