Tradewind Tankers International Invitational volleyball tournament…
All four clubs from Guyana suffered defeat on the opening night of the Inaugural Tradewind Tankers International Invitational Volleyball tournament Friday night at the National Gymnasium.
All seven participating teams went head-to-head in the round robin format on the first night of competition with visiting teams from Suriname, Brazil and Trinidad and Tobago showing their prowess and emerging on top. The format also saw teams playing the two best in three format, first to 25 points or winner determined by leader at the end of 10 minutes.
Lzecks Volleyball club of Suriname and Roraima from Brazil managed to secure two wins apiece on the first night of competition and are strong favourites for today’s final. Trinidad and Tobago’s Big South East Port-of-Spain (SEPOS) Volleyball club is also in the fray after winning their first two matches.
BIG SEPOS coach Gideon Dickson told Stabroek Sport yesterday that his team is building momentum as the tournament progresses. On opening night Big Sepos completed a stunning win against Guyana’s Rollers 2-1 (21-8, 14-16, 19-9). Dickson said that while his team will not be underestimating any of the Guyanese teams, their main challengers will be Suriname’s Lzecks and Brazil’s Rollers.
Brazil’s Roraima eased past Guyana’s Young Achievers 2-0 (15-10, 18-13) and Rollers also by the 2-0 margin. Lzecks won the first game of the night against Guyana’s Castrol Strikers 2-0 (19-7, 15-12). The strikers gave a valiant effort early in the first game but their defending left gaps in the court which Lzecks pounced on with power spikes at every opportunity.
Lzecks also took down a spirited squad for the Port Mourant Training School (PMTS) in a tight battle 16-13, 14-12. PMTS prolific spiker Quacy Matherson kept them in the game as he fired up his team with some crucial blocks at the net as well as with some killer spikes of his own. Matherson’s serve also gave Lzecks some trouble but it was as hurtful as it was effective as he failed to get it past the net on a few occasions. In an all Guyanese match-up Young Achievers took advantage on the relatively immobile Castrol Strikers and prevailed 2-0 (19-11, 19-11).
The tournament which is also sponsored in by Digicel Guyana will continued today with exhibition games for the junior girls’ teams of Guyana and Brazil, followed by the junior boys’ mixed team match also between Guyana and Brazil. The third place playoff and the finals will be played to bring the first edition of the competition to an end.
