IT’S LIKE CLOCKWORK now. Another day, another straight-sets win.
Barbados predictably strolled into their latest junior final, having coasted to yet another routine victory Haiti in Saturday’s semi-finals of the boys’ CAZOVA Volleyball Championships at the Wildey Gymnasium.
Even with top player Andriy Stapleton still less than 100 per cent while recovering from a side strain, the defending champs were hardly extended while easing to a 25-23, 25-16, 25-21 victory.
It was just another day at the office for the unbeaten pre-tournament favourites, who have yet to drop a single set and earned their second win over their Haitian counterparts in four days after also beating them handily in Wednesday’s group game.
But the contest wasn’t as lopsided as their round robin contest this time, with Haiti actually putting up a fight in the first set through the efforts of outside hitter Judenel Paul.
The visitors actually led by as many as four points (15-11) in that opening stanza following some bad Bajan passing and ineffective blocking up front.
Ahkeem Mayers quickly turned the tide in the hosts’ favour though, crushing an impressive kill down the middle while leaping from the back before sending down even harder serves to give Barbados an unlikely 19-16 lead.
And Haiti never regained the advantage from there as Cyrus also crushed one down the line before Stapleton duly closed out the set with a kill of his own.
It all went downhill thereafter for Haiti, who surrendered the first four points of the ensuing second to quickly fall behind 12-5 on a series of Adam Niles kills.
Mayers then hit a couple spikes of the Haitian blocks, and Carlos Cyrus quickly joined the party with his attacks through the middle, until Shamar Bishop slammed the door shut on some telling blocks.
Haiti still managed to make it interesting though, getting some free hits off more sloppy Bajan passes to lock the scores at 11 in the third set.
However, Niles came to life on the outside while libero Stephen Packer provided great defence to give the home side a comfortable 19-14 cushion.
Yet Haiti still refused to go away quietly, as Paul rallied the side within one (20-19) before Bajan setter Paul Doughty caught the Haitians napping on some deft dumps to seal the deal.
Mayers had 14 kills in his 19 points and Niles added 12 points while Paul led Haiti with nine total points.
Earlier, Marlon Philip had 28 kills to lead Trinidad and Tobago into the boys’ final in a 25-20, 25-21, 25-22 win over Curacao in the other semi-final.
Philip had 31 points overall to put Trinidad in a rematch with their Bajan rivals, who beat them in straight sets in their previous group game. (JM)