by SHERRYLYN TOPPIN

TWO-TIME Caribbean Most Valuable Player Shari Matthews returns to the Barbados women's team for the 12th Caribbean Volleyball Championships (CVC), one of seven changes from the team who were second two years ago.

Matthews, a senior outside hitter for North Carolina Central University, was unable to attend the tournament in 2006 because of school commitments.

"It would be a tremendous asset to have her back in the team. We played without her last time and the team was not up to the usual standard because so many of the key players were out," said head coach Paul Payne.

Also in the team are Alicia Smith, Rhe Ann Niles, Thonya Joseph, Avara Browne, Anicia Wood, Sharon Bovell and Julia Lewis. They join captain Shennel Pooler, Melissa Brandford, Annette Chapman and Afiya Taylor, the five who were in the last team which was shortened toten because of a shortage of finances.

Payne told NATIONSPORT they lost some of the top middle and outside players like Janelle Mayers, Janette Browne and Kristanella Allain due to family commitments. Juan Bovell is in the United States, while most valuable libero Katrina Wickham didn't return to trials.

"This time around with the exception of people like Katrina Wickham and Janelle Chase we have some of our strongest players with the team, including Anicia Wood and Shari Matthews, but we also have a major disadvantage, " he said.

That disadvantage stems from the fact that Barbados weren't able to get in the much-needed high level competition like the Pan Am Cup and Norceca Championships when they finished second.

". . . Barbados is at a disadvantage because we don't have a gym that is readily available to us all the time. That international competition sharpens us so that when we go to play at CVC, we are playing at a lower level.

"The only international competition we've had since CVC 2006 was in January. We had two teams here, one from Canada and one from the United States and in June we had a combined university team from the United States."

Payne said with the best of the women chosen for the national team, they would have to consider playing against the junior boys.

Barbados have been drawn with United States Virgin Islands, The Bahamas and Jamaica, while champions Trinidad and Tobago, St Lucia, Netherlands Antilles and Martinique are on the other side of the draw. Payne is not discounting the threat of any team, but believes Trinidad represents the biggest challenge.

"You don't know what team is going to arrive in Barbados. We don't have the capacity to scout these teams. These teams are never the same . . . . Sometimes the standard can vary drastically. It is difficult to say, but Trinidad certainly is the team to watch because they are a tall team, they play together consistently over a period of time and they have the facilities to practise year round."

Meanwhile, the men have been drawn in Group "A" with the Netherlands Antilles, The Bahamas and Dominica, with Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, United States Virgin Islands and Martinique in Group "B". The men's team is still to be named.

Women's team:

Captain Shennel Pooler (setter), Afiya Taylor, Alicia Smith, Rhe Ann Niles, Thonya Joseph, Anicia Wood (middle), vice captain Shari Matthews, Julia Lewis, Annette Chapman (wing attack), Avara Browne, Sharon Bovell (opposite), Melissa Brandford (libero).