Jamaica's Kai Wright and Danielle Perry celebrate after their sensational golden set comeback victory over the Cayman Islands |
Ocho Rios, Jamaica, May 3, 2015 - The local pair of Kai Wright and Danielle Perry playing as Jamaica-A rallied back from a seven-point deficit in a decisive golden set to score a sensational come-from-behind victory over Jessica Wolfenden and Stefania Gandolfi of Cayman Islands-A in the match for first place at the Caribbean Zone Beach Volleyball Tournament, a first-round event of the NORCECA Continental Cup.
Trailing 13-6 in the golden set, the home girls mounted a 9-0 rally led by well-placed services by Perry to give Jamaica the 15-13 win as hundreds in the stands exploded in celebration.
Wolfenden/Gandolfi had won the first match against Alicia Malcolm/Sashalee Wallen of Jamaica-B 2-0 (21-18, 23-21) but Wright/ Perry downed Ilean Powery/Chante Smith-Johnson of Cayman Islands-B 2-0 (21-6, 21-9), forcing the golden set.
“I can’t fully explain what happened, but Danielle and I decided that we needed to do this for the supporters and JaVA so we created a new gear, playing harder and smarter one point at a time,” said an almost speechless Wright after the match.
The series for third place between Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados was also stretched to a golden set, with the victory for the Trinidadians represented by their "A" team of Apphia Glascow/La Teisha Joseph, who overcame Shari Matthews/Anicia Wood of Barbados-A 16-14.
Glascow/Joseph defeated Anthazia Mason/Sharon Bovell of Barbados-B 2-0 (21-16, 21-13) to open the series, but Matthews/Wood outdueled Elki Phillip/Shenelle Gordon of Trinidad and Tobago-B 2-0 (21-17, 21-18) to produce a 1-1 tied score.
The four semifinalists and the teams placed fifth and sixth - Suriname and the US Virgin Islands - have qualified for the second phase of the NORCECA Continental Cup, a qualification tournament for the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, featuring the Caribbean countries playing against the top-six countries from the Eastern Caribbean zone.
Final positions:
1. Jamaica, 2. Cayman Islands, 3. Trinidad & Tobago, 4. Barbados, 5. Suriname, 6. U.S. Virgin Islands, 7. Haiti, 8. Guadeloupe, 9. Curacao, 10. Bahamas, 11. Martinique, 12. Aruba.
Results Day Three
Barbados 2, Suriname 0
Anthazia Mason/Sharon Bovell BAR-B d Cheryl Brunings/Sandrina Hunsel SUR-A 2-0 (25-23, 21-14), Shari Matthews/Anicia Wood BAR-A d Guenevere Overdiep/Xaviera Willemsberg SUR-B 2-0 (21-5, 21-16).
Semifinals
Jamaica 2, Trinidad and Tobago 0
Alicia Malcolm/Sashalee Wallen JAM-B d Apphia Glascow/La Teisha Joseph TTO-A 2-1 (19-21, 23-21, 15-6), Kai Wright/Danielle Perry JAM-A d Elki Phillip/Shenelle Gordon TTO-B 2-0 (21-11, 21-10).
Cayman Islands 2, Barbados 2-1
Shari Matthews/Anicia Wood BAR-A d Ilean Powery/Chante Smith-Johnson CAY-B 2-0 (21-13, 21-9), Jessica Wolfenden/Stefania Gandolfi CAY-A d Anthazia Mason/Sharon Bovell BAR-B 2-0 (21-3, 21-18). GOLDEN SET: Jessica Wolfenden/Stefania Gandolfi CAY-A d Shari Matthews/Anicia Wood BAR-A (15-11).
Golden Set for Positions 5-6
Suriname 1, US Virgin Islands 0
Cheryl Brunings/Sandrina Hunsel SUR-A d Jamie Farley/Amber Bennett ISV-A (15-6).
Positions 3-4 Series
Trinidad and Tobago 2, Barbados 1
Apphia Glascow/La Teisha Joseph TTO-A d Anthazia Mason/Sharon Bovell BAR-B 2-0 (21-16, 21-13), Shari Matthews/Anicia Wood BAR-A d Elki Phillip/Shenelle Gordon TTO-B 2-0 (21-17, 21-18). GOLDEN SET: Apphia Glascow/La Teisha Joseph TTO-A d Shari Matthews/Anicia Wood BAR-A (16-14).
Positions 1-2 Series
Jamaica 2, Cayman Islands 1
Jessica Wolfenden/Stefania Gandolfi CAY-A d Alicia Malcolm/Sashalee Wallen JAM-B 2-0 (21-18, 23-21), Kai Wright/Danielle Perry JAM-A d Ilean Powery/Chante Smith-Johnson CAY-B 2-0 (21-6, 21-9). GOLDEN SET: Kai Wright/Danielle Perry JAM-A d Jessica Wolfenden/Stefania Gandolfi CAY-A (15-13).