by KENMORE BYNOE

NOT EVEN INJURIES or bad luck seem to be slowing down Kings RBTT Deacons' romp towards their 18th Division 1 volleyball league crown.

When the Goddards Enterprises Round 2 served off at the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex on Wednesday night, Deacons turned up with a numerically depleted squad of just seven players as Barbados middle Jamaal Nedd was out injured.

A third-set injury to the in form Sheldon Roach saw Cawmere taking that set but Deacons still won in four to advance to a 5-0 record and a maximum 25 points.

Deacons humiliated Cawmere in the first set by crushing their opponents 25-4, the lowest men's Division 1 score since the onset of the rally scoring system. Deacons had the lead, 8-1, and 18-2, with a serving error giving Cawmere one of those points.

Deacons were later reduced to six players as Roach had to be lifted from the court in the third set which Cawmere then captured. Roach twisted his ankle while executing a block on Raffael Lovell. In the end Deacons won, 25-4, 25-19, 22-25, 25-17.

National captain Elwyn Oxley was in a vicious blocking mood and his attacks as well as the spikes from Andy Jordan, Roach, Kenwin Inniss and rookie John Thompson, who relished a starting opportunity, destroyed a bewildered Cawmere.

Earlier, Friendly Hall failed to repeat their first-round victory over Ta Ta's Plumbing Progressive as they were beaten, 20-25, 25-19, 25-18, 23-25, 15-11. That result means that while Deacons remain unbeaten, all of the other five teams have lost at least three matches.

Prior to the second round, only Friendly Hall had lost just two matches and they were mathematically the only team capable of overhauling Deacons.

However, too many factors, most importantly winning all five Round 2 games, would have decided Friendly Hall's fate.

In women's action, Sentry Insurance Brokers Deacons stopped former queens Carefree Toners in straight sets, 25-23, 27-25, 27-25, to advance to 6-0 and 30 points.

The Toners led 23-21, in the first set and they held set points in the following two sets but they could not find the way home.

Erdiston Rockets continued to perform well as they repeated their first-round victory over Caribbean Alliance Carlton, 25-21, 25-23, 25-14.

The support of Carlton's cricket captain Marlon Graham and his knockout finalists teammates could not help Carlton girls get closer to their second win of the season.