T&T sweep individual awards at World Cup qualifier
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Though Mexico’s outside hitter Samantha Bricio was acclaimed the Most Valuable Player, Trinidad & Tobago collected the lion’s share of the awards at the conclusion of the NORCECA Group C Women’s World Championship qualifying tournament on Sunday.
Outside hitter Channon Thompson stood out with three awards. She impressed with her powerful kills and serves earning the awards for Best Scorer and Best Server, along with the First Best Spiker award. Darlene Ramdin finished as Second Best Spiker, Sinead Jack was the First Best Blocker, T&T captain Krystle Esdelle was the Best Opposite and libero Afesha Olton of T&T was the Best Digger of the event.
T&T became the first-ever country from the Englishspeaking Caribbean to qualify for a Women’s World Championship.
“We have dreamed with this for a long time,” said T&T Women’s head coach Francisco Cruz. “Hopefully, this achievement generates more support to our programme from the government and the private agencies.
“Our programme has been designed to Japan 2018 and getting the ticket comes as a big prize for all the girls who have struggled to keep playing volleyball through the years.”
The Calypso Girls, as they are known among their peers in the CAZOVA region of NORCECA, forced the more experienced Mexico to a tie-breaker in the final match of the qualifier before succumbing in the match to decide the supremacy in Group C qualifier to Japan 2018.