Women’s Volleyball – Semifinal |01 September 2023

Marielle goes for the kill against the Reunion side (Photo: Roland Duval)

Seychelles whitewash Reunion to reach fourth consecutive final

• Another gold medal in sight

Following their exploit in 2011 on home soil, 2015 in Reunion and 2019 in Mauritius, the Seychelles women’s volleyball selection have once again reached the final of the Indian Ocean Islands Games, chasing a fourth consecutive gold medal.

Winners for the first time in 1998 in Reunion followed by a second victory on the trot five years later (2003) in Mauritius, only to lose to hosts Madagascar in the 2007 final to stop them from achieving a hat-trick of wins, Team Seychelles qualified for this year’s final yesterday, following their 3-0 victory over Reunion at the Palais des Sports of Mahamasina in Antananarivo, Madagascar.

Initially drawn group B alongside the Maldives and Mauritius, the players of coach Julien Onezime glided through to the semis following a 3-0 (25-12, 25-21, 25-18) win over the former in their first match, before defeating the latter 3-1 (27-25, 25-23, 21-25, 25-19) in their second group encounter.

In yesterday’ semifinal, it was Reunion who started the match stronger, taking an early lead, before Seychelles tied the score at 9-9, before making 11-9.

Reunion, however, fought back to equalise at 11-11, then 12-12, before Seychelles made it 16-12, forcing the Reunion players to take a time-out. Captain Petra Richard and company then made it 18-12, prompting the Reunion team to take a second time-out, but still the Seychelles team added to the score to bring it to 21-14 before closing the set at 25-17.

In the second set, the Seychellois players started a bit slow, allowing Reunion to take a 7-6 lead, before regaining their focus to tie the score at 11-11, before Reunion made it 12-11.

After a 13-13 tie, Seychelles then took a 16-14 advantage, before Reunion made it 17-17, then 20-19. Seychelles then scored six points compared to Reunion’s one to win the set 25-21.

In the third set, Seychelles came out all guns blazing, taking an early 6-2 advantage, which Reunion cut down to 7-5, then 8-7.

Seychelles then made it 14-7 with consecutive services from captain Richard, before Reunion reduced the lead to 15-9, then 16-13, forcing coach Onezime to call for a time-out.

The score then progressed to 16-14, 17-15, maintaining a two-point difference before Angelique Adeline scored to make 18-15, but Reunion again came back to 19-18.

Seychelles then made it 21-19, before Reunion charged back to close the gap to 21-20 and 22-21.  On-form Angelique Adeline made it 23-21, then 24-21, before Marielle Bonne closed the set at 25-21 for a 3-0 victory.

Commenting on the match, coach Onezime said the key was to maintain maximum concentration throughout the match, despite several minor mistakes which were rectified and “put behind us, so that we could stay focus on the match”.

“It was a semifinal, and the best way to reach the final is to stay focus, avoid mistakes and move forward, leaving all errors and mishaps behind,” said coach Onezime who also added that, from his observation, he figured out that Madagascar’s attacks focus mainly in the centre, which is also the strength of the Seychelles block.

“The final will be a do-or-die matter,” concluded coach Onezime.

The final of the 11th Games will be a replica of the last one 2019, in Mauritius, when Seychelles surmounted a two-set deficit to beat Madagascar 3-2.

To reach the final, Madagascar beat Mauritius 3-2 yesterday.

Other than the two selections, Seychelles’ volleyball is being represented in Madagascar by two officials, namely Derrick Andrew and Michael Ah-Kong.

Roland Duval