Jamaica advance in qualifiers
Published:Tuesday | December 21, 2010 | 12:00 AM
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):
The Bahamas and Trinidad and Tobago dominated the Caribbean zonal phase of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball qualifying tournament, capturing the top spots here on Sunday.
Playing at the Beach Volleyball Courts in Saith Park, the Bahamian pair of Renaldo Knowles won the Muller Petit men's title when they upset the favoured Trinidadians in the final.
The hosts, meanwhile, hit back in the women's category as Trinidadians Kelly-Anne Billingy and Ayanna Dyette, along with Pauline Woodroffe and Elki Phillip, swept top honours.
First on court, Phillip and Woodroffe defeated Barbadians Anthazia Mason and Sharon Bovell 21-16, 21-18, while a subdued Billingy and Dyette battled past Shari Matthews and Anicia Wood, also of Barbados, in three tough sets, 21-18, 18-21, 16-14.
Both T&T and Barbados had already qualified for the next stage of Olympic qualification to be played in June next year and were joined by Jamaica and Curaçao which won in 'Golden Sets' over US Virgin Islands and Suriname, respectively, in their play-off matches.
Top local pairing
However, the men's top local pairing of Daneil Williams and Fabian Whitfield were upstaged by Knowles and Muller in a 'Golden Set' decider 15-11, after the tie was locked at 1-1.
Whitfield and Williams had earlier proven too much for Bahamians' Princtanique Wilson and Byron Ferguson 21-15, 21-16, but the other local men's pair of Christian François and Kevin Rivers failed to close out the match as they went under to Knowles and Petit 23-21, 15-21, 12-15.
Joining champions Bahamas and runners-up T&T men's team in the next stage of Olympic qualification series will be the top-ranked Jamaica and Barbados.
The Jamaicans overcame their shock defeat to The Bahamas in the semi-final by beating Curaçao in a 'Golden Set', while Barbados also needed a 'Golden Set' to get past Aruba.
The four qualifiers will join the top four from the other Caribbean zonal qualifying tournament at a venue to be determined in June, from which only the winning teams will advance directly to the London 2012 Olympics.