Honore makes history with v-ball schol

Nadiege Honore has created history by becoming the first Trinidad and Tobago volleyballer to secure a US $120,000 four-year First Division volleyball scholarship at the reputable Siena University, Albany, New York.

The outstanding Starlings Volleyball Club and national senior blocker recently returned from the United States where she visited the university’s campus and toured the Christian-based institution, which has established a women’s volleyball programme as part of its extra-curricular activities. Siena is a Liberal Arts university located on a 155-acre campus, two miles north of Albany and three hours away from New York City and Boston. They are champions of the Metro Atlantic Conference and earned a top ranking in the National Colleges Amateur Athletics (NCAA) — the United States Division One competition (premier national competition).

Chief volleyball coach Garvey Pierre spotted Honore’s potential and offered the talented Naparima Girls High School sixth-former when his team participated in a goodwill series in Trinidad and Tobago in July this year. At the invitation of coach Pierre and accompanied by her mother Judith Honore, a teacher at the Naps Girls College, Nadiege toured the American University campus and facilities and held discussion with their Athletics Directors and top administrators. She accepted their offer and signed a Letter of Intent to pursue higher studies and advance her volleyball career at the University. She earned a high mark in her SAT examination and this qualifies her for admission to the institution.

All the relevant documents are being processed and she is expected to start next September. Honore will receive full tuition, books, accommodation and other expenses totalling over US$120,000 for the four-year period. And apart from her volleyball training and competition, 17-year-old Honore will pursue a degree programme in Sports Pschology. She had an outstanding competitive season with the national junior and senior teams and is now ranked as the third-best blocker in the North America, Central America and Caribbean (NORCECA) region. Honore represented TT at the NORCECA senior women’s competition final in Santo Domingo and despite being the country’s first outing at this high-level competition which included  the USA, Cuba and host Santo Domingo, the the five-foot 11-inch tall aggressive player showed her class. Before the Santo Domingo outing, Honore proved a tower of strength for TT during the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Junior Women’s competition in Martinique where the “Hummingbird Girls” retained the title with impressive performances.

Together with her Starlings clubmate Stephanie Woodroofe, they were crowned “Beach Volleyball Queens” when they edged out the other club pair of Michele Mohan and Pauline Woodroofe. The Siena volleyball team players and the academic staff warmly received Nadiege. She said: “We were given a really good reception by both the staff members and players at the university. I trained with the team and they made me feel at home with them. I met most of them while they were here in July, so it was easy to communicate with them and fit into their team.” “I consider this a gift from God and I am very happy with the scholarship offer to pursue my academic studies and volleyball career at the University. They have a very high academic standard and the academic directors stressed the need to ensure that I make good grades throughout the period. “They whole programme is geared to ensure that all students are successful in the chosen subjects. It’s a place where I feel comfortable and would be happy to spend the next four years of my life,” added the elated teenaged volleyball star.

She will join her brother Marc Anthony who started his volleyball scholarship programme at the St Francis University, Pennsylvania last September. It is a double for the Honore family, as Marc Anthony, also the top blocker for the national junior team, became the first Trinidadian male player to get a full First Division volleyball scholarship. Their clubmate Greg Ouditt also started his volleyball scholarship programme at the William Morgan University in Missouri last September. Starlings club president Rev Terrence Honore who is also the proud father of both Nadiege and Marc Anthony, was overjoyed at the three major scholarships — all within the year. He said: “We are very proud of the achievement of members of our club. And we are currently engaged in organising more scholarship opportunities for the other members. We have set high standards for our members and they are now reaping the rewards.”