Host T&T booked a spot in the semifinals of the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association Men's Beach Volleyball Qualifiers first round towards the NORCECA Continental Cup for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics 2016 after sweeping Curacao 2-0 at the National Development Centre, Saith Park, Chaguanas, yesterday.
In the opening match, the top ranked T&T pair of Daneil Williams and Fabien Whitfield brushed aside Curacao-B duo, Norandy Bonafasia and Kyran Ersilia 21-18, 21-12 while T&T-B pair, Abraham Eccles and Tevin Joseph overwhelmed Curacao-A duo, Darwin Colina and Jeandro Tokaay 21-13, 21-15 to seal the tie.
Joining top ranked T&T in the last-four was Jamaica which edged out third ranked US Virgin Isalnds 2-1 in a "Golden Set" with Mark Lewis and Ryck Mc Kenzie battling past Bradley Reading-Connors and Gustavo Cintron 15-13.
Earlier on Reading-Connors and Cintron (USVI-A) had put their team 1-0 ahead via a 23-21, 21-15 defeat of Jamaica-B's Christopher Walters and Donovan Richards, but Lewis and Mc Kenzie evened the tie at 1-1 when they stopped Edward Peter Jr and Carlos Rosa Jr of USVI-B 21-17, 21-14.Today in the semifinals from 11 am, T&T will face either Aruba, Barbados or US Virgin Islands while Jamaica will meet either Haiti, Suriname or Curacao via the losers draw.
On Friday's opening day of competition in the 14-country two-teams double elimination tournament, the quartet of T&T, Curacao, US Virgin Islands and Jamaica all cemented a top six finish and qualification to the next round of Olympic Qualifiers along with the top six teams from the Easter Caribbean Volleyball Association qualifiers.
Of the four teams, top ranked T&T was the only to advance after winning one match, following a first round bye as number one seeds.While the local crowd left the venue in a happy mood it was not all smooth sailing for the home country though, as after they won in a "Golden Set" over Guadeloupe.
Daneil Williams/Fabien Whitfield (TTO-A) defeated Loic Couchy/Guillaume Coudevylle (Guadeloupe-B), 21-10, 21-9 to put the host 1-0 up, but the French-speaking islanders tied up the match at 1-1 when Baptiste Arnouts/Cedric Lavoye (Guadeloupe-A) rallied past Tevin Joseph/Abraham Eccles (TTO-B), 21-17, 22-20 to set up the decider.
Williams/Whitfield then made certain of qualification to the next round against the top six teams from the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association by beating, Arnouts/Lavoye 15-6.When the tournament served off earlier in the day, Guadeloupe beat Bonaire, 2-0 with Arnouts/Lavoye spanking Rishison Frans/Percy Prudencia (Boniare-B), 21-6, 21-4, and Couchy/Coudevylle crushing Emanuel Sillie/Deebro Trinidad (Bonaire-A), 21-8, 21-10.
The 12th ranked Curacao followed up its first round upset of fifth ranked Barbados, by raking down fourth ranked Cayman Islands, 2-1 via the "Golden Set" as well.At the end of the double-elimination tournament today, the top six ranked teams will be granted spots in a second round tournament of the NORCECA qualifiers against the top six teams from the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association.
Yesterday's early results:
Aruba 2, Bonaire 0
Dwayne Angela/Elmerlindo Robles ARU-A d Richisons Frans/Percy Prudencia BON-B 2-0 (21-8, 21-6)
Fransua Angela/Michaello Martilia ARU-B d Emanuel Silie/Deebro Trinidad BON-A 2-0 (21-8, 21-11)
Barbados 2, Bahamas 0
Elwyn Oxley/Winston Gittens BAR-A d Muller Petit/Renaldo Knowles BAH-B 2-0 (21-17, 21-17)
Daran Gill/Sheldon Roach BAR-B d Byron Ferguson/Princtanique Wilson BAH-A 2-0 (21-18, 21-7)
Haiti 2, Cayman Islands 1
Kirk Shervin Rankin/Richard Campbell CAY-A d Senel Dupuy/Marco Alexis HAI-B 2-0 (21-14, 21-15)
Fritz-Emmanuel Mabou/Kempes Vilmont HAI-A d Phillippe Deslandes/Olney Thompson CAY-B 2-0 (21-16, 21-9)
GOLDEN SET: Fritz-Emmanuel Mabou/Kempes Vilmont HAI d Kirk Shervin Rankin/Richard Campbell CAY (15-9)
Suriname 2,Guadeloupe 1
Baptiste Arnouts/Cedric Lavoye GDP-A d Roberto Joval/Eurwin Daansi SUR-B 2-0 (21-19, 21-8)
Keven Sporkslede/Fugil Ong A Fat SUR-A d Guillaume Coudevylle/Loic Couchy GDP-B 2-1 (21-18, 6-21, 15-13)
GOLDEN SET: Keven Sporkslede/Fugil Ong A Fat SUR d Guillaume Coudevylle/Loic Couchy GDP (15-7)
Jamaica 2, USVI 1
Bradley Reading-Connors/Gustavo Cintron USVI-A d Chrsitopher Walters/Donovan Richarsd JAM-B 2-0 (23-21, 21-15)
Mark Lewis/Ryck Mc Kenzie JAM-A d Carlos Rosa Jr/Edward Peter Jr USVI-B 2-0 (21-17, 21-14)
GOLDEN SET: Mark Lewis/Ryck Mc Kenzie d Bradley Reading-Connors/Gustavo Cintron (15-13)
T&T 2, Curacao 0
Daneil Williams/Fabien Whitfield TTO-A d Norandy Bonafasia/Kyran Ersilia CUR-B 2-0 (21-18, 21-18)
Tevin Joseph/Abraham Eccles TTO-B d Darwin Colina/Jeandro Tokaay CUR-A 2-0 (21-13, 21-15)