In a gripping showdown at the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Under-23 Men’s Championship on Thursday, November 13, hosts Antigua & Barbuda staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Saint Lucia in a five-set thriller. The match, held at the YMCA in St John’s, showcased resilience and tactical brilliance as Antigua & Barbuda overturned a two-set deficit to clinch the victory with scores of 22-25, 16-25, 27-25, 25-21, 15-12.
Saint Lucia had entered the match with momentum, having earlier defeated Anguilla in straight sets (27-25, 25-17, 25-12). Their star player, outside hitter and team captain Daniel Myers-James, delivered a standout performance with 15 points against Anguilla and later led his team with 24 points in the clash against Antigua & Barbuda. Middle blocker Peter Emmanuel also contributed significantly with 12 points.
Despite Saint Lucia’s dominance at the net, recording 14 blocks compared to Antigua & Barbuda’s five, the hosts excelled in attack points, scoring 57 against their opponents’ 41. This offensive prowess proved decisive in turning the tide of the match.
Saint Lucia’s head coach, Levi Leonce, acknowledged the challenges faced during the game. “A loss is always unfortunate, but Antigua came to fight today. We struggled with service errors and execution breakdowns. However, each match offers valuable lessons, and we will make the necessary adjustments to come back stronger tomorrow,” he stated.
The championship continues with Saint Lucia set to face Grenada on Friday and Dominica on Saturday, both at 4 p.m. Dominica remains unbeaten after three games, while Antigua & Barbuda have secured victories in both their fixtures so far.