The eight best volleyball teams in the island are expected to heat up the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex when the semi-finals of the Cooperators General Insurance Senior Knockouts are staged in the Gym tonight.
Men’s defending champions Progressive will battle arch-rivals RBC/RBTT Deacons in what should be a cracker, while queens Chargers will clash with a resurging Rockets in a repeat of the 2010 finals.
The final slots and opponents were decided on Monday night with straight sets results denying Sunpower Foundation United men and Carefree Toners women the fourth positions in their groups.
Foundation failed to advance their cause, with setter Rory Goddard unleashing Shawn Simpson and Rafael Lovell for Cawmere to destroy Foundation 26-24, 25-18, 25-16.
Toners had no say in the night’s issues as they needed Warrens Jaguars, who had already qualified, to beat or take a set from the Rockets.
However, Anicia Wood, Shari Matthews, Katrina Wickham and the innocuous looking Nicole Austin skinned a one-clawed Jaguar 25-21, 25-10, 25-11. Only former Barbados captain, Anthazia Yearwood looked like a potent attacker for the Jaguars.
The Jaguars had shredded their semi-finals opponents Sentry Insurance Brokers Deacons in straight sets in their preliminary clash.
But in spite of the unpredictability of Deacons, Jaguars will have to play out of their skins to stop Deacons’ advance towards an expected finals against Chargers.
The defending champions Chargers are the only team to reach this far unbeaten after they finished the preliminaries on Monday night with a facile 25-15, 25-22, 25-22, win over Security Safe Carlton.
While Chargers ended top of the heap with a maximum 30 points, Carlton were bottom of the dump with no wins and just three points.
Chargers men also claimed the top spot after beating the unfancied O-Aces 25-19, 25-14, 25-21, to end on 26 points, the same as Progressive.
However, a better sets points ratio leaves Progressive in the second position to play Deacons while Chargers will meet Cawmere.
This evening’s action begins at 6:30 with the women’s matches being staged before the men battle at eight.
Fans can expect unlimited smoldering spikes and blocks once the teams bring their “A games” tonight.
“A games” performances should see Chargers and Deacons meeting twice in Sunday’s finals.
A variation from that script would call for Progressive, Cawmere, Jaguars and The Rockets finding unlikely heroes to add some fight to the traditional warriors in those teams.
Chargers’ and Deacons’ men and women boast a plethora of all-round defenders and attackers, plus more than competent setters that can dismiss any opponent with relative ease.
