T&T’s youth beach volleyballers will have a chance to claim a spot at next year’s Youth Olympics in Nanjing, China, when the T&T Volleyball Federation hosts its Youth Olympic qualifying tournament from November 25-29 at a venue to be determined.
Recently, Rodell Fraseer and Delshun Welcome of St Vincent and St Lucians Dala Noel and Skye Mondesir, claimed the boys and girls places, respectively, on offer from the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association Zone of Norceca Round of Youth Olympic Beach Qualification Tournament held at Pigeon Point Beach, St Lucia.
The St Vincent and the Grenadines duo of Fraser and Welcome spiked their way to the top spot when they formalised their unbeaten run in the tournament, in near dominating fashion over Dominica’s Arden Elmes and Yahn Florent, taking both matches in the best of three final series, 2-0.
They had to ward off a defiant Elmes and Florent in the first match but came through 21-16, 22-20 and won the second match, 21-9, 21-5.
There was more history making achievement, as it will be the first time St Vincent and the Grenadines will be represented at the Olympic Games in a team sport.
In addition, they finished the two-day tournament, dropping only one set and ended with a 10-1 win/loss ratio.
Before meeting Elmes and Florent, Fraser and Welcome saw off Grenada’s team of Sherman Clement and Jayvon Gilbert in two straight matches, to sweep the series without many complications. The Vincentians won 21-14, 21-15 and 21-14, 21-11.
Elmes and Florent had a harder route to the final, taken to the golden set by the St Lucian combination of Alexander Augier and Andre Marquis.
St Lucia won match one, 2-0 ( 21-11, 22-20), but Dominican sent the contest into a golden set, as they took match two, 21-23, 21-10, 15-11. Elmes and Florent edged out Augier and Marquis in the golden set, 16-14 in thrilling fashion.
St Lucia came away with the third spot, taking the two matches 21-12, 21-15 and 23-21, 21-13.
But it is not all over for Dominica and St Lucia, as they have another chance at qualification in the second round which begins next year.
Noel and Mondesir booked their country’s passage to the first ever Beach Volleyball at the Youth Olympics beating the Grenadian duo of Jomelar Billy and Carsie Paul 21-19, 22-20 and 21-8, 21-0.
In reaching the finals, St Lucia defeated St Vincent and the Grenadines overall 2-0, also in the best of three match series.
Modesir and Noel cleaned up Angelique Allan and Mikhailla Matthias 21-13, 21-10 and 21-12 , 21-12 to set up their meeting with Billy and Paul.
In the other half of the semifinal, the situation was not as straight forward, as it was taken to a golden set.
Grenada claimed the first match 22-20, 21-17, but Antigua and Barbuda’s Natasha Best and Zenelle Edwards brought parity to the contest by taking match two, 21-15, 21-15.
Grenada though closed out the duel by winning the golden set, but not without a nervy finish, 15-13.
Antigua and Barbuda secured the third place over St Vincent and the Grenadines, 21-19, 22-20 and 21-12, 21-12.
Grenada and Antigua and Barbuda await the next phase of the qualifiers, as they go for their second chance of reaching China.