Unstoppable Hunsel powers Suriname to third

KINGSTON, Jamaica, July 31, 2017 - The unstoppable Sandrina Hunsel powered Suriname to third place in the 2017 Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Women’s Championship, racking up 31 points in her team’s 3-1 win over Guadeloupe in the opening game of yesterday’s finals day double-header.

Hunsel, who has been putting up high scores all tournament, cannoned home 30 kills as Suriname won 25-15, 24-26, 25-17, 25-22 here at the National Indoor Sports Centre.

Sisters Odille Kame and Sigourney Kame provided made good contributions to their team’s scoring, with each getting 10 points. Sigourney was solid in attack, slamming away nine kills, while Odille’s effort counter more on the defensive end, with four blocks.

Interestingly, both teams made the same number of errors, 33, and in such a case the team that creates the highest number of scoring chances wins.

Suriname had 285 attempts in comparison to Guadeloupe’s 257 and the former duly capitalised on that disparity.

For Guadeloupe, which won a tight second set, Leslie Figere-Turiaf, their leading scorer all tournament, against topped the charts with 19 points. Included in that were 12 kills and four blocks.

Julie Dise, with nine points and Amandine Mauricette, eight, were the next best scorers for Guadeloupe. Dise nailed seven kills, while Sherley Lanimarac had three blocks in her five points.

This tournament is also the International Volleyball Association (FIVB) Round Two World Championship Qualifier. Defending champions Trinidad and Tobago and hosts Jamaica, which again finished runners-up, claimed the two available spots to advance to the next stage of Worlds qualifying.

The Trinidadiand were already assured a qualifying spot coming into the tournament, on the basis of their status as defending champions.

The crucial FIVB Round Three elimination will be hosted by three countries later this year, with each being a four-team tournament. The first will be staged in Canada from September 26-30; Trinidad and Tobago will host the second from October 4-9; while the third will be held in the Dominican Republic from October 11-16.

Six teams – the top two from each group – will advance to the 2018 World Championship, that will run from September 29 to October 20.