The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

THE official list of participants has been released as 20 teams are set to vie for the title of high school volleyball national champions this weekend.

Corporate sponsor JS Johnson Insurance Agents and Brokers Ltd will join the Ministries of Youth Sports and Culture, Education and the Bahamas Volleyball Federation to host the High School National Tournament November 15-17 at the DW Davis and Anatol Rodgers gymnasiums.

A total of 20 teams will be represented at the event, including champions from the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association (GSSSA), Bahamas Scholastic Athletic Association (BSAA), and Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools (BAISS) out of New Providence and the Grand Bahama Secondary Schools Athletic Association (GBSSAA).

In addition to Grand Bahama, three other family islands will be represented through the Abaco School Sports Association (ASSA), the Bimini School Sports Association (BSSA) and the Eleuthera School Sports Association (ESSA).

Boys’ teams will include the St Augustine’s College (BAISS champions), St John’s College (BAISS runners-up), Government High School (GSSSA champions), Doris Johnson (GSSSA runners-up), Teleos (BSAA champions), North Eleuthera, Patrick J Bethel, Jack Hayward, St George’s and Agape Christian.

Girls’ teams include St John’s College (BAISS champions), Kingsway Academy (BAISS runners-up), CV Bethel (GSSSA champions), Anatol Rodgers (GSSSA runners-up), Teleos (BSAA champions), CI Gibson, Agape Christian, St George’s, Bishop Michael Eldon and Gateway Christian.

As the title sponsor, JS Johnson presented stakeholders with a $10,000 sponsorship last week.

The event will again feature a round-robin format in the preliminary round with the top teams advancing to the playoffs.

In 2017, the National Championships were hosted in Grand Bahama at the St George’s Gymnasium, void of the BAISS programmes. Abaco’s Agape Christian School Eagles won the senior girls’ title over the CV Bethel Stingrays while the CI Gibson Rattlers were the senior boys’ champions with a win over the CC Sweeting Cobras.

The Rattlers won the bronze medal in the senior girls’ division. The Teleos Christian Cherubims were fourth, the Lucaya International Buccaneers finished fifth, and the St George’s Jaguars were sixth.

The Jack Hayward Wildcats won the bronze medal in the seniors boys’ division, followed by the Patrick J Bethel Mighty Marlins in fourth, the Cherubims in fifth and the Tabernacle Baptist Academy Falcons sixth.