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PLEASANTVILLE, San Fernando, Trinidad, July 10,
2022 - US Virgin Islands swept aside 2019
winners Suriname 3-0 (25-23, 25-23, 25-17) to
book a spot in the 2021 Caribbean Zonal
Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Youth Girls
(Under-19) Championship match with a perfect
round-robin record of 3-0 at the Southern
Regional Indoor Sports Arena (SRISA).
With the victory, the US Virgin Islands ended
top of the four-team round-robin table with 14
points, eight ahead of Martinique (1-1) who have
one match left to play against winless Trinidad
and Tobago (0-2) while dethroned champion
Suriname who ended with a 1-2 record and five
points.
At the end of the four-team round-robin series,
the top two teams will play for the gold medal
and third and fourth will contest the bronze
playoff.
Following the win which secured a first finals'
appearance since falling to host Trinidad and
Tobago in the decider in 2007 , US Virgin
Islands coach Isaac Raphael said he was very
elated and proud of his team, and extremely
delighted as well to be from the Virgin Islands.
"Credit must be given to our volleyball
federation and President Lucille Hobson for
setting up our program and the pathway for this
team to be where it is, in with a chance to win
a gold medal," stated Raphael.
"This journey started since 2019 with most of
these players and to see the work that has been
put in bear fruit is very refreshing, but we
know its not the end of the road as we still
have the final to play and hope to complete the
job of securing our first ever title at this
level.
Claudius Straal, coach of the Suriname girls
said his team had a good start but then their
performance level dropped.
"We have a very slim chance now to get to the
final because I expect Martinique to get the
better of Trinidad and Tobago, so now our focus
is to finish in the top three after being the
champions in 2019." |
