T&T volleyballer Marc-Anthony Honore and SL Benfica moved to within one win of securing a ninth Portugal Volleyball Federation Honda A-1 Division crown after taking a 2-0 lead in their best-of-five finals against AJF Bastardo on Friday.
Winners of the opening match at home eight days ago at the Pavilhao da Luz, 28-26, 25-15, 28-26, Benfica made the trip to Terceira Island, Azores and won 25-19, 25-17, 25-20 ahead of Game Three Sunday in Praia da Vitoria.
In the semifinals last month, eight-time league champions SL Benfica swept Sporting CP 3-0.
SL Benfica claimed the series a 25-15, 25-17, 25-20 in Game Three after winning the first two encounters 25-23, 25-22, 22-25, 24-26, 17-15 and 25-16, 25-17, 25-22.
It was sweet revenge for SL Benfica after they were beaten by Sporting CP in the Portugal Volleyball Federation Cup final earlier this month
In the other semifinal series, AJF Bastardo also swept 18-time league champions SC Espinho.
AJF Bastardo won its third straight playoff clash with Espinho, 26-28, 25-15, 25-17, 25-21.
This after AJF Bastardo won Game One 25-19, 19-25, 25-20, 25-19 and then Game Two 25-19, 25-19, 25-20, 25-19.
Winners of the Super Cup last November for a third straight year, and record tenth time overall, SL Benfica started the finals as slight underdogs after ending the eight-team second round of the campaign with a 12-2 win-loss record and 35 points, two behind AJF Bastardo (12-2), one of only two clubs to beat Benfica in their last 60-plus domestic matches.
Sporting CP ended with an 11-3 record and 32 points for third while fourth-placed SC Espinho (8-6) tallied 24 points.
The quartet of Esmoriz (7-7), Castelo Maia (3-11), Viana (3-11) and Caldas (0-14) with 21, eighth, eighth and three points respectively complete the table.
Before the start of the eight-team Second Round series, SL Benfica ended the shortened regular season due to the coronavirus pandemic with a perfect 13-0 record and 39 points, nine clear of Sporting CP and Viana, (10-2) who both had a match in hand.