Little joy for Jamaica at Varadero Beach Volleyball
THE JAMAICAN pair of Ryck Webb and Noley Ferguson placed 14th of 16 teams at the recent Varadero Beach Volleyball Tournament in Varadero, Cuba, the second stop of the 2022 Norceca Beach Volleyball Tour.
The Jamaicans, who were seeded 15th ahead of the tournament, played and lost their first two games against the eventual second- and fourth-place teams, United States A and United States B.
General Secretary of the Jamaica Volleyball Association, Audley Weir, is optimistic about the future based on the performances of the team.
“Jamaica did well under challenging circumstances. We saw a lot of positives from this trip. The team was very competitive against the Americans, who are a volleyball powerhouse in the world. We will regroup and prepare for the next tournament,” Weir said.
Jamaica was the highest-placed team from the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) region.
The Jamaican women’s team will participate in the next leg of the Norceca Beach Circuit, which will be held in La Paz, Mexico, from today until May 16.
Cuba were victorious in both categories at the recent tournament. Leila Martinez and Lidy Echeverría were crowned at home as queens of the women’s segment. The pair of Martínez and Echeverría prevailed against Canadians Emma Glagau and Ruby Sorra 2-1 (21-12, 19-21, 15-12) in a close duel.
The USA’s pair of Iya Lindhal and Alexandra Wheeler won third place after defeating Guatemalans Natalia Girón and Laura Quiñones 2-0 (21-14, 21-19).
Miguel Ayón and Yosvani Carrasco completed the Cuban double victory. Ayon and Carrasco scored a comfortable 2-0 (21-13, 21-17) win over the American duo of Travis Mewhirter and Thimothy Brewster.
Third place went to another Cuban pair, Jorge Luis Alayo and Noslen Díaz, who edged Americans Ryan Smith and Michael Boag 2-1 (18-21, 21-12, 15-12).