Volleyball: Kryptonite win titanic struggle for fourth title

Powerhouse Albany Volleyball Association mens team Kryptonite have won an unprecedented four straight men’s premier league title with a convincing 25-13, 25-23 victory in the Friday night grand final.

Picture by Dave Polette: Team Kryptonite, (back) Dion Marwick, Danny Paine, Craig Tonkin and (front) Brad Smith, Gary McGalde and Jared Pietrala

Despite the best efforts of Red Titans in the match and a gallant second set scare, Kryptonite secured their seventh premiership in 11 years.

Winning captain Craig Tonkin said this year was super competitive and his side did well to even make the decider.

“It was a pretty even season, we did well to get in the grand final,” he said.

“I think the fact we had made it to the finals and won in the last few years held us in good stead.”

Tonkin said Red Titans were a more than worthy grand finalist and said his side had to overcome a second-set fightback.

“We wiped the floor with them in the first set but they came back in the second and made it a very close match,” he said.

“But the boys just all did their job.”

With Kryptonite now holding a stranglehold on the men’s premier league, Tonkin said he could not see his side changing, and predicted they would chase a record fifth title next season.

In the women’s premier league, Help Required survived a gutsy first set from We Need Help to win 25-23, 25-14.

We Need Help almost snatched the first set but fell short, and the height and power of Help Required came to the fore in the second set as they ran away with victory.

Cooky’s Monsters and Bohica provided an enthralling battle in the mixed grand final, with Bohica missing a chance in second set to finish the game.

The match lived up to the pre-game hype, going three sets before Bohica took control, winning 25-20, 22-25, 25-21.

Cooky’s Monsters were six points up in the decider but Bohica snuck home.

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