Daneil Williams and Fabien Whitfield continued their dominance of the men’s local beach volleyball circuit when they battled past USA-based Daynte Stewart and Marlon Williams, in a clash of T&T’s two top men’s teams in the Open Division final of the T&T Volleyball Federation (TTVF) Trinbago Beach Volleyball Tour at the Los Iros Beach, Palo Seco, on Tuesday night.
In a contest that lasted 53 minutes, Williams, and Whitfield, nicknamed the ‘Toco Boys’ rallied for a (2-1) 18-21, 21-17, 15-8 triumph for their second local tournament win in a row, having won the first stop on the Trinbago Tour on Easter weekend at Maracas Bay, beating Kareem Thomas and Tevin Edwards (2-0) 21-15, 21-15 in the title match.
Earlier on Tuesday in the semifinals, Williams and Whitfield defeated long-time rivals, Joel Theodore, and Stephen Enile (2-0) 21-17, 21-12 while Stewart and Phillip humbled Nicholas Williams and Marley Davidson in the other 2-0 (21-15, 21-15) as well.
Theodore and Enil won the battle for the third spot, outlasting Williams, and Davidson 21-15, 19-21, 15-11 in exactly one hour.
Earlier in the morning session quarterfinals, Williams and Whitfield who also placed seventh and 13th on the NORCECA Tour this season defeated Dejaun Williams and Jeremiah Jankey 2-0 (21-10, 21-7) while Stewart and Phillip scolded veteran David Thomas and Laquan Dyer 2-0 (21-12, 21-9).
In the other last-eight encounters, Theodore and Enile overcame two-time reigning Under-18 champions Jerome Morrison and Jahreef Miguel (2-0) 21-12, 21-11, and Williams and Davidson battled past Edwards and Thomas 2-0 (22-20, 21-15).
However, new champions were crowned in the women’s Open with former Under-18 and Under-23 perennial winners, Britney Choon, and Tsyan Selvon denying former national beach volleyball champions and teammates on the NORCECA Tour, Apphia Glasgow and La Teisha Joseph a second straight title, courtesy of a (2-0) 21-14, 22-20 outcome in 43 minutes.
Earlier in the day, Choon and Selvon brushed aside Shenelle Gordon and Davidson in their semifinal, 2-0 (21-15, 21-9) after battling past Asma Charles and Danielle Noel (2-1) 21-16, 19-21, 15-11 in their quarterfinal while Glasgow and Joseph beat youngsters Adalia Badroe and Tianna Murray (2-0) 21-7, 21-5 in their quarterfinal followed by a tense come-from-behind win against Suraya Chase and Phylecia Armstrong, 2-1 (13-21, 21-15, 18-16) in the semifinals, with the win coming on the fifth attempt in the third set.
In the two other quarterfinals, Chase and Armstrong beat Under-18 two-time winners L’fe Roberts and Meeka Johnson 2-0 (21-16, 21-19), while Gordon and Davidson stopped Alyssa Hutchinson, and Dickson 2-0 (21-18, 21-11).
Chase and Armstrong ended the tournament on a high by claiming the bronze medals via their closely fought (2-0) 21-19, 22-20 win against Gordon, and Davidson in 48 minutes.
The winners of both Open Divisions collected a top prize of US$500 each, while the second-placed teams got US$375 each, the third US$250, the fourth US$125, and the teams placed fifth to eight, US$50 each.
