Zenith men, CC10 women claim SLA volleyball titles

Zenith men completed an unbeaten campaign while CC10 women pulled off a shock win when the T&T Volleyball Federation (T&TVF) Super League concluded at the National Cycling Velodrome in Balmain, Couva, on Sunday (May 31).

In the men’s open final, the Joel Theodore-captained youthful Zenith, under the guidance of coach Curtis Burkette and his assistant Joshua Persad, overcame the Kanhai Sirjoo-coached Challengers 25-16, 25-23, 25-23 to end the season with 11 wins from as many matches.

A day earlier in the semifinal, the Zenith line-up featuring a host of national senior and youth team players, inclusive of Michael Burkette, Janeiro Atherley, Marley Davidson, and Nicholas Williams, defeated the vastly experienced T&T Police 17-25, 25-20, 25-10, and 25-20 to secure their spot in the final with their ninth win of the season after ending the nine-team round-robin league with an impeccable eight wins from as many matches to qualify to the semifinals directly.

And in the other semifinal, last year’s winners Challengers, featuring Ryan Stewart, Joshua Mohammed and Marlon Phillip, stunned round-robin league runner-up and former champions BIG South East Port-of-Spain (SEPoS) 18-25, 32-39, 25-16, and 25-22.

In the third-place match, Police exacted revenge on SEPOS for their four-set round-robin league loss with a battling 31-29, 25-23, 25-14 triumph.

However, in the women’s championship match, player/coach Courtnee-Mae Clifford led the experienced CC10 veterans featuring Ayanna Kinsale, Tymika Duncan, Kiune Fletcher, Phylecia Armstrong, Suraya Chase, Renele Forde, Shanice Cottoy and Makila York to a stunning upset of the previously unbeaten BIG SEPoS 25-14, 20-25, 25-16, 25-17 to be crowned champions in their debut campaign.

The win by the Ceon Lucas-coached CC10 was their first in three outings this season against Big SEPoS, who had won their first two match-ups in the league round-robin phase on the way to topping the six-team table with ten wins from as many matches, while CC10 ended second with an 8-2 record.

On Saturday in the semifinals, CC10 outlasted Nothing But Success (NBS) 25-27, 25-16, 25-6, and 25-10, while Big SEPoS brushed aside T&T Police 25-15, 25-10, and 25-7.

Nothing But Success capped off their debut season with their heads held high after securing the bronze medals via defeat of Police 25-19, 25-20, and 26-24 for the women’s bronze medal.

T&TVF SLA results

Sunday’s results

Finals

Men:

Zenith bt Challengers 25-16, 25-23, 25-23.

Women

CC10 bt BIG SEPoS 25-14, 20-25, 25-16, 25-17

Third place playoffs

Men

Police bt BIG SEPoS 31-29, 25-23, 25-14

Women

Nothing But Success bt Police 25-19, 25-20, 26-24

All Stars awards:

Men:

Outside Hitter #1: Michael Burkett (Zenith)

Outside Hitter #2: Marley Davidson (Zenith)

Middle Blocker #1: Janiero Atherley (Zenith)

Middle Blocker #2: Hollis Charles (Police)

Best Opposite: Tevin St Jean (Challengers/St Lucia)

Best Setter: Steffon Hutson (Zenith)

Best Libero: Marlon Phillip (Challengers)

Most Valuable Player: Marley Davidson (Zenith)

Women

Outside Hitter #1: Kaylon Cruickshank (BIG SEPoS)

Outside Hitter #2: Desiree Donald (BIg SEPoS)

Middle Blocker #1: Talibah Hamlett (BIG SEPoS)

Middle Blocker #2: Jalicia Ross-Kydd (Nothing But Success)

Best Opposite: Makila York (CC10)

Best Setter: Renele Forde (CC10)

Best Libero: Afeisha Olton-Humphries (CC10)

Most Valuable Player: Renel Forde (CC10)