By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net    

COACH Glen Rolle likes what he has seen in the Bahamas men’s national team going into the Caribbean Volleyball Championships this weekend.

The Bahamas will play host to six other teams from Jamaica, Suriname, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, Curacao and Guadeloupe when the championships get underway at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium. Six teams, including the Bahamas, will compete in the men’s division. The opening ceremonies will kick off the championships at 6 pm on Saturday, followed by the Bahamas playing the opening against Jamaica at 7:30 pm.

The men’s team is comprised of Tyrone Sands, hitter; Kyle Wilson, outside hitter; Eugene Stuart, middle blocker; Donavan Wilmott, outside hitter; Tavin Brown, outside hitter; Brosnan D’Arville, settr; Camaule Coakley, defensive specialist;  Jamaal Ferguson, libero; Chauncey Cooper, outside hitter; Je’Vaughn Saunders, setter; Gaege Smith, setter and Shonari Hepburn, middle blocker.

“The team is looking good and I’m very confident in them,” said Rolle, a former player of the men’s national team. “The guys have been working out.

“They have been building their unity in the weeks they have been practicing so I have a lot of faith in them.”

As the defending champions Suriname, Rolle said they will be the team to watch because there is the mystery of whether they will return with the same line-up or they switch around some of their key players.

“Everybody else, from what I’ve seen, have constructed some new teams,” said Rolle, of the other men’s teams in the tournament. “They are going through their developmental process where they are bringing in more young players.”

As for the mindset for Team Bahamas, which has a mixture of youth and experience, Rolle said they are focused on representing the Bahamas and eventually being the last team standing as the champions.

“We have veteran leaders in the middle and on the outside,” Rolle revealed. “But our strength has always been in the middle and we haven’t changed that.”

The only concern Rolle has is their “passing ability” and like everybody else, being “consistent” in their serving.

But as the home team, Rolle said there’s a lot of pressure on the line.

“When you are dealing with Bahamians, they don’t like mediocrity,” Rolle said. “I think they are ready to go and we will put on a show. Hopefully it will be good enough to win it all.”