SPANISH TOWN, Jamaica, August 2, 2025.- Both teams from Barbados and one each from Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname will contest the finals of the CAZOVA U17 volleyball championships at GC Foster in Spanish Town, Jamaica on Sunday.
Suriname’s unbeaten women advanced to the main game after beating Trinidad and Tobago 3-2 in an absorbing spectacle of serving and hitting, arguably the best game of the championships thus far.
Outside hitter Sadie Tokar was the standout player for TT, working tirelessly both in attack and defense. After overpowering Jamaica 3-0 and capitulating 1-3 to Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago were in a mean mood. They jumped on a competitive Suriname from the start and quickly went up two sets to nil, 25-17, 25-21. But Suriname, led by left outside hitter Zoe Roethoj, were undaunted. They fought back with great hitting and took the third set 25-16. This lit a fire, and the Suriname girls exploded. They went on to win the next two sets, 25-21, 15-10, to cap off a memorable encounter and advancement to the final.
Claudius Staal, coach of Suriname, blamed the slow start on complacency. “The girls came in the game believing that they were the better team. They weren’t playing like it. I reminded them that they would have to play the best to win the game. They went out and started to play like they should, ” he said. Staal said he has been targeting this competition because it’s a qualifier for bigger tournaments in the future. “We want to win here to get an opportunity in the NORCECA championships later in the year,” he informed.
Barbados women, on the other hand, waltzed into the final without breaking a sweat. They beat hosts Jamaica, who have not won a game, 3-0: 25-10, 25-22, and 25-6.
The men’s final will be between unbeaten Barbados and a battling Trinidad and Tobago. Trinidad and Tobago had to dig deep to beat Suriname 3-2. TT won the first two sets 25-18, 25-22, but the gritty Surinamese were not done. They upped their game to win the next two sets (25-12, 25-18) and put themselves on par. Trinidad was a little more certain with their service game in the final set (15-12), which carried them through.
Unbeaten Barbados was through to the final even before their first serve. As soon as Trinidad and Tobago beat Suriname earlier in the day, they knew they had qualified. They warmed up for the final by beating Jamaica 3-0: 25 -12, 25 -11, and 25 -18.
The finals will take place at the same venue on Sunday.
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