The Tribune

By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

Four teams between the junior and senior divisions have advanced to a 1-0 series lead in the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association (GSSSA) volleyball championships.

Eight teams took the floor yesterday evening at the Kendal GL Isaacs Gymnasium vying for the first win in their respective best-of-three series.

For the senior division, the CV Bethel Stingrays senior girls took game one against the Government High School Magic.

The Anatol Rodgers Timberwolves asserted their dominance against the defending champions CI Gibson Rattlers in the opening game to go up 1-0.

The HO Nash Lions junior girls team remained locked in and dropped the LW Young Golden Eagles.

The fourth-seeded Timberwolves delivered a defeat to the second-seeded Golden Eagles in the junior boys game last night.

Senior Division

The pennant winning Stingrays meant business against the second-seeded Magic. The senior girls quashed the chances of the Magic winning in consecutive sets.

The Stingrays stung their opponents 25-9 to begin the senior divisions’ championship series.

In the following set, they once again outmatched the Magic on the floor and defeated them 25-16.

Shantelle Rolle, head coach of the Stingrays, talked about how it felt to be the first to earn a victory in the championship round.

“I think our performance was a little bit better than yesterday. I told my girls we have to continue the trend from yesterday - taking care of the ball, serving, moving to the ball, hustling and communicating,” Rolle said.

Game two is just a few hours away at the same venue and for coach Rolle the strategy for the senior girls’ team remains the same. “There is no new strategy, we are going with the same old hustle, talk, move the ball when we come out here, we do not take any team for granted, this is volleyball and anything is possible,” she said.

The top senior boys’ team, the Timberwolves, proved why they were this season’s pennant winners against the Rattlers. They opened up the first set of two with an early 10-1 lead. The defending champions tried to climb back in the game but their opponents advanced to 18-8 on the scoreboard.

Ultimately, the first set concluded with a 25-12 Timberwolves victory. With the Timberwolves firmly in the driver’s seat after a strong opening set, the Rattlers seemed determined to push for a third match. The first-seeded team got control in the opening minutes, advancing to a 10-7 lead.

However, the Rattlers displayed resilience when they climbed back in set two 15-14, one point shy of tying with their competitors. Although last year’s title holders hung around on the scoreboard, the Timberwolves stole set two 25-21.

Theodore Hanna, head coach of the Timberwolves, was happy to go up 1-0 against the Rattlers.

“We are in the finals, as the top team, we have to know that the next team is coming to fight. We have to build ourselves up and stay up to the level where no matter how much push they put in, we put in more,” Hanna said.

The head coach added that the latest win made him very happy and felt it gave them the confidence boost needed to continue on to become the champions.

Junior Division

The Lions junior girls answered the call against the Golden Eagles in two straight sets. The third-seeded team overwhelmed their opponents in set one 25-14. The Golden Eagles once again got demolished in set two, this time 25-12.

The Timberwolves junior boys joined the seniors with a 1-0 series lead. The Golden Eagles once again suffered a loss in this division. They went down 25-15 in the initial set and in the following set the Timberwolves completed the job, winning 25-16.

The Timberwolves (junior and senior boys), Lions and Stingrays will look to complete a sweep 4pm today at the Kendal GL Isaacs Gymnasium. Games will continue on Friday if necessary.