The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

AT one point, the Bahamas Volleyball Federation women’s national team was the cream of the crop in the region. Now, they’re struggling to survive among their peers.

With only eight players to work with because of financial constraints, the federation fell short in its bid to qualify for the 2014 FIVB World Volleyball Women’s NORCECA First Round Group A in Paramaribo on Sunday night.

The team, comprised of Melinda Bastian, Krystel Rolle, Cheryse Bain, Katrina Lightbourn, Laval Sands, Tia Wilson, Kelsie Johnson and Tia Wilson, finished at the bottom of the four-team pile with a 0-3 record in regulation. In their playoff game for third place, the Bahamas lost to host Suriname 25-23, 25-19 and 25-18.

On the team’s return home late Tuesday night, head coach Joseph ‘Joe Mo’ Smith said having gone to Suriname with just eight players, they knew that it would be a mammoth task for them to qualify.

“We knew the competition we were up against and I think it played against us because we were right in the thick of things, but we just couldn’t finish,” he said. “We didn’t have those bodies and playing two games in one day really took its toll on the players we had there.

“We needed to finish, but we just didn’t have the energy, we just didn’t have it to finish. I think if we had some more of our players to rely on to give some of our key players some rest, we would have been able to qualify. But I think the eight girls who went did very well. I didn’t like the end results where we didn’t qualify.”

To make matters worse, Cheryse Bain, who was enjoying a great tournament as one of the top performers for the Bahamas, went down with an injury in the third game with a severely sprained ankle.

“We had to go with the two short setters opposite,” said Smith, who was assisted by DeVince Smith. “It was rough. But we were still up in the game, but we just couldn’t put our opponents away. Things just fell apart for us.”

Although they didn’t qualify, Smith said the Bahamas is still ranked in the top 10 in the Caribbean, but he admitted that as they move forward the federation will have to go though a rebuilding stage.

“The oldest player on the team is Kelsie, who is 31. So we are looking at trying to bring in some more younger girls because all of the countries are going younger because they have more energy and they have more love for the game,” Smith said. “As you get older, the love kind of tends to go out the window.

“But the players are all committed to 2014 and we just have to bring in some new talent to mix with them.”

If there’s any ingredient the federation needs to spice up its recipe in the future, it’s height. We will be looking for one or two, maybe three taller players to help us out even better,” Smith said. “I’m hoping that we can find a taller center, at least 5-9 or 5-10 or even 6-1. The game has shifted to the right side, so you really need a center who can shut down the right side and to block the power player.

“If you only have a player who is about 5-7 or 5-9, your eyes will light up every time when their power player hits the ball. So we have learned from this one. We now know the things that we have to do to ensure that we get back to the level that we once were with the women’s programme.”

Smith admitted that after the success of the women, the federation focused a little more on bringing the men’s team up to par. That decision worked against the women, who ended up struggling to maintain their level of competitiveness. He said they just have to get the women’s programme back on top.

“I think it was a successful tournament. A lot of people just don’t know what it takes to compete at this level,” Smith said. “But we didn’t qualify. We are still ranked No. 10 in the Caribbean and we have a NORCECA ranking. So that’s a good thing. We’re still there.”

While the Bahamas didn’t win any games, none of the players were awarded any of the individual awards. Trinidad & Tobago went undefeated to win the gold over Guadeloupe. Trinidad & Tobago carted off three awards, Guadeloupe got four and Suriname picked up the remaining two.

Now up for the federation is the men’s national team trip to Curacao October 26-29 for the first round of the men’s World Championship qualification. The men’s team is hoping to duplicate their victory at the Senior Caribbean Volleyball Championships in St Croix, US Virgin Islands in July where they qualified for both the Pan Am Games and the NORCECA Championships.

Smith, however, has revealed that unlike the women, the federaion intends to field a full men’s trip for Curacao. Among the list of players expected to travel are Prince Wilson and Byron Ferguson, who are both currently playing professional volleyball in Denmark.