By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net    

AS a former veteran player of the men’s national team, Renaldo Knowles said he knows that they have assembled a solid women’s national team for the Caribbean Volleyball Championships.

Knowles will take over as the head coach for the ladies as they compete in the championships starting this weekend at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium.

A total of five visiting teams will join The Bahamas to participate in the ladies’ division, along with seven teams, including The Bahamas, in the men’s division. Knowles, who has retired from playing on the men’s team and is now concentrating on coaching, said The Bahamas ladies’ national team is poised and ready to compete. “The team is looking good. We’ve been practicing hard, putting in the time and building the chemistry, so hopefully it will all come together on the court and we will play well,” Knowles said. 

Team Bahamas will comprise of Alexandria Strachan, middle blocker; Zarria Rose, setter; La’Tavia Braynen, middle blocker; Egianetter Pierre, right side hitter; Vanessa Sawyer, right side hitter; Anjeniker Joseph, defensive specialist; Raechel Knowles, outside hitter; Chandra Mackey, libero; Leandra Johnson, setter; Khalea Johnson, right side hitter and Abbeanna Brennen, libero.

The Bahamas will open competition on Sunday against Guadeloupe at 8 pm. The other teams in the ladies division are defending champions Jamaica, Barbados, Suriname and Trinidad & Tobago.

“I don’t really know the competition, but I know that Trinidad usually has a strong team and Jamaica is the defending champion, but a lot of the teams have changed, so we don’t know what we’;re up against,” Knowles said.

“We just hope that our team comes out on top.”

Looking at the makeup of Team Bahamas, Knowles said their defense and their communication and their defense at the net should be able to pull them through.

“We have a lot of young players, players who are playing at this level for the first time,” said Knowles, about his only concern for Team Bahamas.

“They might be a little nervous or timid or the lights might be too bright for them at this level.”

But the good thing is that they will be playing at home in front of the home crowd.

“I already ex[plained to the ladies that playing at home gives you a different type of energy, a different type of adrenaline and it makes you feel like you are immortal.

“But you have to know how to channel it and use it to your advantage and not overplay because of the adrenaline and playing at home.”

Knowles said although their ultimate aim is to win the tournament, they have established some goals, including “doing our best, putting on a good showing and playing as hard as we could.”