by KENMORE BYNOE

THE LODGE BOYS are the new NSC/Super Centre Interschool Volleyball Knockout champions!

Demonstrating their theme of Fighting Back, The Lodge boys exacted revenge on Harrison College on Thursday

at the Barbados Community College gym

to win the crown

25-23, 27-29, 15-10,

in three sets of entertaining play.

During the league

The Lodge defeated Harrison College in the preliminaries to enter

the finals, but lost it, as one of their key players, Shamarh Brooks, was

on tour with the national cricket team. Once again Brooks was absent

on cricket duty but Ronald Rice and Rico Brathwaite lifted their game

to a level to deny College the double crown.

Unforced errors

After taking the first set in spite of outstanding performances from Best Spiker, Sheldon Roach

and MVP Marcus Greene, Lodge looked in line

to take the match

in straight sets.

However, both teams

then committed a spate

of unforced errors

to extend the set beyond

the 25-points finish.

With Greene and Roach averting game and match points with their bold attacking on four occasions, but Rice and Brathwaite also had

to avert match point

for The Lodge. However, poor serving and defence by The Lodge also allowed the league kings to keep the match open.

A service ace by Most Improved Player, Ramon Husein saw College taking the set, 29-27, much

to the delight of their large group of supporters. Unfortunately, the College lads started the deciding set too flat and The Lodge rushed to an 8-3, advantage when the teams switched court sides.

Late bid

College then earned

a couple of easy points

to make a late bid at 5-9, but Brathwaite, who was voted Best Defender, and Rice who picked up the Best Setter title re-ignited The Lodge's momentum to cruise

to the knock-out victory.

Earlier in the evening, Barbados Community College (BCC) girls completed the double

by stopping Springer Memorial in the finals

25-23, 27-25. BCC's MVP, Sasha Best; Best Spiker, Akilah Phillips and Best Blocker, Alicia Smith,

were almost stunned

by the fight of the Springer team wich boasted a group of national netballers, basketballers and athletes.

Individual Awards

MVP

Boys - Marcus Greene - Harrison College

Girls - Sasha Best - BCC

Best Spiker

Boys - Sheldon Roach - Harrison College

Girls - Akilah Phillips - BCC

Best Setter

Boys - Ronald Rice -

The Lodge School

Girls - Sasha Best - BCC

Best Blocker

Boys - Corey Harris -

The Lodge School

Girls - Alicia Smith - BCC

Best Defender

Boys - Rico Brathwaite -

The Lodge School

Girls - Kyshona Knight - Springer

Best Server

Boys - Justin Bennett - BCC

Girls - Marisa Dowell -

Coleridge and Parry

Best Passer

Boys - Jabari Clarke - Combermere

Girls -Janelle Morris -

Coleridge and Parry

Most Improved Player

Ramon Husein -

Harrison College