Former 10-time kings Barbados overcame a poor serving game to defeat Guadeloupe in four sets to make a winning start to the 19th CAZOVA volleyball championships this morning in the Kendal GL Isaac National Gymnasium in Nassau, the Bahamas.
The Bajans played a poor serving game but utilised their superior spiking and attacking to stop Guadeloupe 25-23, 25-15, 23-25, 25-12. Guadeloupe were also guilty of making numerous serving errors and they could not match the attacking power of their opponents.
Captain Akeel Oxley, along with opposite player Ahkeem Mayers and outside attacker Jabarry Goodridge, proved a potent spiking force at the net for the winners. Captain Alexandre Watson and Jordy Bihardy battled strongly for Guadeloupe.
Coach of Guadeloupe Ishmael Ollivierre indicated that a lack of consistency affected his team’s performance. “We started really well leading Barbados but then we made too many simple errors in serving and attacking.
“This is the first time we are returning to CVC after a long absence and it was our first game. We will look at what we did wrong and prepare to do better in the next game,” said Ollivierre.
Andrew Culpepper of Barbados did not mince his words in spite of taking the win. “We served horribly. I do not know if it was just anxiety and the fellows trying too hard in that first game.
“After we recognised that our opponents were struggling to pass the ball we went to the float serves which put more pressure on their passers. I wanted to also give court time to everyone after going up two sets.
“That was important at this stage to give everyone a feel of the court. That did not work out in the third set, but we will look to tighten up on those small areas and get ready for our next match,” said Culpepper.
Barbados started with captain Oxley opposite Goodridge on the outsides, former CARIFTA hurdler Haile-Emmanuel Turney and Samuel Wharton in the middle with Mayers playing opposite setter Ronald Rice. The aggressive play was started on the first ball which Goodridge rocketed off an opposing blockers’ head.
However, Goodridge opened the bad serving when he rotated and put the ball into the net. With Barbados racking up 10 service errors Guadeloupe led 10-7, 18-15 and 16-21 before they were reeled in with the Bajans resorting to float serves and blistering counter spikes.
The second set saw Barbados totally dominating before wholesale substitutions in the third set allowed Guadeloupe to sneak away with a morale boost. However, the return of the starting six and crafty floating serves by Goodridge ensured that the game ended in the fourth set.
That win saw Barbados jumping to a world ranking of 59 from a previous 164. On Saturday night Jamaica stopped the Bahamas in five sets to move from 162 to 61.
In the next matches, the men will meet Curaçao while the women face Suriname. (KB)
Jabarry Goodridge scoring a kill for Barbados. (Picture by Kenmore Bynoe)
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