BOTH teams from the Southern United Volleyball Academy (SUVA) advanced to the semi-finals of the FLOW Premier League Thursday night at Jean Pierre Complex, Wrightson Road, Woodbrook.
SUVA’s women came from behind twice in the first of the four quarterfinal matches to edge University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) 23-25, 25-20, 22-25, 25-18, 15-10.
And right after their men also bounced back to defeat Toco Youths 20-25, 25-16, 25-23, 25-17.
The reward for the southerners will be dates with the two unbeaten teams in the competition in today’s semifinals.
Technocrats’ women, winners over SUVA in straight sets in the third day of the competition at the end of February, will be attempting their 13th victory.
Big SEPoS (South East Port of Spain) men will be going after their ninth win against SUVA, who failed to win a set when the two teams squared off in the round-robin phase in the middle of May.
The other men’s semifinal will be between Glamorgan, who finished second to SEPoS in the round-robin stage to also advance directly to the last four, and Technocrats.
Defending champs Technocrats whipped Titans 25-18, 25-21, 25-18 Thursday night after being beaten in five sets by the newcomers in upset of the first stage in mid-March.
After losing when they clashed in last year’s final, Glamorgan were also beaten by Technocrats in the first night of this year’s competition in mid-February, but they were nosed out 17-15 in the fifth and could turn the tables today.
Glamorgan’s women are also in the semis and they will oppose West Side Stars, who who got complacent with a two-set lead and eventually needed five to get past SEPoS 25-16, 25-19, 21-25, 20-25, 15-5 in Thursday night’s other quarterfinal.
Glamorgan, winners of all 14 matches en route to the title last year, won 10 of 12, including a straight-set triumph over Stars at the end of March, to finish second in the round-robin stage and move straight into the last four.
The semis of the $250,000 tournament are scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. Tomorrow’s action will get going with the bronze-medals matches at ten a.m. and noon and the champs will be crowned at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. and walk away with $30,000 each.