WOLMER’S Girls’ and St Jago High boys team retained their respective ISSA National Under-19 volleyball titles Tuesday after the finals at the UWI Bowl.

The O’Neil Ebanks-coached Wolmer’s claimed a record 17th crown when they disposed of St Jago girls, 25-23, 25-10, 25-17, while St Jago boys almost paid for their overconfidence but eked out a 25-20, 25-21, 27-29, 22-25, 16-14 triumph over a resurgent Mannings.

Mannings girls defeated Old Harbour High, 25-20, 29-27, and Wolmer’s Boys’ outfoxed Knox College, 25-16, 22-25, 15-8, in the third-place play-offs.

Explaining the Wolmer’s victory, Ebanks said the team “brought a very strong mental game”.

He noted that while St Jago had two good outside hitters, once that rhythm was upset, Wolmer’s would have a better chance.

In the second set, St Jago girls were falling apart when one of their main hitters was not getting it together and showed it through tears.

According to Ebanks, he would be losing three girls from the Under-19 team, but with a “new wave of girls” created every year, the Wolmer’s dominance is expected to continue.

Meanwhile, St Jago’s coach Byron Martin said the boys “were playing around” from the third set and Mannings, realising that, became serious.

“When Jago realised what was happening and knowing that they were champions, they rallied back, coming 10-13 in the final set to show that they are true champions,” he added.

St Jago were not helped when the scorer, in a bout of confusion, gave two points to Mannings and deducted one from St Jago. In the end, however, it did not matter as St Jago won their ninth time.

Regarding the girls, Martin said their parents were not allowing them to train as often as they should and when one of their best players began to crumble at crunch time, it affected the weakest links.

“When you have a team and one person, one of our main hitters, getting flustered, that is disaster,” he said.