By Samuel Peters
In a dramatic turn of events, the Antigua and Barbuda national volleyball teams experienced a rollercoaster of emotions at the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association Beach Volley Championships in St Kitts and Nevis.
Both the men’s and women’s squads, who had dominated their opponents in the qualifying stages, faced unexpected challenges as they progressed to the later rounds of the competition.
Entering the semifinals as favorites, both teams encountered stiff resistance that ultimately derailed their gold medal aspirations. The men’s team, despite their earlier prowess, fell to Dominica in a straight-sets defeat (21-11, 21-17). The women’s squad engaged in a nail-biting contest against Anguilla but couldn’t clinch victory, losing in two close sets (21-18, 21-17).
These losses came as a shock to many supporters who had witnessed the teams’ impressive performances in the preliminary rounds.
However, showing remarkable resilience, the Antiguan men regrouped after their semifinal setback. In the third-place playoff, they faced off against Grenada demonstrating their true potential, the team secured a convincing straight-sets victory (21-17, 21-16). This bronze medal finish marks a significant improvement from the 2023 tournament, where they failed to place.
Unfortunately, the tournament ended on a sombre note for the women’s team. An injury to key player Jassania Carr forced the team to withdraw from their bronze medal match against Bermuda. This default meant the team missed out on a chance to salvage a podium finish. They were second place in last year’s edition.
The final results saw Anguilla’s women’s team, having defeated Antigua and Barbuda in the semifinals, go on to claim the gold medal. Whereas, Dominica continued their impressive run, remaining unbeaten throughout the tournament to secure the championship.
