TRINIDAD and Tobago failed to win a set when the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games Men’s Volleyball Tournament served off Tuesday in Veracruz, Mexico. The Caribbean champions were rank outsiders against the hosts and were beaten 25-19, 25-18, 25-21 in 72 minutes.
However Simon Blake scored ten points and was the only player on either team to reach double figures. And veteran skipper Nolan Tash contributed nine points.
The Mexicans had the edge in kills (36-27), blocked shots (4-3) and service winners (7-5) in the fourth and final match on the schedule. And in the other Group A encounter, Dominican Republic defeated Colombia 25-18, 25-19, 27-25.
There was a major stunner in Group B as three-time defending champs Puerto Rico were defeated 25-20, 25-23, 23-25, 29-27 by Venezuela. However the Cubans restored some sanity to the group with a 25-20, 25-16, 25-15 victory over Bahamas.
The group winners will advance directly into Saturday night’s semi-finals, while the runners-up and third-placed teams will contest tomorrow night. The champions will be crowned on Sunday. T&T will tackle Dominican Republic when the group stage of the tournament ends today.