Source: www.guardian.co.tt
France-based national captain, Krystle Esdelle heads a list of six overseas players are in a squad shortlisted by national women’s volleyball coach Francisco “Panchee” Cruz to continue training for three major tournaments this year. The T&T women who captured the Caribbean Volleyball Championship title for a third straight year in Suriname last July and fourth overall are in training to compete at the Pan American Cup in Chihuahua, Mexico (June 29 - July 9), Norceca Continental Championship in Caguas, Puerto Rico (September 10 - 18) and the Continental Olympic Qualifiers carded for December 10 to 18 at a venue to be decided.
In addition to Esdelle who plies her trade with Quimper Volley in the Third Division of the French Women’s Volleyball League, the other overseas player in the squad are teenaged Poland-based duo, Sinead Jack and Channon Thompson of AZS Bialystok, Jalicia Ross (Indonesia), Darlene Ramdin (St John’s University, USA) and Renele Forde (Florida International University, USA)
After enjoying a break for the Christmas holidays, the team now ranked 29th in the world by the FIVB resumed training on February 7 under the guidance of the Cuban-born Cruz and his assistants Nicholson Drakes, Daryl Davis and Esseil Seecharan. Since then the 12 locally-based players have been hard at training six days a week at the Southern Regional Indoor Sport Arena, Pleasantville; University of T&T Corinth Campus, and the Eastern Regional Indoor Sport Arena, Tacarigua. over a six day a week period.
T&T women’s v-ball squad
Rheeza Grant, Courtnee-Mae Clifford, Shurvette Beckles, Delana Mitchell, Abigail Gloud, Abby Blackman, Cabbrini Foncette, Andrea Kinsale, Cherese Sampson, Marisha Herbert, Phylecia Armstrong, Kelly- Anne Billingy, Krystle Esdelle (Quimper Volley, France), Sinead Jack ( AZS Bialystok, Poland), Channon Thompson ( AZS Bialystok, Poland) Jalicia Ross (Indonesia), Darlene Ramdin (St John’s University, USA) Renele Forde (Florida International University, USA)