DESPITE losing all their matches in the recently concluded Flow Easter Classic Invitational Players League 5 Tournament in Trinidad and Tobago, the Berbice U19 volleyball squad gave a good account of themselves. This is according to a release from the Berbice Volleyball Association (BVA) which stated that while the Berbice team was a junior squad made up of U19 players, the other clubs that participated used senior players in the competition.
The Berbice team during their successful debut engagement last year played against fellow U19 players then, but this year, most of the clubs that participated are top clubs in their respective countries and some even had franchised players from other countries including the United States of America, Canada, Jamaica and Barbados.
The tournament was organised by the Trinidad and Tobago Volleyball Federation and was played at the Mayaro Indoor Sporting Facility in Trinidad.
According to the release, the Berbice team was invited by the TTVF (Trinidad & Tobago Volleyball Federation) based on their (Berbice) remarkable performance in winning the Goodwill Tournament in Trinidad last year.
According to the results released by the BVA, the Berbice U19 squad which is preparing for the Inter-Guiana Games tournament did not go down without a fight.
Results of the matches played showed the Trinidad Defence Force defeating the Berbice U19s- 15-5, 15-8. The Berbice U19 next encounter was against Chargers of Barbados and despite putting up a good fight, they lost 15-12, 15-9.
Against eventual winners Technocrats of Trinidad, the Berbice U19s lost 15-8, 15-10. Bigcepos of Trinidad then got the better of the Berbice U19 (2-0), the scores being 15-12, 15-10 in a hard-fought contest.
The locals then took on Barbados Beacons and lost 15-12, 15-11 in a good encounter.
The tournament was won by Technocrats who defeated Bigcepos in the final.
According to Chief de Mission and Coach/ Manager, Levi Nedd, he was pleased with the team’s participation.
Although unhappy that they did not play against junior players and they lost, he is happy with his charges’ performance against the bigger and more seasoned players the release stated, adding Nedd stated that the engagement was good and will work in good stead for the upcoming Inter–Guiana Games (IGG) and the CSV Inter–continental Tournament billed for later this year.
Nedd, who is also president of the BVA and vice-president of the Guyana Volleyball Federation, expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, the National Sports Commission, the Guyana Volleyball Federation, Guysuco, the management and apprentices of the Port Mourant Training Centre (PMTC), Poonai’s Pharmacy and members of the Berbice business community.