Perennial powerhouses storm into the last four

Deacons women’s 3-1 quarterfinal victory over Phoenix Security Carlton last night in the Goddard Enterprises Limited Barbados Volleyball Association Knockout competition, have earned them a semifinal date on court tomorrow Wednesday against defending champions Chargers.

Carlton captured the opening set 25-22 but were unable to carry on with the momentum as Deacons won the next three sets 25-14, 25-19, 25-17 in the best of five contest.

In the opening stanza, the scores were locked 19-19 and Deacons with a few failed returns allowed Carlton to move ahead. At 23-22, Carlton needed just two points to close out the set and Rhea Bryant with two superb aces did the job.

The Andrew Culpepper-coached Deacons team needed to equalise in the second set and they got off to a really good start. Deann Smith opened Deacons’ account with an ace. Then former Barbados senior national player Julia Lewis unleashed her right hand behind a couple of set pieces. Fabia Greaves playing in midcourt for Deacons also showed her versatility as a blocker and attacker.

It was no surprise Deacons had a comfortable six-point advantage at the second technical timeout. On resumption at 16-10, they further extended that lead by an additional three points to 19-10 before Carlton finally broke.

While the service interchanged between the two teams, Deacons always had the upper hand in this set and managed to equalise  1-1 heading into the third set.

Deacons wasted no time stamping their authority in the third set. They held the advantage at 7-1 and needed one point before the first technical time. But to their surprise, Carlton coach Shon Hurdle called time at that stage.

It seems like a strange decision with his team down by as much as six points. However, on the resumption of play, it would appear Hurdle knew exactly what he was doing as Carlton earned two quick points and trailed by five points (8-3) at the break.

When play got back on the court following that mandatory interval, Carlton continued picking up points and registered three straight off Tiffany Webster serves.

One thing Carlton has going for them is a crop of talented junior players. Nerissa Dyer, Tiara Johnson, Risa Niles and Shakira Wilkinson-Jack all played very well in the frontcourt. Those up and coming players have the height and were able to contribute not only on offence but also defence.

But despite their efforts, Deacons once again stayed ahead of the competition 16-11 and Smith one of their best servers accounted for two points and extended the lead to 18-11. That further placed Carlton in deficit.

Down by seven (13-20), Carlton found  some flow to their game and managed to trail by a mere four points 16-20 when Deacons’ bench decided to call a timeout. It was a decision that worked in their favour as they went on and claimed the set 25-19 for a 2-1 advantage.

One set away from victory, Deacons once again set the tempo with a 12-7 lead that forced Carlton to take a timeout. After that Deacons never let up and carried on as Carlton found it difficult to break Lewis.

Carlton was now trailing 14-7 when veteran player Ayesha Maycock came off the bench and broke for Carlton. But as quickly as they got the opportunity they threw it away.

Deacon’s touches throughout the match were very effective and well-executed. They gained a great 23-17 lead and junior national player Serena Edwards accounted for two aces and closed out in sensational fashion.

Burger King Toners gained entry into the semifinal after they defeated Development In Motion Volleyball Club 25-13, 25-23, 25-19 during last night quarterfinal match. Toners will play last year’s runners-up University of the West Indies Black on Wednesday when both men and women semifinals are contested.

There were two quarterfinal matches for men and in the opening encounter, Chargers trounced Cawmere 25-14, 26-24, 16-25, 25-23 to advance into the next round.

Meanwhile, Foundation United men toiled hard and barely edged past All-Stars in what was a five-set quarterfinal thriller. Foundation had a poor showing in the opening set when they lost 25-14 but responded emphatically 25-17, 25-17 for a 2-1 advantage.

All-Stars were determined not to let Foundation off that easily and they equalised 2-2 having won the fourth set 25-22 and forced the decisive fifth stanza. It was a battle down to the very end with the scores tied 15-15 but in the end, it was the Foundation side that prevailed 16-14 for a 3-2 win and take a spot in the semifinal.

morissalinday@barbadostoday.bb