GTC 1 proved their dominance yet again in carting off Trophy Stall’s senior volleyball title after a game which was played off last Sunday at the GTM Courts, New Amsterdam, Berbice. Playing in very humid and blistering conditions, where the stamina and fitness of the players were tested, GTC1 won a total of six games out of seven.
Both GTC 2 and Rollers ended with five games out of seven, but because GTC 2 had defeated Rollers earlier in the competition, they ended in second place, leaving Rollers in third.
The tournament, which was played on a round-robin basis, saw all eight teams compete in a total of seven games.
Members of the Selection Committee of the Berbice Volleyball Association (BVA) were afforded a good look at the players, with the aim of short-listing a squad of thirty players to undergo training to represent Berbice.
At the presentation ceremony, which was held in fading light immediately after the conclusion of the competition, president of the BVA, Gregory Rambarran, thanked Trophy Stall’s owner, Ramesh Sunich, for the donation of trophies for the top three teams and also those for indivivual performances.
Rambarran extended gratitude to the manager of GTM for the use of the hard court, those who volunteered to serve as officials, Rollers for enhancing the playing area and all the teams for participating in the competition.
However, he berated some players, who at times displayed behaviour which is not allowed under the Federation of International Volleyball’s (FIVB) Code of Conduct.
With regard to the standard of play, he stated that the BVA will not reward “mediocrity” and urged players to lift their game mentally and develop a passion for the sport
BVA vice-president and national coach, Levi Nedd, who is also chairman of the Selection Committee, reiterated the points made by Rambarran and informed those present that the list of players shortlisted for selection to the Berbice team will be released later in the week.
Nedd also informed the gathering that he will be working with those players to develop the level of their game.
Chairman of the Referees Committee, Errol Chase, urged the teams to make a  special effort to have their members trained as referees and scorers, so that a higher standard of officiating can be achieved to move the sport forward.
The first-, second- and third-place trophies were presented to the captains of the teams by female spectators. Troy Matheson of GTC1 walked away with the Most Valuable Player ( MVP) award, while trophies were also presented to the setters of the three top teams and the setter of Falcons.