Coleridge and Parry girls and St Leonard’s Boys’ could not contain their joy on capturing their first Super Centre Under-19 Volleyball League titles in two pulsating finals at the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex on Friday.
The CP girls would have been releasing the disappointment of being bridesmaids on four previous occasions when the Barbados Community College and their opponents in Friday’s final, Springer Memorial, had sent them back to St Peter empty-handed.
However, the star quality of Shakera Hall ensured that CP pulled off the victory 28-30, 25-20, 15-13.
Two years ago, Hall had shown her ability when the Barbados junior team placed last in the Caribbean championships in Guadeloupe and she was in the top ten in every facet of the game.
Another Shakera, Jack of Springer, had helped her team to edge home in the extended first set before CP rebounded to take the second set. Springer trailed throughout in the decider, with Hall being called on to attack from every area of the court to keep CP ahead.
Springer managed to lock the scores at 10-10 right through to 13 before setter Sara Jemmott stuck to the script of giving the ball to Hall, who was in the back court to finish off the match and to start the celebrations.
The boys’ final proved to be the expected cracker with Christ Church Foundation hoping to repeat their preliminary win over St Leonard’s to take their first senior title.
The attack of Leshon Alexander and Jabarry Goodridge in the first set signalled that Foundation might have gotten their wish.
However, Foundation took too long to close out the first set after being up 20-8, which allowed the dangerous pair of Kyle Browne and high-jumping Klode Thompson to storm back and capture the match 12-25, 25-21, 18-16.
The hitting of Browne and Thompson made all the difference in a game where Foundation erred in not giving the ball to the best attacker.
The decisive third set was Foundation’s in the early stages as they led at the switch 8-6. The lead could havebeen bigger were it not for a numberof simple errors which allowed St Leonards to equal and take an advantage 14-13.
An unbelievable hitting error by Browne locked the scores and Foundation then went ahead 15-14, with Nicholas Callender and setter Akiel Moore blocking Browne.
Browne was blocked again by Callender to lock the scores at 16 before the undoubtedly superior player decided that enough was enough and slammed home the needed kills to give the Richmond lads the deserving crown.
