A 3-0 triumph over defending champions St Vincent & the Grenadines gave Saint Lucia a perfect start to the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Under-23 Men’s Championship, on Wednesday, November 12, at the YMCA in St John’s, Antigua & Barbuda.
Saint Lucia, the 2021 champions, won 25-17, 26-24, 25-12 in the third and final match of the night to assume pole position in the hunt for the championship trophy and a spot in the NORCECA 2026 Pan American Cup.
“The game was very informative; it was a good start,” head coach Levi Leonce told St. Lucia Times. “We still have some things to clean up, but we were very good behind the service line. Our blocking needs some work, but we looked strong today. I just needed the guys to get in their rhythm, get the first one under our belt, get the first-game jitters out. But I expect that [Thursday] and all games thereafter should be a lot more technically sound, a lot more convincing, and a lot more wins.”
The Saint Lucian men ran out to a 7-1 start in the opening set, eventually forcing the Vincentians to take a timeout with the score at 12-6. Their opponents kept coming, closing to within five at 18-13, but Saint Lucia ran out winners 25-17.
In the second set, the title holders demonstrated their grit and determination, leading 6-5, 10-7 and 16-9. Saint Lucia responded with seven straight points to trim the deficit to just one.
They then tied it up at 18 apiece, but the Vincentians reclaimed the advantage at 22-20. But Saint Lucia refused to go away, tying the game at 22, 23, and 24, before earning consecutive points for the 2-0 lead, after trailing most of the set.
In the clinching set, Saint Lucia maintained a narrow lead early on, stretching it to a five-point advantage at 14-9. A five-point run with the game poised at that point basically sealed the fixture for the contenders.
On Thursday, Saint Lucia play Anguilla and hosts Antigua & Barbuda. On Wednesday, Antigua & Barbuda won against Anguilla 3-0 (25-14, 25-10, 25-17). Dominica beat Grenada 3-1 (28-26, 25-16, 23-25, 25-18) in the opening match.
