Bermuda U-18 Volleyball Teams Excel In Boston
The Bermuda Volleyball Association celebrates its U18 teams’ strong performance in Boston, with Big Wave Riders earning silver and Paradise Hitters finishing 19th.
A spokesperson said, “The Bermuda Volleyball Association is pleased to announce the success of our U18 teams in Boston this past weekend.
“Big Wave Riders U18 team placed 2nd out of 52 teams [won 8 out of 10 matches] finishing in the Gold Bracket. The team lost in the final against the eventual winners [18-25 and 22-25].”
Kevin Manuel, Coach for BWRU18 team said, “The U18 boys team had high expectations going into the three day Boston Volleyball festival. The team had hopes of making it to the gold bracket and possibly landing in the top 10.
“We come away from the tournament not only in the top 10 but with the silver medal competing against fifty-one other teams. It is an amazing accomplishment for a Bermudian team.
“Coach Rob and I could not be prouder of these young men who exhibited grit and determination to play against fifty-one other very seasoned teams.
“They have been exemplary ambassadors for Bermuda and the sport of volleyball in Bermuda.
“I’m extremely happy for them!”
The spokesperson said, “Paradise Hitters U18 team placed 19th out of 56 teams [won 3 out of 7 matches] finishing in the Silver Bracket.”
Braedon Madeiros-Cooke, Coach for PHU18 team said, “This year we were fortunate enough to have a very strong team to compete in this years Nike Boston Volleyball Festival. We had a great first day going 2-1 with the U18 girls team only losing out to one team by a couple points. The communication, team spirit, energy and skill that the girls displayed was truly exciting. With hopes to continue that momentum into the second day.
“Our second day we were seated in the top half of our division fighting for our place in the gold bracket. Unfortunately we had two tough loses but managed to finish the day on a high with a win placing us into the silver bracket of our tournament.
“Our third and final day of playing was the playoff for the tournament and Our team was pumped up and excited to see what they could accomplish. Unfortunately we had a tough lost in our first match of that day only losing out by two points.
“Over all the U18s team finished 19th out of 56 teams. This is great for the Bermuda Volleyball Association and for Athletics in Bermuda as with volleyball we always have to fight teams that are much taller and more physical than us. We as coaches are very proud of how are team played and represented their country and looked for to great things for next year.”
The spokesperson said, “Our association is very proud of this group of young men and women who will move on to compete with our senior teams going forward. A good number of these players have developed through the years in the program and have been active in their school’s sports. They have showed a great deal of poise and determination at this tournament which is the pinnacle of the program’s year.
“Thank you to all the coaches for their tireless efforts to prepare the teams for this tournament. Also, a big thank you to our chaperones and parents who have supported these young people throughout their time in our program, most of whom attended this weekend’s event to cheer on and support these young athletes. Bermuda must have had one of the largest cheering squads in the building.”
