BY PAUL BURROWES

Observer writer

SPEARHEADED by tournament MVP Lecia Brown, Jamaica topped their preliminary NORCECA qualification round for the 2014 FIVB Women’s Volleyball World Championship Friday night at the University of Technology, Alfred Sangster Auditorium.

Drawn in Pool E, Jamaica ran through the two-day competition undefeated to end a 16-year jinx against Barbados, beating them in the opening round and later in the final all on the same day.

The Shedieky Hamilton-Barnes skippered Jamaica took one hour and 42 minutes to dispose of Barbados, 25-14, 26-24, 25-23, 25-19, in the final.

Based in South Florida and an outstanding middle blocker at the University of Louisville in Kentucky, the 24-year-old Brown led the way for Jamaica with 24 points. Outside hitter and hard-working Maniki Thompson added 14 points, one more than Avaniki Campbell, a middle hitter.

MVP Brown scored 14 points from spikes, seven from blocks, with the other two from serving while Thompson won nine from spikes, seven from blocks, and two from serves.

The 5ft-10in Brown was also the best scorer and best blocker in the qualifiers with 66 points and 1.07 blocks per set. She had 15 kill blocks in all,

Two other Jamaicans — Cherie Thompson and Kamille Dwyer — copped the best digger and best setter awards. Thompson, with 41 digs, finished with 2.93 per set while sure-handed Dwyer (45 running sets and 253 still sets) bested all others with an average of 3.21.

Thompson also received another award as best libero scoring 6.71 by set. She had 94 excellents, 66 in play, with 20 faults.

Jamaica’s head coach Garth Bonner said: “It took a complete team effort from the coaches who did a comprehensive scouting report on the teams and most importantly the players who went out and execute well.

“These players have worked really hard over the last couple of months and believe in the concept of our volleyball programme.”

He sees beating Barbados as the highlight of the tournament: “We cannot overlook the achievement of our team. We have not beaten Barbados in over 12 years and we did that twice in one day, and right here in front of our friends and family here at home.”

Aruba defeated the Cayman Islands, 25-18, 25-11, 25-13, on Friday to clinch third place and will advance with Jamaica and Barbados to the second round of NORCECA qualification set for May of next year.

In preliminary matches Jamaica beat Cayman Islands, 25-7, 25-14, 25-14, Aruba 25-12, 25-10, 25-17 and Barbados, 25-21, 25-19, 18-25, 25-17, to move into the final.

Other Pool winners in preliminary NORCECA qualification, held around the region, were Trinidad & Tobago, St Lucia, US Virgin Islands, St Kitts & Nevis, Dominica, Panama, and Nicaragua.

Their second round matches will start as early as March.

Jamaica celebrate winning their preliminary NORCECA qualification round for the 2014 FIVB Women’s Volleyball World Championship Friday night at the University of Technology. (Photo: Raul Calvo)