Cape teams take Durban by storm

THE 2018 inaugural National Volleyball League (NVL) saw the Western Cape teams make a clean sweep of all the titles in Durban at the weekend.

In an all-Western Cape women’s beach final at Durban’s New Beach, top seeds Randy Williams and Kristen Delcarmer overcame a fight-back from fellow Capetonians, Anetta Friederiksen and Bejanke Della, winning the encounter 21-14 and 21-17.

In the men’s category, newcomers Khoutso Mamobolo and Nthoko Mdinji, playing as part of Volleyball South Africa’s development team, made their way to the final in grand style.

However, against the country’s top seeds, Grant Goldschmidt and Leo Williams of the Western Cape, the rookies were overwhelmed by the occasion and the intense heat, and lost the first set 21-13.

In the do-or-die second set, they showed no respect to their more fancied opponents and a challenge ensued at the net. With the crowd behind the underdogs, Mamobolo and Mdinji kept the scoreboard ticking.

Ultimately, it was the experience and strength of the No 1 seeds’ tall and strongly built Williams that put the set beyond the reach of the youngsters when Williams pounded a series of attacks to close proceedings with a hard-fought 21-19 scoreline victory.

A capacity partisan crowd rocked up at the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Westville Campus Sports Centre to witness the televised men’s final between KZN’s Kingdom Rhinos and the Western Cranes from Cape Town.

Notwithstanding the lack of support for the visitors, the Cranes entered the court determined to take the coveted silverware

to the Mother City.

The opening set was dominated by the Western Cranes attackers Clint Stemmet and Ethan May, while Devin O’Regan and Yuvir Ramjit, clearly the Rhinos best players, kept KZN’s hopes alive with clinical finishing from the net.

But the duo needed others to chip in to help the situation.

It became apparent that the

KZN team had no plan to contain the high-riding Cranes attackers, Stemmet and May, who wreaked utter devastation whenever they connected with setter Marshallino Jullies.

Despite this setback, the Rhinos were within reach of winning every set, and it might have been a different outcome had Stemmet and May been off form. 2018 NATIONAL VOLLEYBALL LEAGUE FINAL STANDINGS

Beach, Women: 1 Randy Williams and Kristen Delcamer (Western Cranes 1), 2 Anetta Friederiksen and Bejanke Della (Western Cranes 2), 3 Margaret Springer and Manana Mosai (Team VSA)

Beach, Men: 1 Grant Goldschmidt and Leo Williams (Western Cranes), 2 Khoutso Mamobolo and Nthoko Mdinji (Team VSA), 3 Nathaniel Rafapa and Jonas Mtholobi (Mapungubwe Warriors) Indoor: 1 Western Cranes, 2 Kingdom Rhinos, 3 Mapungubwe Warriors Individual Special Awards Best Setter: Frans Lefawana (Mapungubwe Warriors)

Best Attacker: Clinton Stemmet (Western Cranes) Best Blocker: Loueshan Gunjarajh (Kingdom Rhinos) Best Defender: Carlo van Nelson (Western Cranes)

Best Server: Ethan May (Western Cranes)

Most Valuable Player: Clinton Stemmet (Western Cranes).

“With the Rhinos middle attacker, Yuvir Ramjit, making points every time he was serviced, one wonders why setter Kiresh Harilall did not make greater use of the youngster. Things could have panned out differently,” said a volleyball veteran.

It was heartbreaking for the Rhinos supporters to witness their team lose the final by the narrowest of margins, 26-24 26-24 25-23.