Ti­tle-hold­ers St Joseph's Con­vent, St Joseph and Iere High School of Siparia stormed in­to the semi­fi­nal round of the Girls' Open Di­vi­sion of the Sec­ondary Schools Vol­ley­ball League Cham­pi­onship Play­offs af­ter play­ing un­beat­en at the Na­tion­al Cy­cling Velo­drome, Cen­tre Court, Bal­main, Cou­va, on Wednes­day.

Play­ing in a five-schools Pool A round-robin se­ries, the Mac­sood Ali-coached St Joseph's Con­vent (St Joseph) first won by de­fault against the late-ar­riv­ing St Au­gus­tine Girls' High 2-0 (15-0, 15-0) be­fore adding vic­to­ries against South East Port-of-Spain Sec­ondary 2-1 (12-15, 15-7, 15-12), AS­JA Girls' 2-0 (15-9, 15-4) and In­ter­na­tion­al School Port-of-Spain (ISPS) 2-1 (15-8, 6-15, 15-13) to end with a per­fect 4-0 record and a di­rect spot in the semi­fi­nals on Tues­day, Feb­ru­ary 11.

The In­ter­na­tion­al School (PoS) and SE­PoS fin­ished with 3-1 and 2-2 records re­spec­tive­ly in Pool A to grab the two quar­ter­fi­nal places as sec­ond and third-placed fin­ish­ers.

This af­ter In­ter­na­tion­al School de­feat­ed SE­PoS 2-0 (15-12, 15-7), AS­JA Girls' 2-0 (15-8, 15-3) and St Au­gus­tine Girls' High 2-0 (15-5, 15-8) in their oth­er match­es, while SE­PoS reg­is­tered wins against AS­JA Girls 2-0 (15-10, 15-8) and St Au­gus­tine Girls' High 2-0 (15-13, 15-13).

In Pool B, which on­ly con­sist­ed of four schools, Iere High brushed aside St George's Col­lege 2-0 (15-8, 15-13), Pleas­antville Sec­ondary 2-0 (15-5, 15-9) and St Joseph's Con­vent, Port-of-Spain, 2-0 (15-13, 15-10) for a 3-0 record and straight pas­sage to the semi­fi­nals.

Tak­ing the two quar­ter­fi­nals places from Pool B were St Joseph Con­vent Port-of-Spain (2-1) and St George's Col­lege (1-2).

In their two oth­er match­es, S Joseph's Con­vent (PoS) beat St George's Col­lege 2-1 (15-6, 13-15, 15-7) and Pleas­antville Sec­ondary 2-1 (11-15, 15-12, 15-13), while St George's bat­tled past Pleas­antville Sec­ondary, 2-1 (15-13, 13-15, 15-9) in a win­ner-take-all clash for third in the pool.

In the semi­fi­nals on Tues­day, Feb­ru­ary 11 at the same venue, St Joseph's Con­vent (St Joseph) will face South East Port-of-Spain while Iere High comes up against In­ter­na­tion­al School PoS.

In­ter­na­tion­al School PoS earned their fi­nal-four place af­ter eas­ing past St George's Col­lege 15-12, 15-7 in the first quar­ter­fi­nal, and South East PoS hum­bled St Joseph's Con­vent PoS 15-11, 15-9.

Fol­low­ing the semi­fi­nals on Tues­day, the losers will meet for the third spot al­so on the same day while the win­ners ad­vance to the fi­nal on Feb­ru­ary 22.

Last year in the girls' fi­nals St Joseph's Con­vent St Joseph had it tough against Bish­op Anstey High School be­fore pre­vail­ing 25-18, 25-21 to take the gold medals.

In the se­mi­fi­nals, St Joseph Con­vent St Joseph dumped Iere High School and Bish­op Anstey High hum­bled host In­ter­na­tion­al School PoS.

It was a clean sweep on the day for the St Joseph Con­vent girls and their coach, for­mer T&T se­nior and youth women's vol­ley­ball team coach Mac­sood Ali as they al­so took home the Un­der-14 and Un­der-16 di­vi­sion­al crowns.

RE­SULTS

On Wednes­day's Girls Open Di­vi­sion

Court A

St Joseph's Con­vent (St Joseph) bt St Au­gus­tine Girls' High 2-0 (15-0, 15-0 (de­fault) )

In­ter­na­tion­al School (PoS) bt South East P-o-S 2-0 (15-12, 15-7)

South East P-o-S bt AS­JA Girls 2-0 (15-10, 15-8)

St Joseph's Con­vent (St Joseph) bt South East P-o-S 2-1 (12-15, 15-7, 15-12)

St Joseph's Con­vent (St Joseph) bt AS­JA Girls' 2-0 (15-9, 15-4)

Court B

In­ter­na­tion­al School (PoS) bt AS­JA Girls' 2-0 (15-8, 15-3)

AS­JA Girls' bt St Au­gus­tine Girls' High 2-0 (15-7, 15-7)

St Joseph's Con­vent (St Joseph) bt In­ter­na­tion­al School (PoS) 2-1 (15-8, 6-15, 15-13)

In­ter­na­tion­al School (PoS) bt St Au­gus­tine Girls' High 2-0 (15-5, 15-8)

South East P-o-S bt St Au­gus­tine Girls' High 2-0 (15-13, 15-13)

Court C:

St Joseph's Con­vent (PoS) bt St George's Col­lege 2-1 (15-6, 13-15, 15-7)

Iere High bt St George's Col­lege 2-0 (15-8, 15-13)

Iere High bt Pleas­antville Sec. 2-0 (15-5, 15-9)

St Joseph's Con­vent (PoS) bt Pleas­antville Sec 2-1 (11-15, 15-12, 15-13).

Iere High bt St Joseph's Con­vent (PoS) 2-0 (15-13, 15-10)

St George's Col­lege bt Pleas­antville Sec. 2-1 (15-13, 13-15, 15-9)

Play­offs

Quar­ter­fi­nals

(2nd Group A) In­ter­na­tion­al School (PoS) bt (3rd Group B) St George's Col­lege 2-0 (15-12, 15-7)

( 3rd Group A) South East P-o-S bt (2nd Group B) St Joseph's Con­vent (PoS) 2-0 (15-11, 15-9)

Tues­day's Match­es

Semi­fi­nals

(1st Group B) Iere High vs 2nd (Group A/3rd Group B win­ner ) In­ter­na­tion­al School (PoS)

(1st Group A) St Joseph's Con­vent (St Joseph) vs (2nd Group B/3rd Group A win­ner) South East P-o-S