The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

RAS Jesse Delancy, who helped to form a Bahamian connection to start a vibrant men’s volleyball programme at Benedict College Tigers, is having an exceptional season.

Having played previously at Central States and also having had a semester at BAMSI, Delancy was among a list of players recruited by renowned women’s coach Gwendolyn Rouse when she was charged with adding a men’s volleyball programme to her alma mater at Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina.

During the coronavirus pandemic, Rouse got in touch with her contacts in the Bahamas and was introduced to Delancy and a few other players. She immediately signed them to be a part of the Tigers men’s team that competes in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC).

“I went to the Bahamas in July, and I was able to get four kids,” Rouse said. “My connections in the Virgin Islands sent me videos (resulting in three players). Also, I had two different trials at the school, and with the trials, I was able to pull three kids.”

Delancy, who stands at 6-feet, 6-inches, turned out to be a perfect fit for the Tigers team. He is a 22-year-old graduate of the CV Bethel Secondary High School.

The Tigers’ team also includes St Augustine’s College graduate Terran Walkin, a 6-0 freshman setter; Donovan Wilmott, a 6-2 graduate of Anatol Rodgers High School and is a middle blocker/outside hitter as a junior; Clint Forbes, aslo a graduate of CV Bethel, who in his freshman year is a 5-7 libero specialist and Zion Beckford, who at 6-4, is a freshman playing right side and an as an outside hitter.

“I have a craving to play volleyball at the highest level, and I feel this is a step up from my club volleyball back home that is going to get me to where I want to be,” said Delancy, an outside hitter/middle blocker.

Delancy, who is studying sports management, said the level of play is a step up from playing in the New Providence Volleyball Association with the Tour Daddy Defenders. His goal is to continue to improve and play professionally after college.

Delancy was named the SIAC Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week April 4. In a three-set win over Kentucky State, he recorded eight kills (.400) with a season-high eight service aces and nine digs. In a loss to Central State, he recorded a season-high 23 kills (.526) and tied his season high of three solo blocks.

Benedict is currently fourth in the SIAC standings.

On Friday, Delancy received Benedict College’s all-around player of the year award, the latest of the many accomplishments that he attained this year.

Nobody was more proud of his performance than his mother, journalist Felicity Darville, who along with his father, Eugene Delancy, thanked coach Rouse for recruiting him and encouraging him each step of the way.

“I am so proud to see Jesse succeed. He left Nassau determined to be his best as he entered St Benedict’s,” she said. “He was playing night league volleyball before he left, but the pandemic affected the frequency of practices. He has aspirations to go pro in volleyball, and he has the love and support of his entire family to stand on.

“I have a passion for volleyball, so I am ecstatic to see him excelling in the sport. He has also had a great semester academically, and I encourage him to remain disciplined, focused, and confident that he can manifest every goal he sets for himself, with the grace of God.”

While his mom was captain of St Augustine’s College Big Red Machine’s senior girls volleyball team and was the most valuable player in 1995, Delancy has a lot of other sporting personalities in his family.

His grandmother is Agatha Delancy, national Hall of Fame golfer; his grandfather is Allan Ingraham from Grand Bahama, who is a national Hall of Famer for American football and his grand aunt Elizabeth Ingraham-Davis was a member of the Jordan Prince Williams Falcons’ senior girls volleyball team.

Delancy and the rest of the Bahamian connection at Benedict College will close out their regular season on Saturday when they host Edward Waters out of Florida before coach Rouse gets them prepared for their first SIAC Men’s Volleyball Championships that will run from April 19-21 at a site yet to be determined.

When they’re done, Delancy and the rest of the Bahamian connection will be returning home to try out for the Bahamas men’s national volleyball team as they prepare for the Caribbean Volleyball Championships this summer. Delancy played previously on the men’s junior national team.