Kingston, Jamaica; Despite a gallant effort in Sunday’s final of the UWI Pelican Volleyball Invitational, the UWI Volleyball Club Male team was unable to replicate the earlier feat of their female compatriots to claim the championship double.
Kingston, Jamaica; Despite a gallant effort in Sunday’s final of the UWI Pelican Volleyball Invitational, the UWI Volleyball Club Male team was unable to replicate the earlier feat of their female compatriots to claim the championship double.
The Male team went down to the Vikings in four sets after winning the opening set 25-17. The team was then hit by a series of injuries to key players including team captain Dr. Ricardo Chong who suffered a fractured ankle. Despite the injuries the team battled on but was unable to overcome the odds as they lost the next three sets 25-19, 25-15 and 28-26 as they concentrated their efforts in a close final set.
Earlier the UWI women dispatched defending champions, A Gozar of the United States in straight sets, 25-23, 25-18 and 25-21 to clinch the title.
The UWI Pelican Invitational was hosting its 8th staging and the three-day tournament format saw teams competing to reach the final stages on Sunday, November 17. In the opening game of the day, UWI women got past Venus to clinch their finals berth. The UWI males also got the better of Venus Males to reach the final.
Eventual male champions, Vikings toppled the Cayman Islands team in a workmanlike semi-final contest, 25-20 and 25-21 to advance. A Gozar also clinched their finals spot in impressive fashion after coming out on top in a closely fought come-from-behind encounter against Viqueens.
Venus captured both third place awards as they ousted their respective opponents in the curtain raiser for the finals. Venus males overcame a stout challenge from the Cayman team as they went down in the opening set 9-21 before rallying to clinch the next two sets 21-16 and 11-9. The Venus women were more meticulous and needed only two sets to see off the challenge from Viqueens as they came out 21-15, 21-16 victors.
The UWI Pelican Volleyball Invitational continues to provide an avenue of development for the sport of volleyball in Jamaica. Local based players and teams are privy to an opportunity to compete with and observe some of the region’s best in the sport which can later aid their own progress.
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