DEFENDING CHAMPIONS Flow Sentry Insurance Brokers Deacons made a winning start to the defence of their Goddard Enterprises Limited senior volleyball knockout crown when the women’s action served off at the Wildey Gym on Sunday.
On an evening of farcical comedy, the start was delayed after the Barbados Volleyball Association had cancelled the men’s fixture due to the impaired conditions on the women’s court and made the decision to play only the women’s triple header on the men’s court.
However, on turning up at the Gym, the game officials discovered that attempts had been made to fix the tiles on the women’s court and the broken tiles from that court were transferred to the men’s court. So the women’s games had to be switched back to the women’s court.
That switching and confusion had little impact on Deacons as they easily defeated a rebuilding Toners 25-13, 25-21, 25-15 while leaving national players Julia Lewis and Abeje Carrington looking on as spectators.
Brydens Rockets needed four sets to stop a plucky Club United 25-22, 25-21, 18-25, 25-13. After dropping that third set, the Rockets rebounded by holding Club 20-5 in the fourth set. Club United are also looking to regroup with a number of youngsters.
However, it was the “old hands” of setter Sophia Walcott, Anthazia Yearwood and Talya Beckles, who piloted the 2012 queens Pan American International Insurance Corporation Warrens to a four-sets victory over Carlton.
Looking impressive in their new orange and white outfits, Warrens stopped Carlton 25-18, 20-25, 25-21, 25-15. With a number of tall, young players in their line-up, Carlton, whose offence was spearheaded by former Chargers’ player Andrea Cumberbatch and Ayesha Maycock, had looked like pushing Warrens to five sets.
However, the inconsistency of play by Carlton, who bled points in lumps, once again doomed them to another loss in top flight volleyball. Last night Carlton would have met Club United in a game critical to both team’s hopes of making the playoffs.
