The Tribune

By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas Scholastic Athletic Association (BSAA) volleyball championships saw the Teleos Christian Schools’ Cherubims senior girls and Mt Carmel Preparatory Academy junior boys advance to a 1-0 lead yesterday evening at the Tom “The Bird” Grant Sporting Complex in Yellow Elder.

Two best-of-three championship series were played as well as the final remaining playoff games to determine the competitors in the junior girls’ division.

For the championship round, the first-seeded Lady Cherubims knocked off the second-seeded Mt Carmel in game one of their series. Additionally, the Mt Carmel junior boys bested the Cherubims to lead the series.

Championship Round

The Lady Cherubims meant business when they stepped on the court to face the senior girls of Mt Carmel. They comfortably defeated their opponent in two straight sets to earn the first win in the BSAA senior girls volleyball finals. The pennant winners opened the first set 8-2 which turned into a 10-4 lead. Mt Carmel managed to add two more points to their total but the Lady Cherubims closed out the first set 25-7.

In the following set, Mt Carmel refused to go down without a fight. Set two opened tied at 2 apiece but Teleos pushed the lead to 10-5 on the scoreboard. It looked to be another comfortable win for the Cherubims until Mt Carmel scored five points and made the score 12-10. The team collectively locked in and evened the score at 14 then claimed the lead 15-14. Despite Mt Carmel building some momentum late in set two, the Lady Cherubims poured in six straight points and changed the score to 21-16. After that point in the match, it was all the Lady Cherubims who won set two 25-17.

Pastor David Adams, head coach of the Cherubims, was impressed with the play of the senior girls to win the first game of the three.

“The last game the key to our win was Victoria Ferguson, and Jada. The captain and co-captain were very good and it was service again that did it for us especially with the wind that is blowing,” Adams said.

He added that they are looking to finish off Mt Carmel in game two today.

The Mt Carmel junior boys needed three sets to achieve the victory but they got it done. In set one, Mt Carmel had the advantage and emerged with a narrow 21-18 win. The Cherubims were laser focused in the following set and stormed out to a 9-0 lead. Mt Carmel got on the scoresheet at 12-6 but then their opponents dominated the rest of the way. They were up 18-10 and took the second set 21-11. In the final set of the match, Mt Carmel wasted no time and dropped the Cherubims 15-8.

Dante Clarke, head coach of Mt Carmel, was elated to see her junior boys team grab the first win against the defending champions, Teleos.

“It feels really good knowing that my boys and I have put in the effort and it feels good to defeat the reigning championships…tomorrow I am just gonna pray for no injuries on either side and that my boys play to the ability that I know they can,” Clarke said.

The junior girls championship series will feature the Lady Cherubims versus Genesis Academy. The latter booked their ticket to the BSAA volleyball finals after blasting Mt Carmel in consecutive sets 21-9, 21-12. Meanwhile, Teleos ousted the International School of Business Entrepreneurship & Technology (ISBET) in three sets. The Cherubims’ junior girls claimed set one 21-19 but their opponents got revenge in set two, 21-10. In the final set, Teleos capitalised on the opposing team’s weaknesses and came away with a 15-8 victory.

Shanell Carey, head coach of Genesis Academy, said her girls are ready for the Lady Cherubims.

“It feels awesome we are really ready for the championships and ready to just come and show out. I am expecting to win tomorrow and the day after,” Carey said.

The championship games continue today at 4pm.