CHAMPION club Deacons picked up the two easiest volleyball crowns they may ever win when the finals of the Cooperators General Insurance Junior Knockout Competitions were staged at the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex on Monday night.
RBTT Deacons men retained their crown, playing a relaxed game as if they were in a Sunday afternoon scrimmage on Brandons Beach, to repeat last year’s final victory over Plus The Club, 25-20, 25-21, 25-19.
While Deacons rotated their starters and bench players to give everyone some court time, The Club struggled to find a consistent combination.
Ryan Forde, Christopher Squires and Barbados’ women’s coach, Andrew Brathwaite, playing the role of setter, gave some hope to The Club.Â
However, Malcolm Martindale, Michael Corbin and all of their Deacons teammates allowed the champions to play the game of an adult running just ahead of a child and looking back while laughing and keeping one step in front.
The women’s mismatch was even more ridiculous, with O-Aces – who had looked so good on their homecourt at Free Hill – turning up with just seven players and never looking like a serious challenge for Sentry Insurance Deacons. Only former Chargers player Latoya Best seemed eager to try to win her club’s first title.
Deacons’ benchpower and the spikefest enjoyed by Nadia Griffith saw the girls in yellow and green taking the match 25-17, 25-16, 25-18.Â
Last season Deacons had missed out on the women’s junior and senior knockout crowns.
Meanwhile, the final group games of the senior knockouts were staged, with Progressive eliminating Friendly Hall 25-18, 25-18, 25-20, and Carefree Toners topping Powerade The Club 25-18, 25-21, 25-17. Progressive topped Group B to advance to the semi-finals.
Ironically, the default victory which The Club scored over Deacons has allowed them to top the three-team Group C and advance into the semis.Â
Today, the Toners will meet British American Insurance Jackson at 6:30 p.m. while Chargers will battle Deacons in a repeat of last year’s finals at 8 p.m.
In the men’s quarter-finals, O-Aces will take on Deacons at 6:30 p.m., while Cawmere will be questioned at 8 p.m. by Friendly Hall. In Cawmere’s colours will be Rory Goddard, who had played a key setting role in Friendly Hall’s tremendous performance last season.
