PRESIDENT of The Jamaica Volleyball Association (JAVA) Steve Brown applauded the performance of Jamaica’s youth volleyball team at the recently concluded Caribbean Under-17 Championships.

“The team performed very well… these guys haven’t been together as long as the rest of the teams and they went there and gave a spirited performance,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

Brown, a superintendent of police, explained that the team is very talented and had they been together long enough before the start of the tournament they would have done a lot better.

“They have only been together for eight days, while some of the other teams have been in camp for three years,” he noted.

He further explained that the team will be kept together as a means of enhancing their performance as they will be seeking to go all the way next year at the Under-19 championship.

The team returned home on Monday after finishing third in the championships, which were held in Trinidad & Tobago.

The Jamaicans, who entered the tournament with high hopes of beating the likes of Bahamas, Barbados, the US Virgin Islands and host Trinidad & Tobago, had to settle for third.

The Jamaican team, which included Beach World Cup qualifier Rojey Hutchinson, surrendered a two-set lead to the US Virgin Islands, but managed to come back and win the decider 15-12 in a five-set thriller to claim the play-off.

Brown singled out Mark Blake, the 16-year-old St Jago blocker, for special praise. Blake was named the Best Blocker of the tournament.

“These guys have talent, and I want to single out Mark Blake, he played extremely well to keep the team in the fight” he said.

Other members of the team are Matthew Williams, Mikel Scott, Jovan Thomas, Zeamoy Patterson, Akeem Patterson, Taro Jones, Karim Mogg, Chevaro Clarke, Davoy Palmer, Shamar Daye, Shamari Daye. The delegation was led by coach Ortnel Findlay.