7 News Belize

Belize Fights For Dominance In Volleyball
posted (September 29, 2016)
Heading into their fifth match of the FIVB International Men's Volleyball tournament, both Belize, and the Dominican Republic had a lot on the line. Both teams lost to the undefeated Guatemala but were still on track to earn one of the top two spots in the tournament, which would grant them entry to the North American tournament. Whoever lost would be out of contention, while the winner would have the opportunity to represent their country, and get a chance at a spot in the World Championship. High stakes - and here's how team Belize fared off:..

Alex Courtenay reporting
Last night at the FIVB Men's Volleyball tournament, Team Belize lost to the Dominican Republic after 5 sets of intense action.

After a slow start in the first set, Belize managed to bring themselves back from a double-digit deficit and stay in play until the end of the set. Despite struggling early, Team Belize ended the set with the momentum and carried it over to the second and won.

The teams traded sets for the rest of the match, both sides struggling to gain an advantage over the other

Team Belize, having already shown its offensive dominance over the net in previous matches, displayed prowess on the defensive side as well, stopping several powerful spikes sent by the large Dominican players. The well timed and well-positioned blocks neutralized the Dominican Republic's offensive onslaught.

The home team also showed tenacity, keeping the ball in play long enough to wear out its opponent and score.

Still, Team Belize did not play perfectly. Our back line was unable to receive several serves from the strong Dominicans, which resulted in the loss of several points.

With this defeat, Belize has lost the chance to advance to the next tournament round, where they would face off against the top teams in North America. Still, it was clear that the Belizean fans stood with their team and were proud of their performance.

Reporter
"Tomorrow is a day off for you guys. What will you do on that day off? Will you go back to the drawing board and come back to try and win that final game on Friday?"

Karym Coleman - Captain, Team Belize
"Oh well, we will win that final game on Friday. Tomorrow we're going to rest, recuperate and come back stronger than ever on Friday."

Delio Arruebarrena - Coach, Team Belize
"The game plan went well. We were set to be tougher on the net, and defensive on the back, but the lack of concentration is what went wrong."

And while they won't be representing the country in the North American championship, the tournament is still not over for Team Belize. On Friday they play their final match against Honduras, and if they win, they will walk away with the bronze medal.

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