The Bermuda women’s volleyball team beat Antigua & Barbuda 3-1 to capture gold for the first time at the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association Championships in British Virgin Islands last night.

In a pulsating final at Multi-Purpose Sports Complex in Tortola, Bermuda prevailed 25-23, 27-25 in the first two sets. Antigua fought back to clinch the third set 25-21, but the Bermudians went for the kill in the fourth, winning it 25-20 to close out the contest.

Having finished second to St Lucia in the past two editions, coach Gary LeBlanc was delighted to finally get the top prize.

I am extremely proud of the team,” he told The Royal Gazette.

“I couldn’t be happier because they earned the gold medal. I’ve been to many of these tournaments as a player as well as a coach and this is my first gold medal.

“Hats off to the opposition, they really gave us a game. It was point-for-point and we just did our best to dig in and continued with our goal.

“The first two sets were really tight but we were able to prevail. We had some things go wrong in the third, [there] were some questionable calls, but we got through it.

“That’s just typical or normal of a tournament, but it’s the strength of the team to get through that adversity. This team has really worked hard on that and they proved that they could get through it all.”

Earlier, the men finished fourth after a five-set heartbreak against Dominica in the third-place play-off. Bermuda made a bright start by taking the opening two sets 25-17, 25-22, before Dominica fought back to win the last three 25-20, 25-21, 21-19 to secure the bronze.

Eron Woods, the men’s captain, felt that they put in a lot of hard work during a tough tournament.

“We had a hard-fought five-set match that really stretched both Bermuda and Dominica,” Woods said.

“It has been a long tournament and both teams put everything on the line. Unfortunately, Dominica were able to edge the win, yet we look forward to playing them again.”

Coach Mike Smith expressed pride in his team for achieving their best finish at the competition.

“I am extremely proud of what this team and staff accomplished at the 2026 ECVA Championships in Tortola,” Smith said.

“Finishing fourth is Bermuda’s best result at the men’s championships in at least six years. We opened with a tough match against Dominica, then responded strongly with wins over British Virgin Islands and Anguilla to reach the semi-finals.

“That progression demonstrates the growth and competitiveness we have been working towards as a programme.

“Our bronze-medal match against Dominica was a great example of the character within this group. We took the first two sets 25-17 and 25-22 before Dominica fought back to level the match and eventually win a very close fifth set 21-19.

“While we would have loved to come away with the medal, there is far more to be proud of than disappointed about.”

The men have also earned the right to join the women at the next Final Four tournament next year.

“We have qualified for the Final Four next year and will get another chance to play against these teams,” the coach said.

“The players and staff have put in an enormous amount of work to get Bermuda back competing at this level, and the results are showing.

“This tournament gives us a strong platform to continue building. I am excited about the direction of the programme and what we can accomplish going forward.

“I am extremely grateful to the players, the other coaching staff, families and everyone in Bermuda who has backed us throughout this journey. Thank you Bermuda for your support.”