COMBERMERE AND SPRINGER MEMORIAL are winners of the 2007 JB's Supercentre Senior Volleyball Championships which were played earlier this week at the Garfield Sobers Gymnasium.

Springer Memorial defeated Coleridge and Parry (CP) 25-17, 25-5, 25-15 and Combermere beat Barbados Community College 25-21, 25-15, 21-17.

Springer were beaten by CP in the semi-finals last year and also fell at their hands during the league.

"In the first set, the girls were a bit timid because of their defeat by CP last time. They had a feeling they couldn't get it done and with the help of Miss [Andrea] Nichols, we got them to calm down and got them focused on the game," said teacher Donna Taylor who coaches the team.

"The second game was just a blow-out. We got into their minds: 'If we believe it, we can achieve it.' Akela Blenman, the captain, really lifted their spirits and everything went well from there."

Taylor said the girls performed exceptionally well, and acknowledged the efforts of Jeneice Clarke, twins Kycia and Kyshona Knight and Kathrina Williams.

Combermere's librarian/coach Coreen Brathwaite said it was a team effort since her players only had four matches - Springer had five - to get it right.

"It was the Under-16 team from last year and only two senior players from last year. I had to work to get them up to standard because it was only two games, the semi-final and the final.

"The final was the fourth game and we had no time to develop. Whatever we had to do, we had to do it at practice. We had good players. Our win was based on the effort we had at practice and our willingness to fight," she said. (SAT)