Team Saint Lucia delivered an impressive performance at the recent Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Under-20 Beach Championships, securing gold and bronze medals in the competition.
The men’s team claimed first place, while the women’s team finished third on the sands of Frigate Bay in Basseterre, St. Kitts.
Peter Emmanuel and Lindan Clarke were unbeaten throughout the tournament, ultimately winning the men’s title. Emmanuel, who previously earned silver with the Under-21 team in 2025, teamed up with Clarke this time to dominate the competition, winning their semifinal matches by an average of seven points.
In the final, Emmanuel and Clarke faced a formidable Dominican duo, Tahj Jno Jules and Caiston Anthony. Despite the challenging nature of the match, they triumphed with a score of 2-0 (21-18, 21-19).
“Personally, I feel overjoyed,” Emmanuel expressed. He also acknowledged areas for improvement, stating, “It takes a while for us to get our momentum going, and when we do, we sometimes let it go too easily to the other team. But overall, I am excited about our performance.”
On the women’s side, Abigail Evans and Aryanna Desir had a tough start, losing to Grenada but quickly recovered to defeat St. Kitts & Nevis in the quarterfinals, which extended to three sets. Their journey for gold came to an end in the semifinals against the host team.
However, in the third-place playoff, the ladies from Team 758 claimed victory over St. Kitts & Nevis’ second team with a score of 2-0 (21-7, 21-18).
“I would say it wasn’t what we wanted, and we sure could have won the gold medal, but I’m very happy with our effort,” Evans said. “I think we did well for our first real tournament together.”
In the women’s final, Team Bermuda emerged victorious, defeating the St. Kitts & Nevis first team with a score of 2-1 (21-16, 11-21, 15-12).
A local volleyball association representative stated, “These young athletes have proven that the future of beach volleyball in the Eastern Caribbean is bright.”
The final standings were as follows:
Men’s Medalists:
- Gold – Saint Lucia
- Silver – Dominica
- Bronze – St Kitts &Nevis
Women’s Medalists:
- Gold – Bermuda
- Silver – St Kitts & Nevis
- Bronze – Saint Lucia