Trinidad & Tobago qualifies to their first FIVB WCH ever

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad & Tobago, October 14, 2017.- Trinidad & Tobago qualified to the Women’s 2018 FIVB World Championship, their first ever, after defeating Costa Rica 3-0 (25-19, 25-16, 25-22) while hosting the NORCECA Group C qualifier in the National Cycling Centre.

Trinidad & Tobago worked hard to beat a resilient Costa Rica that started off all three sets with advantage. The home girls’ power blocking and spiking kicked in to control Costa Rica. The “Trinis” struggled to recover from a four point (7-11) deficit in set three while Costa Rica showed flawless defense.

The win qualified both Trinidad & Tobago and Mexico, who had bead Dominica earlier. These both teams will meet on Sunday to decide NORCECA Group C winner.

Trinidad & Tobago held advantage in every category, with 39-25 in kills, 8-3 in blocks and 4-3 in aces. Trinidad & Tobago finished with 26 errors and Costa Rica with 24.

Jack Sinead led the home team with 15 points, joined by  Kryste Esdelle with 13 points and Channon Thompson with 10 points. Paola Ramirez of Costa Rica scored 13 points, while Tannia Carazo and Yuliana Gonzalez chipped in with 6 points apiece.

Krystle Esdelle, Captain of Trinidad & Tobago: “I am so excited. Four years ago we lost our opportunity and this year we were determined to make it happen. We decided that we wanted to win tonight and not wait for tomorrow. Our work has been difficult because it has been hard to keep the group together and look for support. We recovered well from our error against Costa Rica”.

Francisco Cruz, Head Coach of Trinidad & Tobago: “Costa Rica fought hard and my players were really pressured to win the qualification today. This is an historic win because our sport conditions aren’t ideal for practice and our years of hard work are paying off today. I worked with my players to control their anxiety and to follow my instructions; my job was also in stake. My team was able to push Costa Rica in our rhythm of the game”.

Mijal Hines, Captain of Costa Rica: “Costa Rica showed a lot of potential. This is a process and we are motivated to continue working for the Central American Games. Despite our loss, we have our heads up and we are ready to keep a good level, we must practice mentally”.

César Salas, Head Coach of Costa Rica: “Our tactic kicked in the second set; we pushed hard with our serves but Trinidad & Tobago’s blockers are very strong. We worked around their blocks which on occasions went well. It was a tough match and Costa Rica never gave up. We weren’t able to keep our advantage in scores because our opponent’s strength was hard to contain. Costa Rica is building a new team and we are leaving with high expectations”.