HS girls volleyball, soccer starts Jan. 10

The Marianas Interscholastic Sports Organization will kick off its high school girls volleyball and soccer seasons on Jan. 10, 2012.

Participating schools for the 2012 volleyball season include two teams from Marianas High School, two squads from Saipan International School, and one team apiece from Saipan Southern High School, Kagman High School, and newcomer Marianas Baptist Academy.

The season will employ a double-round robin format with four matches per game date starting at 4pm and 5pm.

All games will take place Tuesdays and Thursdays at the MHS Gymnasium with two games talking place simultaneously during each playing period.

A double-elimination postseason is scheduled after the conclusion of the regular season on Feb. 24 and 25, which will hopefully include Tinian High School.

Matches will have three sets with game point placed at 25 for the first two sets, under a cap of 30, and the final set being played regardless of the outcome of the first two sets with a game point of 15 and no cap.

Last year, SIS fielded one squad that dominated the field and almost pulled off a flawless season. SIS went undefeated in the regular season and advanced to the finals unbeaten with a twice-to-beat advantage over MHS1 in the championship. MHS1 managed to spoil SIS’ perfect run in the first pairing, 25-20, and 25-18, but came up short against the reigning champs in the tiebreaker series, 25-22 and 25-15.

Participating schools in the 2012 soccer season, meanwhile, include two teams from MHS and one team each from SSHS and KHS.

The opening day match will feature MHS1 taking on MHS2 at 4:30pm.

A single match per game date is scheduled on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting at 4:30pm at the Oleai Sports Complex field, where all games will be played

A double-elimination postseason tournament is scheduled on Feb. 24 and 25 at the end of the regular season.

Last year, top-ranked MHS2 defeated second place KHS, 3-0, in the finals.

In related news, as previously reported, MISO’s high school boys basketball season is set to tip off on Jan. 9 at the MHS Gym.

Participating schools in the varsity division includes defending champion KHS with SSHS, MHS, Grace Christian Academy, and Mount Carmel School.

The junior division includes teams from KHS, MHS, GCA, SSHS, and SIS.

Opening day matchups entails a junior varsity pairing between MHS and GCA at 4pm followed by the varsity main event featuring SSHS against MCS at the MHS Gym.

All games will be played in the MHS Gym on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 4pm followed, if needed, by a varsity pairing after a 10-minute break.

Following its regular season, a double-elimination postseason is scheduled on March 10 and 11 with Tinian hopefully joining in on the action.

Last season, KHS downed SSHS, 82-67, in the finals to cap off an undefeated season and clinched its second consecutive championship.

Notably, SSHS has been forced to settle for the runner-up spot for the past two years.