GATINEAU, Canada, – St Lucia are on the verge of finishing the men’s junior NORCECA Championship winless, after another straight sets whipping by Martinique in their penultimate match on Friday.
The debutants were humbled 25-17, 25-19, 25-17 by the French in the ninth place playoff and will now face English-speaking Caribbean counterparts Trinidad and Tobago in the 10th place playoff yesterday.
Julian Bissette, St Lucia’s impressive attacker, led his side again with 10 points which included seven kills and three blocks.
Elvin Germain said St Lucia would be gunning for a win against the Trinidadians in the last place playoff.
“The performance was a lot better from the previous day. We improved our intensity and our enthusiasm to go after every ball,” he said.
“I hope that tomorrow we can get a win, because I think the players deserve a win, they’ve fought very hard.”
Captain Gillan Octave said the outing, their first at the North, Central American and Caribbean continental level, had been a good learning curve.
“Playing at this tournament means so much to us,” Octave noted. “To have this exposure is really good. Our fight came back today and everything was there.”
For Martinique, Boris Zeline sent down 10 kills and five aces to finish with 15 points while Yves Vadeleux added 10.
Hosts Canada, meanwhile, produced the biggest upset of the tournament when they came from behind to beat the top-seeded Cuba 22-25, 25-19, 25-7, 25-15.
Matthew Schriemer smashed 15 kills and pulled off five blocks to register 21 points while Nicholas Hoag reeled off 13 kills in scoring 16 points.
Jorge Rojas Taylor finished with 14 points in a losing effort for the Cubans.