The Tribune

THE inaugural Queens of the Court Volleyball Tournament, held November 5-7 in Bimini, marked a significant achievement in the continued development and promotion of women’s volleyball at the secondary school level.

Organised by coach Rashad Richardson of Louise McDonald High School, the tournament brought together school volleyball programs from various islands of The Bahamas, providing an opportunity for competitive exposure, athletic development, sportsmanship, and meaningful interaction among student-athletes and coaches.

“As Tournament Director, my primary responsibilities included overseeing the technical operations of the competition, communicating tournament regulations, coordinating match schedules, supervising competition procedures, maintaining tournament standings, addressing operational challenges, and ensuring the fair and consistent application of the established rules,” LaToy Williams said.

“Despite several necessary adjustments to the original competition schedule and the withdrawal of one participating institution, the tournament was completed.”

The competition concluded with the Sunland Stingers emerging as the inaugural Queens of the Court champions, while Windsor School secured second place.

The overall response from participating schools was overwhelmingly positive, with coaches recognising the tournament’s organisation, hospitality, competitive atmosphere, and contribution to volleyball development throughout The Bahamas.

 Tournament Objectives

The tournament sought to achieve several important objectives:

 1. Promote the growth and development of female volleyball at the secondary school level.

2. Provide meaningful competitive opportunities for student-athletes from different islands.

3. Encourage sportsmanship, discipline, teamwork, and mutual respect.

4. Establish a professionally administered volleyball competition that prioritises fairness and consistency.

5. Strengthen relationships among participating schools, coaches, officials, and volleyball programs.

6. Establish Queens of the Court as a sustainable annual tournament.

 Based on the successful completion of the competition and feedback received from participating institutions, the inaugural event made meaningful progress toward these objectives.

 Participating Institutions

 Seven institutions were initially included in the tournament arrangements.

Institution Participation

Teams from Louise McDonald High School, Gateway Christian Academy Eagles, Bishop Michael Eldon School (BMES), Noble Preparatory Academy Windsor School and Sunland Stingers participated. Summit Preparatory School eventually withdrew.

Following confirmation that Summit Preparatory School would not participate, six schools remained in active competition.

In accordance with the tournament administration’s communicated decision, teams scheduled to compete against Summit Preparatory School were awarded automatic victories. These results were incorporated into the preliminary standings.

Technical Administration and Competition Format

 A technical meeting was scheduled for Thursday, November 5 at 4 pm to establish a common understanding of the tournament’s operational procedures and competition regulations.

Following the meeting, a written summary of the decisions, amendments, and clarifications was circulated to participating coaches and officials through the official tournament communication group.

The competition operated under the following framework:

Preliminary competition: Round-robin format, with teams ranked according to their results.

Semifinal qualification: The four highest-ranked teams advanced to the semifinal stage.

Preliminary matches: Best-of-three sets, with the first two sets played to 21 points and a deciding set to 15, subject to the applicable scoring cap.

Playoff matches: Best-of-three sets, with a two-point winning margin required.

Championship match: Best-of-three sets, with the first two sets played to 25 points and a deciding third set to 15, all requiring a two-point winning margin.

Substitutions: Maximum of six substitutions per team, per set.

Timeouts: Two timeouts per team, per set.

The technical briefing also addressed the handling of tied teams in the preliminary standings, including head-to-head results and set ratio.

Tournament Operations and Schedule Management

The tournament required continuous coordination and several operational adjustments to accommodate

changes in team participation, match progression, and ceremonial activities.

 The tournament’s designated technical officials were:

First Referee (R1) Johnathan Garland; Second Referee (R2) Renaldo Knowles; Official Scorer Ashton Dieufaite; and Tournament Director LaToy Williams.

The officials demonstrated professionalism, cooperation, and a commitment to maintaining the integrity of the competition throughout the three-day tournament.

One notable operational limitation was the absence of net antennas, which are normally used to assist referees in determining whether the ball crosses the net within the permitted crossing space.

This limitation was communicated to participating teams during the technical briefing. Referees were therefore required to exercise their professional judgment based on direct observation.

Despite this equipment limitation, the competition proceeded successfully until the antennas arrived, with the appointed officials exercising their respective responsibilities.

As Tournament Director, I emphasised the importance of respecting officiating decisions, maintaining professional conduct, and applying tournament regulations consistently.

Special recognition is extended to Johnathan Garland, Renaldo Knowles, and Ashton Dieufaite for their dedication, professionalism, and valuable contributions to the successful execution of the tournament.

Competition Results and Final Standings

The preliminary competition featured strong performances from several institutions, with Noble Prep, Sunland Stingers, and Gateway Eagles establishing themselves among the leading teams.

The final recorded preliminary standings were as follows:

Team ...............Wins .Losses

Noble Prep ..........6 ......0

Sunland Stingers .5.......1

Gateway Eagles ...4.......2

BMES................. 2 ......4

Windsor School ....2 ......4

Louise McDonald 

High School......... 2 ......4

Preliminary records reflect the standings previously compiled during the tournament. The three teams finishing 2–4 required application of the established tiebreaking criteria. Summit Prep’s withdrawal is excluded from this active-team table.

Following the preliminary competition, the top four teams advanced to the semifinal stage.

The playoffs commenced on Saturday at approximately 4 pm, following the completion of the preliminary matches and an interval during which scrimmage games were arranged. 

 Final Tournament Honours

CHAMPIONS

Sunland Stingers

Inaugural Queens of the Court 2026 champions

RUNNERS-UP

Windsor School

Second-place finishers

Third Place

Gateway Academy

Third Place Finishers

The championship result demonstrated the competitive nature of the tournament, particularly as Noble Prep had completed the preliminary stage undefeated.

Revised Section 8: Individual Awards and Recognition

The Queens of the Court 2026 Tournament recognised outstanding individual performances throughout the competition. These awards celebrated student-athletes who demonstrated exceptional technical ability, consistency, leadership, and overall contributions to their respective teams.

The following players received individual honours:

Award Recipient Jersey - #  - Institution

Best Defensive Player G’arah Rolle 27 Gateway Academy.

Best Server Rihanna Kellman 6 Noble Prep.

Best Setter Gemini Collie 11 Noble Prep.

Best Hitter Taryn Russell 11 Sunland Stingers.

Most Valuable Player (MVP) Taryn Russell 11 Sunland Stingers

Tournament MVP – Taryn Russell.

Special recognition is extended to Taryn Russell of the Sunland Stingers, who earned both the Best Hitter and Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards. Her contributions were instrumental in Sunland Stingers securing the inaugural Queens of the Court championship.

The individual awards also highlighted the depth of talent across participating institutions, with Gateway Academy and Noble Prep producing notable individual performances.

These recognitions reinforce the tournament’s commitment to celebrating athletic excellence while encouraging the continued development of female volleyball players throughout The Bahamas.

The inaugural Queens of the Court Volleyball Tournament was deemed to be a successful and promising addition to the school volleyball calendar in The Bahamas.

The event demonstrated the importance of providing structured competitive opportunities for young female athletes while fostering relationships among schools and volleyball programs across the islands.

From a technical and operational perspective, the tournament was completed despite unforeseen changes, including team withdrawal, scheduling adjustments, and equipment limitations. The cooperation of coaches, officials, and organisers contributed significantly to the successful management of these circumstances.

Most importantly, the tournament created an environment in which student-athletes could compete, develop, demonstrate sportsmanship, and experience the excitement of organised volleyball.

“As Tournament Director, I am pleased with the overall execution of the competition and encouraged by the overwhelmingly positive response from participating institutions,” Williams said.

“The inaugural edition has established a foundation upon which future tournaments can be developed, with greater operational efficiency, enhanced technical standards, and expanded participation. I commend the organising committee for its efforts and look forward to seeing Queens of the Court continue to grow as a respected and anticipated annual sporting event.”