Former national indoor player Rheeza Grant led all scorers as Triple T La Cura Sport made it two wins from as many matches in the Women’s Division of the 2019 Office of the Prime Minister Premier Volleyball League at the Central Regional Indoor Sports Arena, Saith Park, Chaguanas, on Wednesday night.
Grant tallied 14 points highlighted by 13 spikes and European-based Taija Thomas ten in La Cura’s 25-20, 25-15, 25-21 triumph over Toco Youths Volleyball Academy.
USA-based Cameron Edwards also added eight points and Shanice De Four six for La Cura Sport, who outscored their opponents on spikes 36-21 and were aided by 31 errors from their opponents compared to their 26, while both teams had five service aces each.
Toco Youths, who held the edge on blocks 4-3, got 12 points from another ex-national indoor player Abby Blackman, while La Teisha Joseph added five and the trio of Delicia Pierre, Aphhia Glasgow and Australia-based national netballer Samantha Wallace four each.
In their tournament opener on Tuesday, La Cura Sport, boosted by the inclusion of recent Caribbean Junior Championship “Best Setter” awardee Dashonta Addison, of Barbados, overcame former powerhouse Glamorgan 25-15, 23-25, 25-9, 25-13.
Also in winner’s row in the women’s competition on Wednesday were Big South East Port-of-Spain (SEPoS), 25-12, 26-24, 25-16, 25-18, over Glamorgan behind recent Caribbean Junior Championship MVP, Barbadian Tenielle Chapman-Goodluck’s 19 points and ten from Shushanna Marshall.
The duo of Desiree Donald and Rayquelle Dickson chipped in with seven points each for SEPoS, who benefited from 52 unforced errors, while only making 34 and also held the advantages on service aces 13-7 and blocks 6-2.
Kaylon Cruickshank top scored for Glamorgan with 13, national Under-20 player Shanice Cottoy got ten for the losers, who narrowly outscored SEPoS on spikes, 29-28.
In the men’s seven-team tournament, the trio of Ryan Stewart (16 pts), Nicholas Prescott (16) and Adriel Roberts (ten) fired Technocrats to a first win in two outings, 25-0, 23-25, 25-14, 25-22, against Challengers.
Challengers, who are mostly made up of Venezuelan nationals, had a team-best 14 points from Enino Aguilera, with Martin Centeno adding seven and Luis Guerra six.
It was also a perfect day for SEPoS, as their men’s team swept past recent Super League winners’ Toco Youths Volleyball Academy 25-17, 25-21, 25-23, inspired by Martinique’s Yoaan Breleur’s ten points.
Club captain Akim Bushe added eight points, Rashaun Wright seven and Darrel David six for SEPoS to cancel out Daneil Williams and Simon Blake’s ten-point showing each for Toco Youths.
At the end of the women’s four-team round-robin semis, the top team will face the fourth-placed team in one semifinal while second and third meet in the other.
However, the seven teams in the men’s competition have been divided into a group of four and one of three and at the end of their round-robin series, the top two teams in each group will advance to the cross-over semifinals.