The United States Virgin Islands junior boys and girls volleyball teams went into the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Associations U19 Volleyball Championships held in Spanish Town, Jamaica, with varying expectations.
ISV is the three-letter international code name given to the United States Virgin Islands by the National Olympic Committee. ISV girls were the defending champions, heavily favored to repeat, while ISV boys had not won one single match the last three times they entered a high-level international event and weren’t expected to medal.
This is why they play the games.
Both teams reacted differently to their semi-final match losses. ISV girls played Barbados who also lost their semi-final match to Trinidad & Tobago in a five-set heartbreaking fashion. Barbados controlled most of that match before their error cost them a spot in the final. ISV was also trying to recover from their five-set marathon semi-final loss to Jamaica, but the Bajans played with more focus and determination in the third-place match and handed the defending champs their second consecutive loss 25-19; 25-22; 25-23. The leading scorers for ISV were Vernecia Caines with 10 points, Jayden Gorman added eight, and Mya Brown with seven.
ISV boys also played in the third-place match against a familiar foe, Jamaica. The home county handed ISV boys their first loss of the tournament in five sets. This one also went the distance; however, the results were not the same. Jamaica took a two sets to one lead going into the fourth frame. In that game, the ISV boys found their rhythm and won that game 25-16. In the final and deciding frame, Earl Miguel Toussaint came up with a big one-on-one kill block late in the fifth set, which sealed the win for ISV boys, 19-25; 25-23; 22-25; 25-16; 15-9. The top performers for ISV were Jared Brown with 24 points, Logan Rogers added 12 and Kymani Greenidge contributed 11 points.
Here are the final results of the tournament and the individual winners in each division.
Girls Division
Tournament Champions Jamaica
Second Place Team Trindad & Tobago
Third Place Team Barbados
Individual Awards
Best Receiver Jayden Gorman U.S. Virgin Islands
Best Digger Jordanne Hutchinson Trinidad & Tobago
Best Server Jayden Gorman U.S. Virgin Islands
Best Middle 1 Ava Grace Troyer Jamaica
Best Middle 2 Mya Brown U.S. Virgin Islands
Best Opposite Destiny Layne Barbados
Best Setter Kaila Baker Jamaica
Best Outside 1 Jayden Gorman U.S. Virgin Islands
Best Outside 2 Janica Grant Barbados
Best Libero Jordanne Hutchinson Trinidad & Tobago
Top Scorer Lfe Roberts Trinidad & Tobago
Most Valuable Player Mary Massias Jamaica
Boys Division
First Place Barbados
Second Place Trinidad & Tobago
Third Place U.S. Virgin Islands
Individual Awards
Best Receiver Rayon Dickson Trinidad & Tobago
Best Digger Dominic Durant Barbados
Best Server Logan Rogers U.S. Virgin Islands
Best Middle 1 Joshua Auboine Jamaica
Best Middle 2 Nichola Russell-Griffin Barbados
Best Opposite Logan Rogers U.S. Virgin Islands
Best Setter Gabriel Rojas U.S. Virgin Islands
Best Outside 1 Michael Burkett Trinidad & Tobago
Best Outside 2 Kaden Hoyte Barbados
Best Libero A’jahnai Merchant U.S. Virgin Islands
Top Scorer Michael Burkett Trinidad & Tobago
Most Valuable Player Kaden Hoyte Barbados
