The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WHILE it was a reunion for American Ryan Stafford as he helped the Scotiabank Defenders successfully defend their title at the “Defend Ya Spike” Volleyball Tournament, it was payback for the International Jammers as they regained their female crown from the Auto Mall Bommers.

The three-day tournament, organised by the Scotiabank Defenders Volleyball Club and sponsored by Scotiabank Bahamas Limited, turned out to an exciting event over the three days of competition at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium as players from around the world mixed and mingled with the locally based players.

Stafford, a resident of Califronia who has been been playing professionally for the past five years in Europe, said he met some of the Defenders whom he played against in college, so he was delighted to be in the Bahamas playing with them on the Defenders team.

Add the power-hitting Stafford to the line-up that included Bahamian pro player Byron Ferguson, along with Cuban soon-to-be pro player Ansel Dache and Bahamian players Shonari Hepburn, Ian ‘Wire’ Pinder, Tonny Simon and Jamaal Ferguson and the Defenders were just too much to handle.

Scotiabank completed annihilated the International Jammers 25-15, 25-13, 25-19 in three straight sets.

“It was fun after five years to come together and play together for the first time,” said Stafford, who emerged as the most valuable player out of the pack. “I think it was a good level for us. We played really strong. I don;t think the other team could have done any better. As a team, everybody got in and we played extremely well.”

Ferguson, who was just as effective playing the middle position for the Defenders, couldn’t agree more.

“It was a dominating performance by the team We came together and we played good team volleyball and that was what gave us the victory,” Ferguson stressed. “We had a good team. We brought some guys in from overseas and although we didn’t have any time to practice, we had a lot of experience on our team and that made the difference.”

For the International Jammers, who never really got into sync, Bahamian Rommel Lightbourn, who came in from North Carolina, admitted the Defenders were just too strong for them.

“All tournament long we were plying six strong. I think fatigue settled in a little bit, as well as we were not mentally focused on every single point,” he pointed out. “We were lackadaisical, our communication fell off a bit, but we played well. It’s just that we allowed them to get too comfortable and they got away from us. Their jump serves also tremendous.”

Quinten Anthony, Errol Smith, Leon Smith and Dellian Brown got in some big plays sporadically but it wasn’t enough to get the International Jammers over the hump.

The Defenders finished the tournament, winning all 12 of their sets played. We Dem Boys ended up second, winning nine sets, while the Jammers were third wirth eight wins and the Defenders B came in fourth with six. In the playoffs, the Jammers stunned We Dem Boys in two straight sets and the Defenders easily disposed of their B team. The third place game was never played.

On the women’s side, it was a completely different story.

The International Jammers, led by Jamaican player/coach Georgette Crawford-Crooks, who turned out to be the MVP, wanted it a little more this year than the Bommers.

Sisters Arlene and Darlene Mitchell from North Carolina, Floridian Meghan Donovan and Bahamians Kelsie Johnson and Kiara Brown never gave up in their match-up against the Bommers that went right down to the wire. In the end, the International Jammers prevailed with a hard fought 21-25, 25-19, 25-22, 21-25 and 19-17.

“We fought hard. The Bommers beart us in the final last year, so we thought this year that we had to come back and prove a point,” said Arlene Mitchell, who stepped it up big late in the fifth and final set after Darlene Mitchell suffered an injury. “Both teams were awesome competing for this title, but we came out on top, so it was awesome.

“Our services were a little rocky the entire tournament, but we had to capitalize on our strength, which was our attacking and blocking, which was where we were able to pull it off.”

It was the first loss for the Bommers, coached by Shedrick Forbes, who relied heavenily on the hitting of Adrianna Fundora and Krystena Castro, along with Bahamian Michelle Thompson. The Bommers went through the tournament with a 5-0 record, while the Jammers suffered their only defeat at the hands of their opponents.

In the playoffs, the Bommers swept the Cougars in two straight, while the Jammers did the same to the Notorious Dig. For the bronze medal, Notorious knocked off the Cougars 25-15 and 25-22.

Individually, the following playwrs were named to the female’s All-Tournament Team - Kiara Brown, Meghan Donavan and Darlene Mitchell (International Jammers), Adrianna Fundora, Erin Hughes, Jannelle Curtiss and Krystena Castro (Auto Mall Boomers).

The male All-Tournament winners - Tonny Simon, Jamaal Ferguson, Ryan Stafford and Byron Ferguson (Scotiabank Defenders), Jon Isaacs (Canusmas), Quinten Anthony (International Jammers) and Chauncey Cooper (Defenders B).

As the tournament director, DeVince Smith said this turned out to be the most competitive.

“We had a lot of fan support, especially on Friday,” he reflected. “We had much more international players. I think there were only three teams in the men’s division, Scotiabank Defenders B, the Saints and Freeport, Grand Bahama, ho were totally Bahamians. A lot of the teams brought in international players.

“Hopefully next year, we will see some full international teams, but we want to thank our sponsors, Scotiabank and those who wish to remain anonymous for their support in pulling off a great tournament.”