Repeat queens Pan American International Insurance Warrens and new kings Cawmere ended the Goddard Enterprises Limited Division 1 volleyball season in regal style Sunday night at the Oldbury Court, St Philip.
Ironically, both teams lost the matches they played last week immediately after winning the 2017 league crowns.
However, on Sunday night Warrens finished with a 25-9, 25-23, 13-25, 25-23 win over all-season contenders Burger King Clapham Toners, who after dominating the first round, let slip their chances by losing five games to slide to fourth.
Warrens ended on 46 points and a late challenging Chargers 37, while UWI Blackbirds trounced Deacons on Sunday night 25-21, 25-12, 25-17 to finish with 34 points. Toners ended with 31, Deacons 28, Frozen Minis Club United 19, and Phoenix Security Services Carlton 15.
Cawmere, without Mark Lewis and the injured Shawn Simpson, came from two sets down to defeat Deacons 18-25, 24-26, 25-22, 25-21, 15-11. Young Turks Ahkeem Mayers, Ashe Oxley, Akeel Oxley and Akeem Williams pounded Cawmere in the opening sets.
With Jamaican Robert Andrews holding the breach for Cawmere, they seemed in charge at 16-8 in the second set. However, Andrews and Cawmere faltered badly, allowing Deacons to lock the scores at 20 and win 26-24 to go two sets up, threatening a wipe-off.
However, captain Raffeal Lovell and the often underrated Robert Gooding, Jason Alleyne and Eric Batson showed their mettle in blunting and then hammering Deacons, who rallied from 11-20 in the third set to lock the scores at 20 before Gooding and Batson gave their team hope with the win.
After taking the fourth set and bringing on the decider, Cawmere moved from six-all to 8-7 before exploding to 11-7. Facing game and match point at 8-14, Deacons created a stir by reaching 11-14 before Batson ended the match with another cracking kill.
Cawmere ended on 36 points, six more than Progressive, while Deacons stopped at 28, two more than displaced kings Chargers.
All Stars and Foundation United were to battle in the delayed final game last night to decide the cellar position, with All Stars having 14 points and Foundation 11. (KB)
