By Shammi Kowlessar

TRINIDAD and Tobago was only represented by one pair when the 2013 NORCECA (North, Central America and the Caribbean) Beach Volleyball Tour got going on Thu (21) in the Cayman Islands.

The Trinidad and Tobago Volleyball Federation (TTVF) sent a male and female pair to the majority of tournaments in last year’s circuit. But only Daneil Williams and Simon Blake will be wearing the red, white and black this weekend.

Nancy Joseph and Pauline Woodroffe must have thought they were on their way to the Cayman Islands when they won the women’s qualifying tournament without dropping a set last week Saturday at Saith Park, Chaguanas.

But as a result of financial constraints, the TTVF was forced to choose just one pair and decided to go with the men.

Playing together for the first time, Blake and Williams won the men’s qualifying tournament a month earlier.

Williams and Fabian Whitfield had notched a bronze medal in the home leg of last year’s series to become the first players from this country to ever secure a medal in a NORCECA competition.

But Whitfield is unable to travel to any NORCECA events for the next few months because of studies and he played the qualifier with another unavailable player, Colin Bernard.

Two weeks before the home leg in Toco at the end of October, Williams and Whitfield had finished fourth in St Lucia when fellow “Toco Boys” Blake and Bernard were fifth.

Woodroffe and Joseph were also fifth in St Lucia and Joseph followed up this effort by placing fourth at home. The former representative for Sportswoman of the Year was combining for the first time with Ayana Dyette, who had finished fourth in St Lucia with Elki Philip.

Philip, who was the first to come close to a NORCECA medal when she and Joseph placed fourth in the Dominican Republic three years ago, and Dyette competed with new partners in last Saturday’s round-robin qualifier.

After both pairs had won their other two matches to set up a “virtual final”, Woodroffe and Joseph defeated Dyette and Shenelle Gordon 21-17, 23-21.

Philip was assisted by Apphia Glasgow and the other team was Simone Amora and Kimisha Marshall.

This year’s circuit is expected to go on until December, with the 11th of the 14-leg series scheduled to take place in Trinidad in mid-November.

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http://www.trinidadexpress.com/sports/Only_one_T_T_pair_for_Cayman_Islands-199284211.html