TT women v-ballers finish eighth

Playing at the Sports and Physical Education Centre, UWI St Augustine Campus, the young Trinidad and tobago team succumbed 25-10, 25-11, 25-12 to finish eighth in the competition.

Despite being depleted by injury, Mexico needed just 55 minutes to stamp their authority on the hosts, and pick up seventh place in the tournament.

Trinidad and Tobago were left short on talent when their key player, outside hitter Kelly Ann Billingy and middle hitter Chantal Clarke Bodkin, left early yesterday morning to return to their colleges in the United States.

It was therefore left up to Darlene Ramdin, who led the team’s scoring with ten kills with support from Karen Moses who chipped in with five kills.

Mexico, who will now focus on the World Championship in Japan next year, got 19 points from Claudia Rodriguez and eight from Mariela Garcia.

On Thursday Barbados confirmed their claim and the best women team in the Caribbean when they defeated Trinidad and Tobago 3-1on the final day of the preliminary round competition.

Both teams went into the match without a win and Trinidad and Tobago seeking a pride victory against a team that it had not defeated more than a decade ago.

Barbados, the reigning Caribbean champions, won the first set in a close battle 25-22, but the second was even more close as the host opened a five-point lead 13-8 thanks to the brilliance of Kelly Ann Billingy and stayed ahead despite the visitors closing the gap 24-23 before securing victory.

But in the third set the contest became too much for Trinidad and Tobago’s star player Billingy to carry as she was all over the court leading her young and very inexperience teammates.

Barbados also led by their skipper Anthazia Yearwood, Julia Lewis and Sharon Bovell, decided to play defence against Billingy, while attacking her teammates from all angles of the court to take the third set 25-19 for a 2-1 lead. The fourth set was a no-contest with Barbados winning it in quick time 25-9.

TT coach Macsood Ali said, "We fielded a very young and inexperience team in this tournament but once we get the opportunity to play at this level often we would be better in the future. We fought with everything it had and I am proud of my team," Ali said.

In a play-off yesterday between the second and third placed teams the Dominican Republic booked their place in the semi-finals when they beat Canada 25-22, 25-19, 25-14.

Their next opponents are tournament favourites Cuba. But Cruz Francisco said, "Our focus is not Cuba, we’re after the bronze medals."

He said so because one of their best players Prisills Brens Rivera, has been injured and missed the last three matches and we hope to have her back for the bronze medal match. Their victory was sparked by Cindy Martinez Rondon, who scored 18 points, Kenia Perez Moreta (12) and Annerys Valdez Vargas (99).

Team captain Cosiris Andino Rodriguez said: "We started shaky but we found out that we had to set the pace. Canada played us and we had to work for this victory."

Canada will now focus on finishing in a creditable position when they play the losers of the USA/Barbados match (last night) in the play-off for fifth and sixth positions.