July 6, 2009 - A very experienced Barbados men’s volleyball team left the island today for Puerto Rico to play in the FIVB world championship qualifier Norceca Group G third round qualifier which opens on Wednesday in Caguas.

The only new face in the team which lost the Caribbean crown last year is Rico Brathwaite who bumped Sheldon Roach for the libero spot.  Long serving captain Elwyn Oxley who had flirted with the notion of retiring after Barbados failed to win the CVC for the 10th time in succession still leads the squad which also boast the veterans of Renier Grace, Fabian Cox and Dale Addison.

            Barbados’ first game will be against Mexico who will be bitter towards the Bajans after Barbados had dented their pride and rank with an upset in the 2007 Norceca championships in the US.  That shocker saw the Mexicans being forced to suffer the ignominy of having to compete in an earlier qualifier in Jamaica while the Bajans drew a bye to this round.

            Two US-based players Torand Cheltenham and Daran Gill are in the Barbados team.   The other two teams in the qualifier are host Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

            The full Barbados team in Puerto Rico is: Oxley, Grace, Cox, Addison, Brathwaite, Shawn Simpson, Gill, Cheltenham, Jamal Nedd, Alain London, Romel Agard and Akeem Payne.  The coach is Ludger Niles with John Stuart being the assistant coach.  The manger is Anthony Nicholls while Wendy Reid heads the delegation.