Tag: Ecva

St. JOHN’s  ANTIGUA , July  10,  2022 – Antigua and Barbuda did not wilt under the pressure and  came from two sets down to win 3-2(23-25, 23-25, 25-18, 26-24, 15-11)  over St Lucia, and  emerge as champions of the 2022 Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association( ECVA) Senior Men’s Championships.

It was an eruption of joy by players and spectators when the final point was attained for Antigua and Barbuda, at the YMCA Indoor Facility.

But, the eventual winners looked dead and buried after being down two sets to nil, but some tactical adjustments, saw them surging back from the third set, whilst St Lucia began to mount their errors.

Antigua and Barbuda’s scoring was led by Adrian Constant who hit 20 points. Aiding him were Jamarie James and Cairon Davis, who both scored 15 points.

For St Lucia, Tevin St Jean scored 20; Sheldon Descartes- 17 and Anfernee Ferdinand  had 12.

On the night, Antigua and Barbuda were proficient on Blocks, winning 22-9. St Lucia though won on Attacks 46-43 and Serve aces 6-2.

Winning the title, was welcomed by Antigua and Barbuda’s Head Coach- Fitzroy  Benjamin.

With a smile from ear to ear, Benjamin disclosed the formula used to subdue the St Lucians.

“ We changed the line- up, by taking our number seven (Cairon Davis), our tallest player and putting him in the middle… He was able to get some good blocks from the second set onwards and that helped us”. Benjamin related.

He also listed apparent fatigue amongst the St Lucians as well as the vociferous Antigua home support, which contributed to them rebounding from the third set.

“ They were looking tired and began dinking the ball low so our defence stepped … We had the home crowd behind us and that helped us big time”, Benjamin added.

For the St Lucia Head Coach- Terry Verdant, it was a case of his team did not get their game together on the big occasion.

“They were not blocking and were rushing the game and even when they went to the front court, they did not focus on the position of their opponents and that would have worked against us”, Verdant analysed.

He however praised his players for their efforts in spite of not crossing the final.

Final standings: 1. Antigua and Barbuda 2. St Lucia  3. St Maarten 4. Grenada 5. St Vincent and the Grenadines 6. Bermuda 7. St Kitts and Nevis 8. Dominica 9. Anguilla.

St. JOHN’s  ANTIGUA , July  10,  2022:  Antigua and Barbuda’s Adrian Constant was named the Most Valuable Player in the 2022 Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association( ECVA) Senior Men’s Championships.

The left handed Constant, who plays in the Opposite position, was also named Best Opposite and Best Scorer.

Speaking soon after receiving the awards, Constant said that he does not set out to gain personal accolades, as he is more focused on the team’s accomplishments.

“ I only set goals to be consistent and help my team”, Constant admitted.

He however embraced the awards.

“But it feels really good, as it just shows all the work that I have put in, with coaches, without coaches is paying off”, the MVP commented.

Other awardees

Best Setter

Jahmal Small – St Vincent and the Grenadines

Best Outside Hitters

Jamarie James – Antigua and Barbuda

Sheldon Descartes- St Lucia

Best Middle Blockers

Tevin St Jean – St Lucia

Ethan Bolan – Dominica

Best Server

Yahn Florent- Dominica

Best Spiker

Ethan Bolan – Dominica

Best Receiver

Yashid Auguiste – Dominica

Best Libero

Shevon Gludd – Grenada

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, July  10,  2022 –  St Maarten conjured up skills and determination, to record a straightforward 3-0 (25- 23, 25-14, 25-20)  win over Grenada and take the bronze medal in the 2022 Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association( ECVA) Senior Men’s Championships here at the YMCA Indoor Facility.

Thus, St Maarten put the disappointment of losing to Antigua and Barbuda in the semi-final, to be sharper and more efficient in all components of the game, while , who lost to St Lucia in the other semi-final, never found any momentum.

Leonardo Jeffers led St Maarten’s scoring with 12 points. For Grenada , Jerron Phillip had 13 points.

St Maarten finished with a 4:2 win/ loss ratio, while Grenada secured three wins and the same number of losses.

Head Coach of the St Maarten outfit, Clayton Holiday, was happy that his team was able to finish on a high.

Satisfied, that his charges were able to rebound after their loss in the semi -final, Holiday quipped,” Coaches lose games, players win games”.

Looking back on his team’s triumph over the Grenadians, Holiday stated: “ I really wanted to play against them in the semi- finals, but I am happy that the guys closed off  the championships, the way they did”.

Evaluating his team’s performance in the championships, Holiday summed up, “Overall, considered we are not seen as one of the top brass and look at what we have done  going through the preliminaries and clinching the third place 3-0;  I am very proud”.

JOHN’S, Antigua, July 9, 2022 – St Lucia kept the unbeaten run in the 2022 Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association( ECVA) Senior Men’s Championships, with a 3-2 ( 26-28, 25-22, 23-25, 25-21, 15-12) win over Grenada in the semi -final the YMCA Indoor Facility.

St Lucia’s win though was punctuated with some nervy moments, as the pugnacious Grenada team did not let up on the well drilled unit.

Sheldon Descartes and Anfernee Ferdinand, both registered 17 points each for St Lucia and Tevin St Jean added 16.

For Grenada, Darron Oxford had 19 points; Dwane Walcott – 15 and Akim Andrews- 14.

Despite losing, Grenada was more clinical in Attacks, making good 62 of 150, while St Lucia had 49 of their 133 counted.

St Lucia though was outstanding in Blocks, as they registered 16 to Grenada’s 8. It was Grenada the won the Serve aces, 6-4.

But St Lucia’s Head Coach- Terry Verdant, while happy for the win, was not entirely convinced with the output of his charges on the court.

“ We won but we did not do what we suppose to be doing, but I am confident going into the final, but we have to play to win and lessen some of the mistakes that we made here in the semi- finals against Grenada”, Verdant underscored.

In the case of Grenada’s Coach- Raphael Braithwaite, he believed his players were good on the night, but fell short.

“ My boys, their heads may be down, but I am really satisfied that we came out of the semi-finals as winners, despite not reaching the final and I personally, am not disappointed coming in third or fourth”, Braithwaite assessed.

He thought that experience carried St Lucia over the line.

“They came out and played a good game as you can see they are more experienced that we are…Congratulations to St Lucia”, Braithwaite submitted.

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, July 9, 2022 –  Antigua and Barbuda advanced to the gold medal match of the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association( ECVA) Senior Men’s Championships, with a 3-1 ( 22-25, 25- 21, 25-22 , 27-25)  hard fought battle against  St Maarten, here at the YMCA Indoor Facility.

Going into the semi- final as the first place in Pool A, Antigua and Barbuda was put on the back foot in the first set by a St Maarten team that drew on all their experiences.

However, the home team rallied back in the other three sets to finally cross the line and a place in the final.

Again, Antigua and Barbuda’s Captain- Adrian Constant was almost unstoppable, as he poured in 30 points. He was ably assisted by Jamarie James, who contributed 22 points.

For St Maarten, Reigmar Vallies had 18 points, Rajheem  Muelens– 14 and Leonardo Jeffers- 13 points.

Antigua and Barbuda was more proficient on Attacks, winning 61 of their 117, while St Maarten made good 44 of their 115.

Likewise, the Antiguans were better on Blocks 10-5, however, St Maarten aced 7 serves to Antigua and Barbuda’s -2.

Antigua and Barbuda’s Constant who led from the front in many aspects of the semi- finals,  remarked in a post -match interview, “  It was a roller coaster game for us emotionally, because at times the other team was completely out of it and we were on top and there were times they were on top of us and we were out of it”.

Constant thus praised the home crowd’s response in his team’s time of need.

“ The crowd kept us 70/80% and we just needed to find the other 20”, Constant related.

Looking forward to the final versus St Lucia, Constant quipped: “ When you are in the final, you are expected to win”.

Joining Constant in lauding the performance of the Antigua and Barbuda team was Rosemarie Simon, the Assistant Coach.

A happy Simon said:” My players came into the semi- final with a mission and that was to leave and go to the final and we did that”.

“ There were times when we were down and we had to pull the guys back together, but overall they played a splendid game”, the female Assistant Coach commented.

Anticipating that Antigua and Barbuda will trump St Lucia, Simon projected that her team has what it takes to go all the way and take gold.

And, in spite of losing the match, St Maarten Head Coach- Clayton Holiday, was high in praise for his team.

Holiday assessed: “ I  am proud of the way they played… My guys did well … It is regrettable that they ran short of courage to press on when we took the lead, but I must give them credit from rebounding from the previous match against St Lucia… We made some changes which panned out well”.

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, July 9, 2022 – St Vincent and the Grenadines  and  St Kitts and Nevis took the minor places  in the 2022 Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association( ECVA) Senior Men’s Championships Facility.

St Vincent and the Grenadines dismissed Bermuda 3-0 ( 25-20, 25-10, 25-20) to gain the fifth spot.

Daryl Franklyn scored 15 points and Ronaldo Franklyn registered 14 for St Vincent and the Grenadines, with Tyler Hurdle scoring 9 for Bermuda.

Meanwhile while St Kitts and Nevis edged out Dominica  3-2 (25-17, 19-25, 25-13, 17-25, 22-20), to cop the seventh place in the nine team championships.

For St Kitts and Nevis, the joint leading scorers were Nage Hendrickson and Zendai Richards, who both had 16 points. Dominica’s Yahn Florent had 21 points for his team.

Daryl Franklyn- SVG’s Captain

Reviewing their final match, Franklyn said: “ All we needed was some adequate rest as you in the beginning of the competition, we played basically three matches in the less than 24 hours and that took a toll us”.

“ Placing fifth was not the position we expected, because we were the defending champions, but I see great things in the future for the team, as most are under 25 , so just have to regroup and come back stronger”, Frankly proffered.

St Kitts and Nevis Head Coach- Richard Swan

“ It has been a learning experience for many of these young guys that we have and they have learnt… They have learnt how to take better care of their bodies… They had two games in one day and playing four matches  in less than 36 hours , but they fought had and we were able to gain two wins from our five matches and that is commendable for our team”, Swan reflected.

Bermuda’s Head Coach- Robert Saraiva

“ I think we put it all on the court… My guys went out there and gave it their all and I am proud of all of them”, Saraiva said.

Dominica’s Head Coach- Ericson LeBlanc

“ I am not disappointed in my team… We have not played competitive Volleyball as a country in about four years and we are basically building back a brand of Volleyball over the years with  youths because the youths are the future … We are building back… Throughout the region, there is a rebranding of Volleyball as almost every team is starting over with fresh players and those who are hungrier will take it”, LeBlanc commented.

St Vincent and the Grenadines had 2 win and 2 losses; Bermuda registered three wins and two losses, while St Kitts and Nevis won two matches and lost three. Dominica did not register a win from their four matches. 

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, July 9, 2022:   Antigua and Barbuda to close out the preliminary phase of the 2022 Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association( ECVA) Senior Men’s Championships, with a 3-1 ( 22-25, 25- 11, 25-20 , 25-11) trumping over St Kitts and Nevis at the YMCA Indoor Facility.

The win gave Antigua and Barbuda a semi- final berth from Pool A.

Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda and Bermuda, all finished with a 3:1 win/loss ratio, however,  Antigua and Barbuda topped Pool A, with Grenada – second and Bermuda – third.

Antigua  and Barbuda’s Captain- Adrian Constant ensured there was no letting up, as he led from the from pouring in 23 points. He was assisted by Jamarie James, who had 11 points.

For St Kitts and Nevis, Nage Hendrickson contributed 12 points.

Reacting to his team’s win Constant said in a post -match interview: “ We have achieved what we had set out to do and that was to reach the semi- finals and getting to the semi- finals, means that you are one of the good teams”.

Constant said that his team is mentally prepared for the semi- final challenge.

Meanwhile, Rosemarie Simon, Antigua and Barbuda’s Assistant Coach, said that her team came with one mission to dominate St  Kitts and Nevis, hoping to win 3-0.

According to Simon: “ The guys got a little flustered, but pulled ourselves together and win the game and into the semi- finals”.

Simon underscored that the players generally rise to the big occasions and she foresees no exception in the semi- finals.

Antigua and Barbuda  will play second place in Pool B, St Maarten, while Pool B winner- St Lucia takes on Grenada, in the semi- final match ups.

In the case of St Kitts and Nevis, who ended Pool A with a solitary win and three losses, their Captain- James Matthew commended his players for their output.

“ I am impressed with the guys because it is a young and inexperienced team, and we are prepared to develop the talents we possess and come stronger next time”, Matthew commented.

The next  match is the championships, is the play off fixture for the seventh and eighth places, featuring St Kitts and Nevis and Dominica. St Kitts and Nevis ended fourth in Pool A, likewise Dominica in Pool B.

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, July 8, 2022 – Grenada beat the previously undefeated Bermuda 3-0 ( 25-20, 25-22, 25-17) to remain perfect in Pool A of the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association( ECVA) Senior Men’s Championships at the YMCA Indoor Facility. 

Darron Oxford continued his rich vein of scoring form with 11 points for Grenada. For Bermuda, Tyler Hurdle scored 10 points. 

Bermuda won the Blocks segment, 7-5, with Grenada trumping the serve aces, 9-7. 

For Grenada’s Head Coach- Raphael Braithwaite, it is seldom that his team is able to put together three wins on the trot. 

“ This is not normal for us to start that well, but I welcome it puts us basically in the semi-finals”, Braithwaite remarked. 

Whilst lauding the efforts of his players, Braithwaite that Bermuda brought the game to them, but they were able to respond in like manner. 

Braithwaite is looking forward to his team’s match up versus home team Antigua and Barbuda which he plans to use as a rehearsal for the semi- finals. 

His opposite number- Robert Saraiva believe that the defeat was a “ humble pie”, taken them down from the ecstatic feelings from their two previous winning outings. 

“ It cannot all go well, but we have to keep our heads up and prepare for our next match against St Kitts and Nevis and hopefully we can get maximum points and bid strongly for s semi- final place”, Saraiva commented.  

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, July 8, 2022 – St Lucia registered a 3-1( 25- 20, 25-18, 28-30, 25-17) triumph over St Maarten to book the top place in Pool B of the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association( ECVA) Senior Men’s Championships at the YMCA Indoor Facility.

St Lucia took one hour and 53 minutes to complete the win, thus ended the Pool flawless, trumping all three matches.

There were four players who were double figures contributors for St Lucia.

Sheldon Descartes scored 18 points; Tevin St Jean- 16, Anfernee Ferdinand- 13 and 10 came from Darnel Eudoxie.

Scoring the bulk of the points for St Maarten were Rajheem Meulens with 17 and 13 were scored by Riegmar Valies.

St Lucia’s Head Coach- Terry Verdant, despite the margin of victory, was not satisfied with the various passages of play.

“ We struggled a lot in the reception in the third set and although we were able to make amends in the fourth set, overall we have to improve in this area in our semi- final match”, Verdant emphasised.

Clayton Holiday, Head Coach of St Maarten  after the match stated: “ We were unable to put it together in this the last preliminary match… We had a break in between the matches and that did not work for us … We start again in the semi-finals and I believe the guys have what it takes

Holiday said he, his coaching staff and players are ready and raring for whosoever are their semi- final opponents.

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, July 8, 2022 –   St Kitts and Nevis got off the mark with a 3-1(25-27, 25-16, 25-18, 25-11)  win over Anguilla in Pool A of the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association( ECVA) Senior Men’s Championships at the YMCA Indoor Facility. 

Anguilla jumped out at the Kittians, to win the first set, but lost their way in the other three sets that followed. 

Accounting for St Kitts and Nevis’ scoring were Zendai Richards and Aziel Belle, who registered 22 and 21 points, respectively. 

For Anguilla, the lead scorer was Captain Calvin Samuel, who recorded 13 points. 

St Kitts and Nevis led on Blocks 5-4 and service aces, 7-5. 

It was a win that was welcomed by St Kitts and Nevis’ Head Coach- Richard Swan, who was delighted in the efforts on the court by his charges. 

“ I was excited to see our players knowing how to compete… We struggled and got frustrated a little bit in set one, but stayed composed in the other sets and at the same time gained greater confidence”,  Swan analysed.  

Swan was also happy that the players were bettering their skills during the match. 

“During the match, we got better, the players learnt as they went along and that is what I want to see… They learn and improve and do so rapidly”, Swan advanced. 

Likewise pleased with his team’s efforts, was Anguilla’s Head Coach- Jason Liburd. 

“ We were able to take a set and that was commendable and all along there was evident improvements among the players and that is what I am pleased for coming out to a competitive tournament like this”, Liburd related. 

He assessed that from the four matches played by Anguilla, it was all about “upward movement”. 

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, July 8, 2022 – Antigua and Barbuda inflicted a 3-0 ( 25-21, 25-18, 25-21) defeat on the high -flying Grenada in match 15 of the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association( ECVA) Senior Men’s Championships at the YMCA Indoor Facility. 

The decisive match in Pool A, saw the home team never allowing Grenada a foot hold in the match. Antigua and Barbuda, buoyed by home support pressed gas from the get go, and never looked back. 

Led by the left -handed Adrian Constant, with 17 points and Jamarie James- 14 points, Antigua and Barbuda, won an additional 11 points on Blocks. 

For Grenada, Darron Oxford, came away with 15 points. 

The win though set up Antigua and Barbuda’s final match against St Kitts and Nevis, is critical to the two teams that will advance to the semi- finals from the Pool. 

Head Coach of the Antigua and Barbuda team, Fitzroy Benjamin heaped praises on his charges for the execution of the game plan. 

“The guys did well with proper execution of the game plan”, Benjamin lauded.  

Going into some technicalities, Benjamin informed, “ We tried not to go into the centre line and hit the back court , but we had some difficulties in stopping their middle blocker”.  

On the downside, Benjamin lamented, “We have some serving errors which we must correct going forward”. 

But for Head Coach of Grenada- Raphael Braithwaite, the intensity of the championships, affected them.  

“Not to make any excuses, but we had a very hard game against Bermuda and that took a toll on the players as the tiredness showed up in this match”, Braithwaite explained.  

On the other side, according to Braithwaite, “ Antigua and Barbuda came out and had a very good game… I must say it is the best they have played in the championships so far and they caught us struggling to find consistency”.  

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, July 8, 2022 –   Bermuda ensured that there were no more hiccups, as they pushed for a semi- final berth, by stopping St Kitts and Nevis 3-0 ( 25-21, 25-12, 25-14) in Pool A  of the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association( ECVA) Senior Men’s Championships at the YMCA Indoor Facility. 

Bermuda thus ended the preliminary phase with a 3:1 win/loss ratio, while St Kitts and Nevis, with a game in hand, has one win and two losses.  

The pair of Tyler Hurdle and Eron Woods, each registered 14 points for the Bermudans, while for St Kitts and Nevis, the topscorer was Aziel Belle, with 11 points.  

Putting his team’s efforts into perspective, Head Coach of Bermuda, Robert Saraiva, stated, “It was a slow start… We had to get the engine warm before start kicking off”. 

Saraiva accepted that at times, St Kitts and Nevis caused them a few anxious moments, but “give it away at some crucial moments”.  

Meanwhile, Kyle Hamilton, the Bermuda team’s  Captain remarked, “It is an incredible feeling… We started off a little bit slowly, but we told one another we can go forward and win this match with a 3-0…We want to get the medal round and that is what we are playing for”.  

In review of his team’s efforts, Head Coach of St Kitts and Nevis- Richard Swan, apportioned defeat on the strengths of the Bermuda team, as well as his team’s deficiencies. 

“ Bermuda was a solid team; They practically served us off the court  and we never found a rhythm and struggled badly with our ball control and it was always trying to battle back”. Swan summed up. 

“We gave then easy opportunities to score and we did not keep the pressure on them”, Swam added. 

Despite the loss, Swan is hopeful for a better showing in their final match up against Antigua and Barbuda. 

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, July 7, 2022 – St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), ended the preliminary round of Pool B with a 3-0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-20 ) triumph over Dominica of the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association( ECVA) Senior Men’s Championships at the YMCA Indoor Facility.

The best scoreR for St Vincent and the Grenadines was Ronaldo Franklyn who had 20 points and for Dominica, Keaun Reefe had 6 points.

SVG thus ended the Group stage with a 2-1 win-loss ratio.

Coach of the St Vincent and the Grenadines team – Eardley Martin said that it was good for the team to deliver a win, amidst the travails.

“ We ended it with a win in our preliminary round, and to do so 3-0 against Dominica gives us an outside chance still for a  fight semi- final place”, Martin reasoned.

He said that they will await the outcome of the St Lucia versus St Maarten match, as it can go down to points and sets, depending on the margin among the teams.

Martin noted that should St Lucia beat St Maarten in straight sets, will set up the application of the permutations.

Losing Dominica Head Coach, was evidently disappointed that his charges did not execute his plans.

“We came in with a game plan, which was to go through the middle because, I have noticed that St Vincent and the Grenadines does not defend well through the middle, but unfortunately my team did not carry out that plan and there is where we lost the match

LeBlanc  further disclosed that  he insisted that the St Vincent and the Grenadines team was tired, hence called on his players to capitalize on this.

“I told them that the St Vincent and the Grenadines team was tired as they had little sleep and had had already played two matches, whilst we only played one, but the guys got excited, did not capitalize on this… They lost focus and lost the match”, LeBlanc recalled with disappointment.

ST JOHN’S,  Antigua, July 7, 2022 – Grenada took down a youthful St Kitts and Nevis 3-0 ( 25-21, 25-22, 25-16), as the two got their Pool A campaign going, in the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association( ECVA) Senior Men’s Championships, here at the YMCA Indoor Facility. 

Darron Oxford scored a game high 12 points for Grenada and for St Kitts and Nevis, Aziel Belle scored 9 for his team. 

Grenada outdid St Kitts and Nevis in Blocks, 7-3 and had 37 successful attacks,  as against St Kitts and Nevis’ 10. 

Oxford, speaking on behalf of his team said that it was good to get a win under their belt from the start. 

“ It is a good feeling to get this first win… We had the right energy coming into this game… We realise also that we were a bit more experienced than the Kittians, which seem to be a young team”, Oxford related.  

He however, said that his team is bracing for the anticipated “opposition” from the other teams in Pool A.  

Accepting that his team lacks experience at this level, St Kitts and Nevis Coach- Ricard Swan said:  “  We have a bunch of young players who are getting their first exposure at this level and for me they did a good job… They came out hard, but there are a lot of things we need to work on”. 

Rating his team’s performance versus Grenada, Swan stated: “ I will put it down the middle, about 5 or 6 out of 10, but as I said, we are here to develop the young talent that we have…. Get them to look at the other teams and gain the experience”. 

St Kitts and Nevis Captain- James Matthew sees playing alongside the bunch of new players as “ inspirational”. 

Despite the youthfulness of the team, Matthew is hoping that they learn fast, and at leave an impression on the tournament. 

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, July 7, 2022 – Bermuda came from  two sets down to beat Antigua and Barbuda  3-2 in a Pool B humdinger of the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association( ECVA) Senior Men’s Championships at the YMCA Indoor Facility. 

The host, bolstered by partisan home support, won the first two sets, 25-22, 25-20, but Bermuda took the third 27-25 and the fourth 28-26, to set up a grand stand finish. 

Bermuda took the early lead in the decisive fifth set, and held their nerve to win 15-11.

The top scorers for Bermuda were  Kyle Hamilton who had 18 points; Eron Woods- 16 points and Ryan Davies – 13 points. 

For Antigua and Barbuda, Adrian Constant scored 28 points and Jamanie James had 21 points.  

A delighted Bermuda Head Coach- Robert Saraiva in assessment of the match, related: “ The Antiguans did not let up on us and with the crowd behind them it put a lot of pressure on us… But we just fought back, we did not have anything lose… We came here to do the best we can and we proved that in this match, especially in the last three sets”.  

Equally elated for the come from behind win was Bermuda’s Captain- Kyle Hamilton, who gave his piece. 

“We were a little nervous with the home support, so we came out in the third set and said we were going to give it our all… We were able to take it to five sets and eventually won”, Hamilton beamed with joy. 

A dejected Head Coach of Antigua Barbuda- Fitzroy Benjamin, thumbed the loss of momentum on his team’s defeat. 

“We started off well, but the players lapsed with their passing and at times were flat footed and allowed Bermuda to get back into the game”, Benjamin noted. 

Meanwhile, Constant- Antigua and Barbuda’s team, believed that his team mates paid too much attention on things which did not go their way, hence lost focus during the last three sets. 

Constant though wants to see his team refocus for the other matches.

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, July 7, 2022- Bermuda stuck to the basics, to register a 3-0 ( 25-15, 25-22, 27-25) win over Anguilla in match four of the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association( ECVA) Senior Men’s Championships at the YMCA Indoor Facility.

Leading Bermuda’s scoring was their captain- Kyle Hamilton, who registered 11 points, while Hamilton’s opposite number – Calvin Samuel, had 8 points for his team.

Team wise, Bermuda led in Attacks, 30-14, but registered 41 errors, in contrast to Anguilla’s 40.

For coach of the Bermuda team- Robert Saraiva, it was simply getting the job done.

“ We came here to play our basic game… We did not try anything fancy  we stuck to what we know just the fundamentals, hence we try to build on everyone focusing on the basics “, Saraiva assessed.

Noting that it was good to be back in the fray, Saraiva added, “ We have not been to one of these tournaments for quite a while, so we will be making the best of the experience and obviously, like the other teams, we are here to win”.

Team leader- Hamilton in assessing the win said: “It was a good victory for us a  team I was pleased with our services and our passing… We will be looking to build on this victory in our other matches”.

Meanwhile, Anguilla’s Coach- Jason Liburd: “ I must say that we played a lot better than in our first match versus Antigua and I felt we should have won the last two sets but some unforced errors cost us the match”.

“ This is what we came here for and we are achieving our goal, that is to get better and better with every match”, Liburd indicated.

Match five of the tournament pits St Maarten against St Vincent and the Grenadines in Pool B.

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, July 7, 2022 – Grenada saw off Anguilla 3-0 (25-17, 25-17, 25-20) in Pool A of the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association( ECVA) Senior Men’s Championships, here at the YMCA Indoor Facility. 

The win put the Grenadians 2:0 in their win/ loss ratio, having defeated St Kitts and Nevis in their opening match. 

For Grenada, Darren Oxford and  Nikel John, both scored 7 points each, while for Anguilla, the lead scorer was Calvin Samuel with 16 points. 

Raphael Braithwaite, Head Coach of the Grenada outfit,  was complimentary on his players’ execution of their duties in the match. 

“ We made it simple… We did not allow the Anguillans to get into the match… All in all,  it was a good win for the team, and hopefully we can continue in this vein”, Braithwaite related after the encounter. 

The Grenada Head Coach though anticipates stiffer competition in his team’s upcoming matches. 

“ We have to continue to prepare as we expect more challenges in the matches to come”, Braithwaite projected. 

Meanwhile, sticking to his mantra of “ improving”, Head Coach of the Anguilla team- Jason Liburd, believed his script continues to stay true to form. 

“ As I said from the start, we are here to improve and that is taking place and this is evident from the improved score line in each match”, Liburd supported. 

ST JOHN ‘S, Antigua, July 6, 2022 – St Lucia and arch rivals St Vincent traded points and sets, but St Lucia finally trumped 25-22, 18-25, 25-23, 15-13, in an epic battle of the Saints, as Pool B  of the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association( ECVA) Senior Men’s Championships heated up at the YMCA Indoor Facility.

With no quarter given and none asked, Asmond Franklyn made good of 28 points for the Vincentians, while his team mates Jahmal Small and Jamaar Cropper each registered 14 points.

Tevin St Jean had 11 points for St Lucia, to be his team’s top scorer.

St Vincent and the Grenadines outdid St Lucia in Blocks 11-8 and Serves 5-2. But it was St Lucia who conceded fewer errors- 38 to St Vincent and the Grenadines’ 47.

A beaming St Lucia Head Coach Terry  Verdant was bubbling for the win.  

“ I am feeling great, because in our last two outings, St Vincent and the Grenadines had beaten St Lucia and for me that was not normal so I had to take revenge tonight”, Verdant said.

Stating that his team made some adjustments during the match, Verdant commented: “We tried to play an easier game, because at the beginning we were trying to rush the game… In addition,  we noticed that they wanted the ball cross court, so began to block them inside”.

Verdant’s opposite number – Eardley Martin was gracious in defeat.  

According to Martin, “The guys played their hearts out … Playing St Lucia is never always easy… We know each other and there will always be that type of intensity between the two”.

Martin believed that despite the loss , he is confident of his players resetting and coming back stronger in their remaining matches.

“We started the competition and we are going to end it”, Martin projected of a St Vincent and the Grenadines versus St Lucia final.

Match four in the tournament features Anguilla and Bermuda in Pool A.

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, July 6, 2022 – Nine teams divided into two Pools  will battle for honours in the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association( ECVA) Senior Men’s Championships here at the YMCA Indoor Facility. 

In Pool A are St Kitts and Nevis, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda,  Grenada, and Bermuda, with St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Lucia, Dominica and St Martin stashed in Pool B. 

The robin format serves off today, Wednesday July 6, with three matches.  

Serving off the Championships will be the Pool B fixture between Dominica and St Martin from 1800hours today. The encounter between Antigua and Barbuda and St Kitts and Nevis follows from 2000hours, with St Vincent and the Grenadines meeting St Lucia from 2200hours.  

The intense championships the host six matches on Thursday July 7  and Friday, July 8. 

On Saturday, July 9, the last Pool A match is carded, along with the two semi-finals featuring the two top place finishers from each Pool., along with the play offs for the minor places- 5^th/6^th places as well as the 7^th/8^th.  

Sunday hosts the grand finale involving the two semi- finals winners . The play off for the 3^rd/4^th spots, precede the Final. 

The Championships will be played under strict covid- 19 guidelines , inclusive of no shaking of hands among players; regular sanitizing of all match balls and minimal physical interaction of teams.  

It is the first time since 2019, that the ECVA  is hosting any of its championships. 

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, July 6, 2022 –  St Maarten dug deep to beat Dominica  3-2, as Pool B  of the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association( ECVA) Senior Men’s Championships got going here at the YMCA Indoor Facility.

St Maarten thus defeated Dominica 25-23, 22-25, 22-25, 25-23, 15-9, in a ding- dong tussle for early honours.

Leading the scoring for St Maarten was Riegmar Valies with 18 points and Lenoard Jeffers recorded 17 points.

Dominica’s Captain- Yahn Florent was the leading scorer for his team with 25 points,

In  a post -match interview St Maarten Head Coach – Clayton Holiday assessed: “My guys started off well, but lost a little focus, eventually they walked back into their game and they did what was necessary …It was a case about mind over matter, as we had the will power to win”.

The St Maarten Head Coach said that he detected a flaw in the Dominica’s play, in which they had difficulty in dealing with balls in position one, and his team exploited this to good effect

Meanwhile, St Maarten Captain- Leonard  Jeffers stated, “  It was a wonderful game… We came up with a well- balanced team, having experienced players and new ones and the coaches did a phenomenal job by bringing in the right players at the right time, causing the team to mesh perfectly… I cannot complain”.

Looking forward to the rest of the tournament,  Jeffers said “ We can only get better.

For Dominica , Florent said, “ I thought we had it but our service and passing let us down”.

Facing their next opponents, Florent is cognisant of the abilities of the St Vincent and the Grenadines team, but said that they will be looking to correct their flaws in order to stay in contention for a semi- final berth.

Joining Florent in reviewing his team’ first match, Head Coach- Ericson Le Blanc reported : “ It is always disappointing when you lose, but on the night the other team wanted it more than we did … We have to go back to the drawing board ad take some decisions so going forward in the next game we can do better”.

Match two in the tournament is in Pool A, pitting Antigua and Barbuda versus Anguilla.

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, July 6, 2022 –  St Maarten dug deep to beat Dominica  3-2, as Pool B  of the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association( ECVA) Senior Men’s Championships got going here at the YMCA Indoor Facility.

St Maarten thus defeated Dominica 25-23, 22-25, 22-25, 25-23, 15-9, in a ding- dong tussle for early honours.

Leading the scoring for St Maarten was Riegmar Valies with 18 points and Lenoard Jeffers recorded 17 points.

Dominica’s Captain- Yahn Florent was the leading scorer for his team with 25 points,

In  a post -match interview St Maarten Head Coach – Clayton Holiday assessed: “My guys started off well, but lost a little focus, eventually they walked back into their game and they did what was necessary …It was a case about mind over matter, as we had the will power to win”.

The St Maarten Head Coach said that he detected a flaw in the Dominica’s play, in which they had difficulty in dealing with balls in position one, and his team exploited this to good effect

Meanwhile, St Maarten Captain- Leonard  Jeffers stated, “  It was a wonderful game… We came up with a well- balanced team, having experienced players and new ones and the coaches did a phenomenal job by bringing in the right players at the right time, causing the team to mesh perfectly… I cannot complain”.

Looking forward to the rest of the tournament,  Jeffers said “ We can only get better.

For Dominica , Florent said, “ I thought we had it but our service and passing let us down”.

Facing their next opponents, Florent is cognisant of the abilities of the St Vincent and the Grenadines team, but said that they will be looking to correct their flaws in order to stay in contention for a semi- final berth.

Joining Florent in reviewing his team’ first match, Head Coach- Ericson Le Blanc reported : “ It is always disappointing when you lose, but on the night the other team wanted it more than we did … We have to go back to the drawing board ad take some decisions so going forward in the next game we can do better”.

Match two in the tournament is in Pool A, pitting Antigua and Barbuda versus Anguilla.

ST JOHN ‘S, Antigua, July 6, 2022 – St Lucia and arch rivals St Vincent traded points and sets, but St Lucia finally trumped 25-22, 18-25, 25-23, 15-13, in an epic battle of the Saints, as Pool B  of the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association( ECVA) Senior Men’s Championships heated up at the YMCA Indoor Facility.

With no quarter given and none asked, Asmond Franklyn made good of 28 points for the Vincentians, while his team mates Jahmal Small and Jamaar Cropper each registered 14 points.

Tevin St Jean had 11 points for St Lucia, to be his team’s top scorer.

St Vincent and the Grenadines outdid St Lucia in Blocks 11-8 and Serves 5-2. But it was St Lucia who conceded fewer errors- 38 to St Vincent and the Grenadines’ 47.

A beaming St Lucia Head Coach Terry  Verdant was bubbling for the win.  

“ I am feeling great, because in our last two outings, St Vincent and the Grenadines had beaten St Lucia and for me that was not normal so I had to take revenge tonight”, Verdant said.

Stating that his team made some adjustments during the match, Verdant commented: “We tried to play an easier game, because at the beginning we were trying to rush the game… In addition,  we noticed that they wanted the ball cross court, so began to block them inside”.

Verdant’s opposite number – Eardley Martin was gracious in defeat.  

According to Martin, “The guys played their hearts out … Playing St Lucia is never always easy… We know each other and there will always be that type of intensity between the two”.

Martin believed that despite the loss , he is confident of his players resetting and coming back stronger in their remaining matches.

“We started the competition and we are going to end it”, Martin projected of a St Vincent and the Grenadines versus St Lucia final.

Match four in the tournament features Anguilla and Bermuda in Pool A.