A BOOSTED Rockets TEAM handed double crown queens Chargers their third loss in four days and eliminated them from the finals of the Volley Barbados Championships on Tuesday night at the Barbados Community College Gym.
Led by sterling attacking play from former Caribbean MVPs Shari Matthews and Anthazia Mason and the ultra-animated Julia Lewis, the Rockets took the semi-finals battle 24-26, 25-13, 25-16, 22-25, 15-9.
Strong blocking by Janelle Chase-Mayers and the setting of Shennel Pooler also helped the Rockets into the final, scheduled to be played last night.
Chargers, who had not lost a volleyball game in 2011, started the first set impressively with Sharon Bovell and Dania Hamilton looking eager to get back on the winning track. The play of setter Akeelah Blenman also looked like it would give them the edge.
However, after taking a close first set, Chargers were undone by some magnificent attacking by Matthews and although Hamilton attempted to fight for her team, Chase-Mayers proved too potent in net defence.
But, following some unknown script, the Rockets went to pieces in the fourth set to allow Chargers to set up the decider.
That decider proved to be the Matthews show, as teammates passed the ball to Pooler, who set it for Matthews to elevate and score point after point to run away with the set and the match.
Earlier, defending champions Carabins waltzed past fellow Canadians Cavaliers 25-23, 25-16, 25-14.
