Glamorgan duo Reann Young and Kaylon Cruickshank will spearhead this country's Under-18 women's volleyball medal hopes when they compete at the NORCECA U-18 Women's Championship at the National Gymnasium, San Jose, Costa Rica from Tuesday until June 29.
In addition to Young and Cruickshank, their club-mates Nicolette De Mille and Aaliyah Alexis were all part of the T&T Youth (U-20) which placed second to host Martinique at last year's Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association U-20 Championship while only Jordyn Ali and Johhalcyon Drayton were not part of the squad which captured the U-16 CAZOVA title on home soil at the Eastern Regional Indoor Sports Arena, Tacaricia last year.
At the nine-team tournament in San Jose, T&T will compete in Pool A with host Costa Rica and Guatemala while defending champion USA, Mexico and Honduras are in Pool A, and the trio of Puerto Rico, St Lucia, the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association champions and Dominican Republic, comprise Pool C.
When the tournament was last held in Tijuana, Mexico, two years ago, USA won 21-25, 25-7, 25-23, 25-15 over Dominican Republic for gold while Mexico battled past Puerto Rico in five sets for bronze.
T&T, which was beaten in its pool matches by Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico was sixth of the seven teams with Costa Rica last and Guatemala, fifth. The T&T team inclusive of coach Macsood Ali and manager Kamla Elcock leave on Sunday for San Jose, via Panama City.
T&T team: Nicolette De Mille (Glamorgan), Shakeema Lake (Glamorgan), Reann Young (Glamorgan), Aaliyah Alexis (Glamorgan), Johanna Belmar (Glamorgan), Johhalcyon Drayton (Glamorgan), Sara Low (Maribuntas), Kaylon Cruickshank (Glamorgan), Nekeisa Blackman (Glamorgan), Destiny Leon (Providence), Alexandrea Jones (Glamorgan), Jordyn Ali (Glamorgan).
Technical staff: Macsood Ali (coach), Kamla Elcock (manager)
Tournament Groups:
Group A: T&T, Costa Rica, Guatemala
Group B: Honduras, Mexico, USA
Group C: Puerto Rico, St Lucia, Dominican Republic
Fixtures:
Group A:
Tuesday: T&T vs Costa Rica, 8pm
Wednesday June 25: Guatemala vs T&T, 6pm
Thursday June 26: Costa Rica vs Guatemala, 8pm
Group B:
Tuesday: Honduras vs USA, 6pm
Wednesday June 25: Mexico vs Honduras, 8pm
Thursday June 26: USA vs Mexico, 4pm
Group C:
Tuesday: Puerto Rico vs St Lucia, 4pm
Wednesday June 25: St Lucia vs Dominican Republic, 4pm
Thursday June 26: Dominican Republic vs Puerto Rico, 6pm
June 27:
Ninth place playoff:
Quarterfinals:
June 28:
Seventh place playoff:
Semifinals
June 29:
Fifth place playoff
Third place playoff
Finals
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