VI Teams Off to Mixed Start at
The Virgin Islands hosted the opening of the 2026 ECVA Senior Volleyball Championship in Road Town, with mixed results for the home teams and the tournament concluding on August 16 with Bermuda claiming the women’s title and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines winning the men’s crown (VINO). Updated: The VI women fell 3-0 to Saint Lucia in the bronze-medal match to finish fourth, while the VI men secured their first and only win on the final day to finish seventh (VINO).
The Virgin Islands hosted the opening activity of the 2026 ECVA Senior Volleyball Championship at the Multi-Purpose Sports Complex in Road Town, with the tournament formally launched on Wednesday, August 12. Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Hon. Wheatley welcomed players and guests at the opening, praising volleyball as a sport of teamwork and sportsmanship and noting the event’s benefits to the local economy and opportunities for new friendships (VINO).
The home men’s team began their campaign in dramatic fashion but were edged by Anguilla in a five-set thriller, losing 23-25, 25-16, 24-26, 25-10, 13-15. Braithwaite described a match of swings and fine margins, saying the squad felt some early jitters but showed strong service and mid-match pressure. 'We're going to try to refine it and see if we can get it more streamlined to where we want it to be so that we can start off on top and remain on top throughout the course of the match,' Braithwaite said after the game (VINO).
The men were unable to find better fortune in their second outing, falling to Bermuda 1-3 in another hard-fought match with set scores reported as 18-25, 25-21, 25-17, 25-20 (VINO). That result left the VI men searching for form heading into their third match. On Friday, August 14, they again came up short against an unbeaten Dominica side, losing 1-3 in four sets in what VINO described as a hard-fought win for Dominica.
After three matches the men sat fourth in Pool B with three losses, no wins and four points (VINO). The VI women also struggled on home court in their opening match, losing 3-0 to Antigua with set scores of 24-4, 25-21, 25-19 in a contest Antigua largely controlled. Antigua assistant coach Rosemarie Simon told ECVA representatives she had instructed her team to start strong and play their best game, a message the squad executed well (VINO).
In their second game the women responded strongly, securing their first ECVA Championship win by beating Grenada 3-1 (25-16, 17-25, 25-23, 25-14). Head coach Shaquille Rose credited the home crowd for lifting the team: 'We’re very appreciative of the turnout that the home crowd came and gave to the ladies; the ladies fed off that energy; they kept the ladies motivated and invigorated.' Captain Henrietta Alexander added that the squad 'pivoted' after the opener and corrected passing issues that cost them the second set against Grenada (VINO).
The tournament continued through the weekend with teams jostling for semifinal and classification positions. On Sunday, August 16, the VI women faced Saint Lucia in the bronze-medal match but fell 3-0 (25-19, 25-15, 25-22), leaving the hosts in fourth place at the close of the championships (VINO).
Bermuda captured the women's title with Antigua and Barbuda taking silver (VINO). Meanwhile, the VI men salvaged a bright moment on the final day by securing their first and only win of the tournament, defeating Anguilla 3-0 in a placement match with set scores reported as 5-20, 25-22, 25-23.
That victory left the men in seventh place overall (VINO). Saint Vincent and the Grenadines took home the men's gold, Saint Lucia earned silver and Dominica placed third (VINO). The championship concluded with a closing ceremony during which regional referees who participated in the National Referee Training Course received certificates, reflecting the event’s wider aim to strengthen officiating standards across the region (VINO).
Hosting the ECVA brought high-level regional sport to Road Town and provided an economic boost from visiting teams and supporters as organisers and local sporting authorities plan to build on lessons learned for future tournaments (VINO).
Primary source: VINO