Sport

Under-19 volleyballers in Trinidad

UNLIKE THEIR MALE counterparts, who were unable to compete in Aruba last week because of a visa foul-up, Jamaica's female junior volleyballers are expected in Trinidad and Tobago ahead of tomorrow's start of the fifth Caribbean Junior Volleyball Championships.

When the girls played at the 2003 tournament in Martinique, Jamaica placed sixth behind winners Trinidad and Tobago and second place team Netherland Antilles, both of whom they will face in this year's preliminary round group.

The United States Virgin Islands (USVI) and Martinique are the other teams in Jamaica's group. The top two teams from the group will advance to the semi-finals where they will compete against the top duo from Group A.

Despite the draw, national head coach Oneil Ebanks still believes Jamaica has the ability to advance from the group.

"I believe we can better that sixth-place finish," he said. "I think we can finish in the top four but it is not going to be easy. It will be a very competitive tournament."

"Trinidad and the Netherland Antilles should be very strong, so too Barbados and Bahamas but we will be playing tough and hopefully we will do very well," Ebanks added.

Aveniki Campbell , Najwa Pagon and Niama Stennett, three members from the 2003 squad, have already tasted senior team action. Campbell, a middle blocker, played at the recently concluded Pan Am Cup in the Dominican Republic along which Stennett. Pagon, a setter, represented Jamaica at last year's senior Caribbean Championship in Barbados and is also a member of the squad aiming to qualify for the World Championship in Japan next year.