Mixed results for Jamaica at Caribbean Volleyball Champs

Jamaican teams had mixed fortune on Monday's opening day of the Caribbean Volleyball Championships in Barbados.

Martinique had a hard-fought 23-25, 25-22, 27-25, 25-20 victory over Jamaica's men, while the women won, but had to dig deep to overcome United States Virgin Islands (USVI) 23-25, 25-19, 25-21, 25-16.

Barbados cleared their bench and started the men's competition confidently when they crushed Dominica in straight sets, 25-16, 25-13, 25-11.

This followed a similarly decisive victory for The Barbados women over the Bahamas in straight sets, 25-19, 25-20, 25-14 at the Sir Garfield Sobers Sports Complex.

Centrestage

But the Barbadian men held centre stage, when they took the court for the night cap game of the day.

Initially their communication and passing was a little awry, but they quickly found their stride against the Dominicans and rushed to a 6-1 lead thanks to four straight kills from their captain and longest serving player Elwyn Oxley.

A string of unforced errors saw the Dominicans trail 6-9, but a couple of long hits from Ronald Bruno and Kenworth Bedminster, as well as a Renier Grace point off the block saw Barbados extend their lead to 13-7.

When the second technical time-out arrived, Barbados were leading 16-11, and though the hosts were not fluent down the stretch, they managed to close out the set when a solid block at the net result in some poor passing from the Dominicans.

The second set was much more competitive, as Barbados' coach Ludger Niles rested his started, and delved into his bench players, most of them first-timers to the bright lights of the Caribbean Championships.

The final was basically all one-way traffic, as Barbados' newcomers started to find their feet, and the Dominicans wilted under the pressure.

The Barbadians jumped out to a 7-3 lead, but the real decisive period of the game came when they collected five straight points with the beanpole Rommell Agard in the service box.

Men's favourites Trinidad & Tobago gave early notice that they mean business, when they dispatched the USVI men in three straight sets 25-11, 25-16, 25-15 in less than an hour before the Netherlands Antilles men prevailed over the Bahamians 25-23, 25-22, 21-25, 25-19.

MEN

Monday's games:

Group A

Netherlands Antilles beat The Bahamas 25-23, 25-22, 21-25, 25-19

Barbados beat Dominica 25-16, 25-13, 25-11

Group B

Martinique beat Jamaica 23-25, 25-22, 27-22, 25-20

Trinidad & Tobago beat United States Virgin Islands 25-11, 25-16, 25-15

WOMEN

Group D

Monday's games

Jamaica beat US Virgin Islands 23-25, 25-19, 25-21, 25-16

Barbados beat The Bahamas 25-19, 25-20, 25-14

Played yesterday

Trinidad & Tobago beat The Netherlands Antilles 15-25, 25-21, 25-23, 25-17.