T&T senior women’s volleyball team will serve off its quest for a spot at next year’s Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games when they come up against host Mexico in their Group B opener of the 24th Norceca Continental Championship Olympic Qualifiers in Michoacana, Mexico from September 9pm (TT time) tonight.
Runners-up at the last two editions of the tournament and 2009 winner Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico face off in the Pool B curtain raiser from 4 pm at the Auditorio de Universidad Michoacana while in Pool A, seven-time champions USA (1981, 1983, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2011, 2013) begins its defence versus Costa Rica from 2 pm followed by Canada and 13-time champions Cuba, two hours later.
However, when the T&T women, the reigning Caribbean champions led by newly appointed captain Renele Forde take to the court against the host, they would do so with the hope of avenging a heart-break straight sets loss on home soil in July of last year, 14-25, 29-31, 17-27 in their winner-take-all Norceca Final Round Playoff for the FIVB World Championship in Italy.
The Mexicans also defeated 25-23, 25-19, 25-22 in their fifth place playoff at the last Continental Championship held in Omaha, Nebraska in 2013 while T&T’s last win against the Mexicans, 25-17, 25-22, 26-14 came at the Pan American Cup in Peru, June of the same year. Back then the quartet of Channon Thompson, Krystle Esdelle, Darlene Ramdin and Sinead Jack were the main contributors for T&T with 21, 18, 12 and ten points respectively and once again the same quartet, along with captain Forde will form the core of the local 12-member squad .
The overseas-based trio of Jack (Russia), Thompson (Turkey) and Ramdin (Hungary) were expected to meet up with the team on Friday ahead of two training sessions yesterday in preparation for today’s opener. The local women’s team is being coached by former two-time Cuban Olympic women’s volleyball winning gold medal player Idalmis Gato and is one in transition with the Tobago-born trio of Shontellle Yearwood, Asia Joseph and Kerdisha Sutherland as well as Hannah Floyd, Rejanne Wallace and Shernice De Four all making their first senior national team following decisions by former captain Kelly-Anne Billingy, Courtnee-Mae Clifford, and Jalicia Ross-Kydd, to call it quits and Rheeza Grant, still out injured.
T&T is making its sixth appearance at the Continental Championship since debuting in 2005 at home with an eight place finish. This was followed by a sixth place showing in 2007 (Mexico), eighth in Puerto Rico (2009) and seventh in Caguas, Puerto Rico in 2011 after outplaying Costa Rica, 26-24, 25-21, 25-12 and sixth again in 2013.
Team USA has won five of the last seven editions and reached the podium in 21 of the 23 editions since the tournament began in 1969 while Cuba has had a podium finish, 22 times.
T&T women’s team: Krystle Esdelle, Channon Thompson, Sinead Jack, Darlene Ramdin, Renele Forde (captain), Hannah Floyd, Shontelle Yearwood, Asia Joseph, Kerdisha Sutherland, Afeisha Olton, Rejeanne Wallace, Shernice De Four.
Technical staff: Idalmis Gato (coach), Francisco Cruz (assistant coach/technical director)
Tournament groups & schedule:
Group A: Costa Rica, USA, Cuba, Canada
Group B: Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Mexico, T&T
Group A:
September 27: Costa Rica vs USA, 2pm; Cuba vs Canada, 6pm
September 28: Cuba vs Costa Rica, 3pm; USA vs Canada, 7pm,
September 29: Canada vs Costa Rica, 3pm; USA vs Cuba, 7pm
Group B:
September 27: Dom Republic vs Puerto Rico, 4pm; Mexico vs T&T, 9pm
September 28: T&T vs Dom Republic, 5pm; Mexico vs Puerto Rico, 9pm
September 29: Puerto Rico vs T&T, 5pm; Mexico vs Dom Republic, 9pm
Quarterfinals:
September 30: 2nd B vs 3rd A, 7pm; 2nd A vs 3rd B, 9pm
October 1:
Classification fifth to eighth. 3pm & 5pm
Semifinals first to fourth, 7pm & 9pm
October 2:
Seventh spot playoff, 3pm
Fifth spot playoff. 5pm
Third, 7pm
Final, 9pm