El Salvador tops St Kitts and Nevis to open their account

GROS ISLET, St Lucia- April 27, 2013 - El Salvador sent an early warning signs that they too mean business in the Second Round of the FIVB World Championships in the NORCECA  Zone here at the Beausejour Gym, downing St Kitts and Nevis  3-1 ( 25-27, 25-18, 25-17, 25-15).

The more experienced El Salvador re-engergised and re-grouped after losing the first set to establish their superiority in all facets of the match.

The top scorers for El Salvador were David Vagras who had 16 points and Franscisco Hernandez with 15. For St Kitts and Nevis, Shawn Seabrooks registered 19 points and St Clair Hodge had 18.

The win by  the El Salvadorians set up a mouth-watering, edge of your seat encounter in the night capper later today, as the Central Americans meet the host St Lucia, who also recorded a 3-1 triumph over Haiti.

Coach Gabriel Linares of the El Salvador seemed to be looking forward for a repeat performance.

“We are hoping for a similar performance as against St Kitts(and Nevis), where pushed them very hard with the serves and forcing to them to make mistakes, as they found it hard to pass the ball off the net,” Linares recounted.

He acknowledged though that the St Lucians could be a tougher challenge.

Meanwhile, coach of the St Kitts and Nevis outfit- Glenn Quinlan believed it was the loss of their best setter Mathew James early in the match, which caused an upset in his team’s equilibrium.

Quinlan though noted: “We lapsed in certain areas where our receptions started going badly during the third set and this carried over into the fourth set, which was our worst set.”

Quinlan said his players must rebound and do it manfully as he is wary of the Haitian team, whom he credits as having some pedigree.

Captain of St Kitts and Nevis- Steadroy Collins shares Quinlan’s view that they must improve against the Haitians if they are to remain in contention.