Thompson on song as T&T stay perfect

KINGSTON, Jamaica, July 28, 2017 - Channon Thompson turned in an excellent all-round performance to emerge one of three joint leading scorers for Trinidad and Tobago, who kept their perfect record intact in Group D preliminary with a 3-0 win over Martinique in the International Volleyball Association (FIVB) Round Two World Championship Qualifier on Friday.

Thompson laid down nine kills and scored a couple of points off serves and blocks, to tally 13 points, as Trinidad and Tobago won 25-11, 25-23, 25-20 in the match at the National Indoor Sports Centre.

Esdelle Krystle, who powered home eight kills and Sinead Jack also scored 13 points as Trinidad and Tobago topped the group to earn a bye into Sunday’s semi-final.

Eight teams are participating in this tournament, which is also the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Women’s Championship. Trinidad and Tobago, the defending champions, have already secured one of the two spots for the Round Three FIVB World play-offs.

They dominated the stats sheet all over and had less errors than Martinique, 18 compared to 23/

A the case with their previous matches, Ludmila Lican was their leading scorer, blasting in 12 kills for all her points, while Beatrice Cyrilla registered five kills in seven points.   

“I’m happy, though we could do better than we did today, so I’m just waiting for the final two games,” said Nicholson Drakes, Trinidad and Tobago’s coach, as he tuned in to the Jamaica-Suriname match, which followed theirs.

“We’re taking everything in stride, right now I’m taking some stats and try to apply the strategy for the next two games. We’re looking at what’s happening to make the adjustments, implement things to make our game solid,” he noted.

Asked if he had a semi-final preference, Drakes said: “Everybody, we come to play, more practice, more games.

“They’re alright, they need a little more chemistry and so on, but they’re alright,” he continued of the opposing teams.