Antigua and Barbuda have captured the runners-up spot in the women’s division at the 2025 Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association’s (ECVA) Under-21 Beach Championships in St. Kitts.
The national female team comprising Jassania Joseph and Jaya Isaac Carr missed out on the title after losing 2-0 to the St. Lucian duo of Ericka Gaspard and Clio Phillip in the final of the tournament, which took place at Marriott Beach in St. Kitts from June 6 to 8.
Gaspard and Phillip delivered a flawless performance, capturing the women’s gold medal with an undefeated 5-0 record and without dropping a single set.
In the final, Gaspard and Phillip overpowered the Antiguan duo of Joseph and Carr in straight sets, winning 21-11, 23-21.
The St. Lucians advanced to the championship match by ousting Deandra Fleming and Lavesha Richardson of Anguilla 2-0 in the semi-finals, prevailing 21-16, 21-17.
In a hard-fought semifinal, the Antiguan pair of Joseph and Carr edged past Dominica’s Alyssa Bully and Joyan Pascal 2-1, winning 21-12, 15-21, and 15-12.
After splitting the first two sets, Joseph and Carr led 13-9 in the decider before withstanding a late Dominican rally to secure their spot in the final.
Dominica’s Bully and Pascal secured a 2-1 victory over Anguilla’s Fleming and Richardson in the playoff for third place.
The Dominicans claimed the bronze medal by prevailing 21-14, 20-22, and 15-7.
Meanwhile, Antigua and Barbuda’s men’s team of Khaliq Joseph and Miguel Lena Lugo finished seventh in the men’s division competition.
Joseph and Lugo, who finished third in last year’s event, won their playoff for seventh place with a 2-0 (21-18, 21-16) victory over Maduro Dunkley and Alexander Wheatley of the British Virgin Islands.
The Antiguans lost their playoff for fifth place 2-0 (21-14, 21-8) against Julian Bristol and Komarr Fraties of St. Kitts and Nevis.
Joseph and Lugo were also outed 2-0 (22-20, 21-13) by Jedediah Pencheon and Vikash Sundar of St. Kitts and Nevis in the men’s quarter-finals.
Dominica’s Mervin Mingo and Bill Frederick were crowned ECVA Under-21 Men’s Beach Volleyball Champions for the second year in a row.
The Dominicans delivered a 2-0 win (21-17, 21-15) over St. Lucia’s Victor Rio and Peter Emmanuel in the gold medal match.
In an exciting bronze medal match, Grenada’s Walcott Zerick and Kibose Hamilton battled past home favourites Jedediah Pencheon and Vikash Sundar of St. Kitts and Nevis in a thrilling 2-1 victory (21-17, 12-21, 15-11).
Mervin Mingo and Bill Frederick of Dominica took a confident step toward back-to-back titles with a straight-sets semi-final victory 2-0 (21-18, 21-15) against Grenada’s Walcott Zerick and Kibose Hamilton.
St. Lucia’s duo, Rio and Emmanuel, secured a 2-0 (21-11, 21-11) victory in their semi-final match against the Kittitian pair of Sundar and Puncheon.
The top three finishers in both male and female categories will move on to represent the ECVA at the NORCECA World Championships Qualifier Tournament, which will take place in the Dominican Republic from July 3 to 7.
