History
The University of the West Indies Volleyball Club (UWIVC) was formed in 1995 under the guidance of then coach Mr. Phillip Greenland who at that time was a prominent member in the Jamaica Volleyball Association (JAVA). The UWIVC initially comprised University students competing in the Intercollegiate league. These players were eager for more competition and exposure to a higher level of Volleyball and so were entered in the National Club League that same year. The results gained were promising. The men’s team placed second while the women finished a disappointing eighth.
It was very difficult to measure up to the levels of already existing, established and successful clubs in Jamaica but the desire to be ‘the best we can be’ pushed us forward. The club’s structure was fashioned similar to JAVA with the first executive spearheaded by Dr. Tamara Remy, Kendal Joseph and Arlene Morgan. The UWIVC would comprise male and female teams competing at both the National Club and Intercollegiate Leagues spanning an entire year of playing volleyball.
Within a year, the dedication and determination of the UWIVC became evident as the club was extremely competitive in the local tournaments and garnered its first overseas invitation to the prestigious Cayman Spikefest Tournament in Grand Cayman. The results justified the invitation. The men’s team placed second having beaten Jamaica’s National Club Champions Venus Volleyball Club on route to the finals. That year also saw the club members getting National Squad Invitations. Subsequently, Phillip Beach was selected to don the Jamaican colours at the Caribbean Volleyball Championships in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
