Queens College reigned supreme on Saturday by toppling Marian Academy in a thrilling County final to be crowned champions of the Demerara Volleyball Association’s (DVA) school tournament at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue.
In a hotly contested final, Queens College stormed back from a first set loss to win the two-best-in-three championship game 2-1. Marian Academy seemed on course to lift the title when they raced to a comfortable 15-5 win in the opening set.
Riding high on confidence, the Marian Academy players were no doubt hoping to wrap up the game in straight sets, but found a Queens College unit that simply refused to give up. In a game befitting of a final, Queens College rose from the first set loss to level the scores with a 16-14 win in the second set.
President of the Guyana Volleyball Federation, John Flores, presents Queens College captain Omari Joseph with the championship trophy in the presence of his teammates. At extreme right is Demerara Volleyball Association president, Trevor Williams (Avenash Ramzan photo)
With all to play for in the final set, and their band of supporters cheering them on from the bleachers, the two teams once again put on a show that proved volleyball is alive and well in the schools.
In the end, it was Queens College celebrating, after carving out a 15-12 success in the final exchanges.
The two schools, located a stone’s throw away from each other, had earned the right to contest the championship game following contrasting victories at the semi-finals.
While Queens College pulled off a major heist by toppling favourites St Roses High, Marian Academy breezed past Linden Foundation Secondary in straight sets.
Queens College won 15-13, 8-15, 15-9, while Marian Academy prevailed 17-15, 16-14. In the third place playoff, St Roses High salvaged some pride by beating Linden Foundation Secondary 15-12, 15-11.
While the top three teams were presented with trophies and medals, the top players were also recognised for their individual exploits.
Alexander de Paiva Almeida of Marian Academy was named Most Valuable Player, his teammate Joshua Brazao was adjudged Best Setter, while Queens College captain Omari Joseph was named Best Spiker.
Addressing the players at the presentation ceremony, President of the Guyana Volleyball Federation, John Flores, said the tournament is effectively a nursery for volleyball in Demerara, and by extension Guyana. He urged the players to see this opportunity as a first step to gaining selection for Demerara and ultimately the national team in years to come.
Flores also announced that a Demerara select team will be named shortly to play a Berbice select soon. A total of 30 male and female players have already been identified to attend trials in the coming week.
President of the DVA, Trevor Williams, promised a bigger tournament next year, as he encouraged the players to sign up with clubs in the county to hone their skills. He pointed out that any sport that encourages the participation of youths is one that is serious about development, and the DVA has embraced that notion.
The tournament started a few weeks back with rivalry among schools in West Demerara, Linden and Georgetown.
Patentia Secondary won the West Demerara leg, Linden Foundation Secondary the Linden segment and St Roses High the Georgetown zone. The other top schools from the respective zones- Leonora Secondary (West Demerara), Christianburg/Wismar (Linden), and Queens College and Marian Academy (Georgetown)- had also qualified for the grand showdown on Saturday.
The tournament was made possible through generous support from Indesco, the primary sponsor for the Georgetown leg; Angcam Marine Supplies, who sponsored the West Demerara leg; Talk is Cheap Travel Agency, the primary sponsor for the Linden leg, Digicel and the Guyana Volleyball Federation. ([email protected])
