This country's girls' Under-16 volleyball team improved to a perfect 2-0 start at the Third Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association Youth (Under-16) Championship with a come-from-behind four sets win over Haiti in St Croix, US Virgin islands (USVI) on Sunday. T&T led by a match-high 23 points from captain Malika Davidson and 22 from Reann Young won 24-26, 25-21, 25-13, 25-20 at the Central High School and was expected to meet USVI last night in the clash of unbeaten teams to determine the group winner ahead of today's semifinals. In the other girls' match of Sunday, Barbados proved to be no match for the US Virgin Islands as the home team triumphed 25-14, 25-21, 26-24. Danielle Christian topscored for USVI with 11 and Dinaja Dowdy added nine while Ashley Marshall got eight for the Bajans. On Saturday in its opener, the local girls team began the defence of its title, 25-9, 25-20, 25-11. Davidson led from the front with ten points for T&T while Maya Roberts (seven), Reann Young (five) and Sakile Grannum (four) also contributed. Host US Virgin Islands also won its opener, after a five set battle with Haiti, 28-26, 25-21, 18-25, 16-25, 15-8.
USVI hands T&T boys second loss
The T&T boys continued to struggle after they suffered a second straight defeat, this time to host, USVI 25-19, 25-20, 20-25, 25-20. Nayib Gonzalez got a game-high 14 for USVI and Senuah Benjamin ten while Maalik Springle (12), Triston Martinez (ten) and Grant Newton (eight) were the main scorers for T&T. With only four teams entered, T&T faced Curacao in its final round-robin match last night is still certain of a place in today's semis. In Sunday's other match in the boys' competition, Jabarry Goodridge got 24 points and Nathaniel Mc Lean 17 as Barbados maintained its 100 per cent winning record after it blanked defending champion, Curacao 25-18, 25-23, 25-21 in a repeat of last year's final. On the opening night of competition, T&T was upstaged by the Bajans, 16-25, 13-25, 18-25. For the winners, Goodridge had a match-high 15 points, which included 13 kills while Andriy Stapleton got nine and Ammuniki Wood, six. Grant Newton led T&T with eight points and in the loss for the Sean Morrison-coached T&T squad. In Saturday's other match, USVI got a match-high 18 points from Gonzalez in its 25-17. 25-19, 21-25, 25-17 win over Curacao.
Results
Sunday
Boys:
Barbados bt Curacao 25-18, 25-23, 25-21
USVI bt T&T 25-19, 25-20, 20-25, 25-20
Girls:
T&T bt Haiti 24-26, 25-21, 25-13, 25-20
USVI bt Barbados 25-14, 25-21, 26-24
Saturday
Boys:
Barbados bt T&T 25-16, 25-13, 25-18
USVI bt Curacao 25-17, 25-19, 21-25, 25-17
Girls':
USVI bt Haiti 28-26, 25-21, 18-25, 16-25, 15-8
T&T bt Barbados 25-9, 25-20, 25-11