Trinidad and Tobago men win CAZOVA Under-23 gold in Maloney thriller

Trinidad and Tobago's men's volleyball team copped the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Under-23 Championships at the Maloney Indoor Sporting Arena on July 13 after edging Suriname 3-2 in a thrilling final.

With the hosts tackling a feisty and passionate Suriname team, the teams were tied at two sets apiece heading into the fifth and decisive set. TT dug deep when it mattered and got a 15-10 win in the final set to clinch the men's title.

TT opened up an 11-8 lead in the final set, and though Suriname got two quick points to cut TT's lead to two (12-10), the hosts had enough in reserve and got three unanswered points to win the set and the match.

In a match which had the fans at the edge of their seats, Suriname clinched the first set, before the hosts battled back to take the next two sets to assume a 2-1 lead. The third set was an absolute thriller as TT won the marathon set 30-28 to take the lead in the match.

Having beaten the hosts in their final round-robin game on July 12, the Suriname team didn't back down and they won a nail-biting fourth set 25-23 to force a fifth set. There were many lead changes in a fourth set, with TT even taking a 19-17 lead as they looked destined to secure the gold.

Suriname tied the set at 22-22, though, and got three more crucial points to take the finale into a fifth set. In the final set, coach Sean Morrison's team did the business to secure top spot.

On July 12, with his team already through to the final, Morrison made several changes for the final round-robin game against the Surinamese. The game was another pulsating one as Suriname won 3-2 in a clash which again went the full distance. Suriname won the first two sets 25-13, 25-19, before TT battled back to win the next two sets 25-20, 25-23. In the final set, both teams went at it in frenetic fashion but it was the Surinamese who clinched the victory by winning the final set 15-11.

For the TT women, they had an agonising 3-1 loss against the defending champs Suriname in their final round-robin match on July 12. TT won the first set convincingly 25-13. However, the second set went Suriname's way as they clinched it 25-22. The next two sets were also closely contested as Suriname won them 29-27 and 25-22 to win the encounter.

The TT women clinched the bronze medal versus Curacao on July 13, while Martinique defeated Suriname in the women's finale.