UWI Blackbirds soar over Toners

University of the West Indies (UWI) Blackbirds came from behind and snatched a 3-2 semifinal thriller against Burger King Toners yesterday when the Goddard Enterprises Limited Barbados Volleyball Association Senior Knockout semifinals were contested.

After facing some unsettling turbulence during the match, UWI Blackbirds, taking on a very good Toners team, managed to hang on 14-25, 25-22, 16-25, 28-26, 15-13 and earn a place in the knockout final.

Played yesterday evening at the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex, this made it UWI’s second consecutive appearance in the knockout championship match having lost last year to Chargers.

UWI coached by Renier Grace did not always get it right but when they did Toners had no response. The fifth and decisive set was where it all mattered for both teams, as UWI sought to live up to expectation having dominated group D with 15 points this season. Toners on the other hand were hoping to reach the knockout final for the first time in quite a while.

Toners had several good collective plays during the match from veteran Shennel Pooler along with Donnique Alleyne and Akilah Phillips. But UWI’s biggest threat for the night was Toner’s star attacker Ashley Jordan as she pounced on anything that was served up to be hit.

But as much as Jordan and Alleyne tried their best for Toners, there was no stopping UWI who had in their possession three solid attackers – led by the ever experienced Dania Hamilton, Tenielle Chapman-Goodluck and Shakera Hall.

It was a keenly contested fifth set and at 13-13, it was simply a matter of who was hungrier for the next two points. Luckily for UWI, Pooler in an attempt to score for Toners hit into the net and Hall with an ace closed out what was a hard-fought battle for the Blackbirds.

Unfortunately for Chargers, it would not be a repeat of 2019 as they were eliminated yesterday during the women’s opening semifinal encounter against Deacons. Interestingly, the Chargers men and women’s team were knocked out while both Deacons sides advanced.

It was yet another fifth set entertainer as Chargers dominated the first two sets, 25-15, 25-16 before Deacons finally responded. Refusing to give up that easily, Deacons secured the 2-2 equaliser (25-15, 25-19) and closed out the game triumphantly 15-10 in the final stanza.

Defending men’s champion Deacons trounced Foundation United in straight sets 25-18, 26-24 and 25-20 to advance into the final where they are expected to defend their title against Barbados Bearings Progressive.

In what was a one-sided clash, Progressive easily entered the final with a 3-1 result (25-17, 23-25, 25-18, 25-17) against a struggling Chargers side.

The men’s and women’s final is expected to take place in the afternoon (5:30.p.m) of Sunday, October 4th at the Gymnasium.

morissalindsay@barbadostoday.bb