Volleyball: Women’s leagues - Arsu, Island Girls women champs |20 October 2015
It’s been a very long wait for Arsu but they finally put an end to it last weekend to be crowned Space 95 women division one champs – seven years after their last. As for Island Girls they have said they will definitely make the move to the upper echelon this time after clinching their third consecutive Kokonet women division two crown.
Arsu stop seven-year hiatus
They came close last year and needed to win only one set to wrestle the league title from archrivals Cascade, whose only chance of retaining the league title was to win by a 3-0 margin. Arsu faltered 0-3 (24-26, 27-29, 17-25) to watch Cascade claim their fifth league title, but last Friday they pulled probably one of their biggest wins to reclaim the title – seven years after their last triumph in 2008 – to bring their number of championship wins to 15 – 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2015.
Reigning Indian Ocean Club Championship winners Arsu whitewashed Cascade 3-0 (25-18, 25-18, 25-18) in 75 minutes to bring their points tally to 27 and with just one more match to play against Praslin Girls no one can catch them in the Space 95 women division one league.
“It’s a good win although we did not train all of last week because of the bad weather and continuous rain. We are happy to win our 15th league title after a seven-year hiatus. We will now go out to win the other competitions,” said veteran Jerina Bonne who added that she won’t be dedicating a lot of her time to volleyball next year as she wants to concentrate on other projects.
With seven wins and two defeats in nine games Cascade will have to settle for the runners-up position as their domination of the league came to an end after past wins in 1999, 2000, 2009, 2011 (special competition), 2013 and 2014.
In last weekend’s other matches, Friends needed 105 minutes of play to edge La Digue Warriors 3-2 (25-18, 18-25, 25-11, 20-25, 15-9). La Digue Warriors did return home with a win as they beat Rainbow United 3-1 (25-21, 25-23, 24-26, 25-22).
Island Girls’ third consecutive championship win
“We will make the move to the upper echelon this time,” Jeanine Faure told Sports Nation after her team – Island Girls – clinched their third consecutive Kokonet-sponsored women division two crown.
Up against Juniors in their 12th match of the season, Island Girls powered to a 3-1 (25-14, 18-25, 25-17, 25-12) win to distance themselves from Mont Fleuri, the only team who have been able to beat them this season.
With players like Faure, Chantal Confait, Tella Tirant, Venise Louise, Island Girls welcomed former Seychelles and Arsu setter Marille Benoit (formerly Finesse) and Rona Dubignon at the start of the season, while ex-professional Annie Dugasse who used to play for Cascade and the country’s national team, joined them three weeks ago.
“We will use the same group of players next season, but if there is a possibility of adding new faces, we will do it,” added Faure who has been part of the team’s four league wins – in 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2015.
She added that although they could not maintain their unbeaten record as Mont Fleuri beat them this year, “the team will be going all out to achieve a league and cup double”.
Island Girls are coached by Jones Mangroo whose assistant is Conrad Louis-Marie.
Shortened women’s leagues
As the country’s national teams took part in the Indian Ocean Island Games and the All-Africa Games this year, both the women’s divisions one and two championships had to be shortened in order to organise other local and international competitions.
The top four teams in the women’s top flight and top five in the women’s bottom division at the end of the first round of matches played a mini-league and the points earned were added to those accumulated at the end of the first round to decide the winners, runners-up, third, fourth and fifth place finishers.
The other teams played against each other in their respective divisions to complete the final ranking.
The top four teams in the women’s division one are Arsu, Cascade, La Digue Island Stars and Praslin Girls, while the four in the bottom half are Friends, Constance Ephelia, La Digue Warriors and Rainbow United.
Island Girls, Mont Fleuri, Juniors, Island Pearl and Port Glaud make up the top five of the women’s division two while the bottom five include AAP Sisters, Bel Ombre, St Louis Bombers, Perseverance and La Digue Youth.
Meanwhile, in the only Space 95 men division one match played at the weekend, Neo Boys rose from the dead to earn a 3-2 (24-26, 16-25, 25-20, 25-15, 15-13) victory against Arsu Boys after 114 minutes of action.
Beau Vallon have retained the Space 95 men first division title while Juniors are the Kokonet men division two winners.
G. G.