Another Award for St. Lucia Volleyball

The Saint Lucia Volleyball Association was one of four National Federations recognized at the XXII Biennial Congress of the North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation, NORCECA, held in Tijuana, Mexico. Saint Lucia’s was highlighted for outstanding performance as an organizer of Regional and Continental events of Volleyball and Beach Volleyball during the period 2012-2013.

According to Brian Louisy, President of the SLVA, in an email to players, officials, sponsors and other contributors, “This recognition has come about because of your contribution and support to volleyball and the effort we are engaged in, trying to develop the youth of our country, through the sport of volleyball. Thanks to each and every one of you, and I have accepted this on your behalf and in your names. Team Saint Lucia can do so much, with so little, and we have done it for so long, that I am convinced we can do anything we set our mind and heart to achieve. It’s up to us where and how far we go and take the youth of Saint Lucia it’s for them, not for us. For the youth! for pride for country!”

This year, Saint Lucia Volleyball in both Male and Female divisions have made it into the third round of the 2014 World Championships NORCECA Qualification Tournament, and will be vying for one of the six spots available to women and one of the five open for men. Additionally, St. Lucia Volleyball qualified and was one of the nine teams which took part in the 2013 NORCECA Continental Championships. The Ladies Championship took place in Nebraska while the men journeyed to Langley, Vancouver, Canada.

As if this was not enough, the Junior Male and Female Teams followed suit and qualified for NORCECA Continental play in 2014 having won their respective ECVA Championships earlier this year. More exciting and ground breaking, was the participation of four young teams in the 2014 World Beach Volleyball Championships in the Male Under 23, Male Under 21 and Male and Female Under 19 tournaments, in Poland, Croatia and Portugal respectively, due primarily to the high NORCECA ranking of the Senior Male Beach Volleyball pair.

In concluding a banner year for youth volleyball, the association successfully hosted the first ever Olympic Qualification Tournament in St. Lucia when they hosted the first-ever Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association qualifier for the 2014 Najing Youth Olympics. In this historic event, the Saint Lucian Ladies Team of Dala Noel and Skye Mondesir won tickets to Nanjing, China, in 2014.

Topping it all off, the association hosted an even more successful stage of the 2013 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour.

President of the world governing body for volleyball, FIVB, Dr. Ary Graça was present at the NORCECA Congress. He exhorted all National Federations to take advantage of the opportunities being offered by the confederation and FIVB to develop volleyball and beach volleyball in their respective countries, and urged them to seek also assistance and collaboration with local governments and private corporations. “Opportunity is a key word,” Dr. Graça said during his welcoming speech to the participants in a Seminar of Development and Sport Management prior to the official Congress. NORCECA represents thirty-five (35) member countries at the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) level.