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PLEASANTVILLE, San Fernando, Trinidad, July 11,
2022: US Virgin Islands captured their
first-ever Caribbean Zonal Volleyball
Association (CAZOVA) Youth Girls (Under-19)
Championship title following a polished 3-0
(25-22, 25-20,25-14) win over Martinique in
their finals showdown at the Southern Regional
Indoor Sports Arena (SRISA).
With the victory, which added to their triumph
in the Under-21 Women's competition less than 24
hours earlier, at the same venue, the US Virgin
Islands booked their ticket as CAZOVA's
representative to the NORCECA Continental
Championship to be staged in Puerto Rico from
February 5 to 13, 2023 and will serve as a
qualifier to the FIVB World Championship also to
be played next year.
It was also the fourth win from as many matches
for US Virgin Islands to end 4-0 while
Martinique took home the bronze, and ended 2-2
after losing to USVI as well in the round-robin
group stage.
With the two divisional titles won, USVI joined
Trinidad and Tobago female teams of 20007 and
2012 to have completed the sweep at the same
tournament while Barbados has done so among the
male, in 2013 and 2019.
Speaking after his team's first loss in two
matches, Martinique coach Wilham Lebel said it
was very difficult for his team to play without
their best player, and captain Marie Marajo-Breton
against a very solid team like US Virgin
Islands.
"Our captain got injured in our previous match
and it was difficult for our girls today without
her. But, I'm still proud of my players because
they did well and this is just a result of four
months of preparation and training.
Lebel also congratulated US Virgin Islands for
the win saying, "I think they had a good game
plan and their attackers were very good.",
An elated Isaac Raphael, coach of all the US
Virgin Islands at the championship was full of
praise for his players who he said showed great
physical fitness and commitment.
"Some of our girls have doubled up in this
tournament by playing in both age-groups and
going into the match some of them were
expectedly tired, but they were still able to
come out and give off their best.
"It was also difficult to bring them down from
the high of winning the Under-21 title, so
overall for us to be among teams like Barbados
and Trinidad and Tobago in winning the two
gender titles at the same tournament is really
very special, and says a lot for our program."
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