Chargers’ men surged towards a record double crown championship in the Goddard Enterprises Division One volleyball league while RBC/RBTT Deacons stumbled towards a historic empty season when the action continued on Sunday night at the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex.
With Chargers needing to beat Deacons in less than five sets to avenge their first-round five-set loss as well as to take over the lead, the knockout kings showed Deacons what life could be like AEO – after Elwyn Oxley.
With Oxley sitting on the bench with his feared right arm in a sling, Chargers destroyed Deacons 25-21, 25-6, 24-26, 25-20.
That win carried Chargers to 9-1 with 47 points, leaving Deacons 9-1 with 46 points.
Chargers were to meet Progressive last night, with a victory almost guaranteeing the cup and a shutout of Deacons, since Chargers’ final game would be against the non-challenging O-Aces.
Deacons, who have won the league 19 times, have not experienced a cup drought since 1992.
On Sunday night, Deacons recalled George Skeete to duty as his team showed competitiveness in the first set with former Chargers player Jamaal Nedd leading the fight before the all-round force of Chargers took control.
The second set was a bruising humiliation for Deacons as Chargers shared out over 15 crushing blocks to inflict an ignominious 25-6 shutdown.
Young Kyle Brown showed tremendous resolve in the face of a record second straight sets loss to Chargers in 2011 as he attacked with determination and spiked served with tremendous power for Deacons to carry the match into a fourth set.
An over-pass to Chargers nearly ended the fight in straight sets.
However, a desperation one-on-one block by Daran Gill on the irrepressible Mark Lewis averted game and match point. Gill almost turned villain as he later delayed Deacons’ capture of that set by making a ridiculous attacking error.
Deacons would eventually take the third set and keep their title chase alive.
The form of captain Dwayne Howell, Lewis, Romel Agard, Damien Danzell, setter Alain London and the reborn Nicholas Matthias, however, proved too potent as Chargers snatch the fourth set to not only move towards the pinnacle of double crown but a remarkable quadruple crown honour for the club in 2011.
Earlier, Chargers women almost gave up their perfect season when they had to battle back from two sets and 1-8 in the fifth set to stop their spin-off team Warrens 21-25, 25-20, 23-25, 25-19, 17-15.
The Rockets remained in the hunt by beating Deacons 22-25, 27-25, 25-20, 20-25, 15-13, while the Toners beat Plus The Club 18-25, 25-17, 25-23, 25-22.
All of the women’s teams have played ten matches except for Toners who have completed their 12.
Chargers remain perfect on 50 points, the Rockets have 46, Deacons 40, Toners 31, Warrens 25, Safe Security Carlton eight and The Club six.
The other men’s matches saw Progressive beating BNB Juniors 25-15, 28-26, 25-13, and Cawmere edging Sunpower Foundation United 25-27, 25-14, 20-25, 27-25, 15-12.
Foundation and the Juniors have played 11 games while the other teams have played ten.
Progressive have 38 points with games in hand against Chargers and Deacons, Cawmere 31, Foundation 18, O-Aces, 17 and Juniors, three.
