_{Photo: UB Black Jaguars women – Western regional ATLIB female volleyball champions}

by William Ysaguirre

BELMOPAN, Sat. Oct. 19, 2024

The University of Belize Black Jaguars women and men won the Association of Tertiary Level Institutions of Belize (ATLIB) Western regional volleyball championships held at the UB gymnasium on Saturday.

The Galen Eagles had to go to extra points in the 3rd set to prevail over the UB women, 25-15, 20-25, 19-17, in the first female match last Thursday night.

The UB women dominated the Sacred Heart Junior College women, 25-4, 25-9, in the opening game.

The Galen University Eagles also made short work of the Sacred Heart women, 25-3, 25-4, their match lasting a scant 17 minutes!

(According to the competition format, after the initial round-robin, the best two teams squared off in the final.)

The UB women gave the Galen women tit for tat in the Female Final, as they prevailed 22-25, 25-17, 15-13.

The Galen Eagles men dominated the SHJC Scorpions 25-15, 25-18, in the first male game.

The UB Black Jaguars also won all their games, dominating the Galen Eagles men, 25-11, 25-9, in their first encounter in the 2nd male game, and eliminated the SHJC men, 25-11, 25-16, in the 3rd male match. The UB men made short work of the Galen Eagles in the finals, 25-7, 25-7.

The UB Black Jaguars will represent the Western region at the ATLIB national championships to be hosted by UB at the UB gymnasium and Hilltop Court on Saturday, October 26, when they will take on the Central regional champions (to be determined); the Northern champions – the Centro Escolar Mexico Junior College Stallions and the Muffles Junior College Lions; and the Southern regional champions – Ecumenical Junior College Drummers and the Independence Junior College Predators.

The Central regional champions will be determined at regional championships at the St. John’s College gymnasium on Tuesday morning, October 22, when the San Pedro Junior College will challenge St. John’s Junior College for the title.