Siyasi tops grass v’ball tourney

Siyasi’s John Nekaifes and Chenny Lizama went undefeated in the 2014 Reverse Co-Ed Grass Volleyball Tournament to rule last Saturday’s competition at the Navy Hill court.

Siyasi secured the championship after a 21-17 victory over MSQ’s Clay McCullough-Stearns and Somia Quan. The winning pair was awarded cash and in-kind prizes for topping the 11-team field and is tasked to organize next year’s tournament, which is set for Jan. 17, 2015. Cash and in-kind prizes were also handed to McCullough-Stearns and Quan and Old Timers’ Tyce Mister and Heather Kennedy, who rounded out the Top 3.

Mister and Kennedy missed making it to last weekend’s finals twice, as they bowed to Nekaifes and Lizama in the winner’s bracket semifinals, 21-18. Nekaifes and Lizama went on to bag the first finals berth and a twice-to-beat advantage in the title match. Mister and Kennedy dropped to the loser’s bracket against McCullough-Stearns and Quan, who prevailed in a win-or-go-home match versus Loco Moco’s Gabriel White and Linda Anastacio, 21-13.

The battle for the second and last finals seat was neck-and-neck with the much younger pair of McCullough-Stearns and Quan escaping with a 23-21 triumph to set up a title showdown against Nekaifes and Lizama.

Lizama and Nekaifes managed to keep their clean slate in the annual tournament with the four-point championship win against McCullough-Stearns and Quan. Lizama and Nekaifes started their title bid in the tournament with a victory against Slyders’ A.J. Hambros and Khohlynn Gechig, while MSQ defeated Beauty and the Beast’ Phalai Frink and Nick Gross. Slyder’s advanced against Siyasi after downing Winkhof’s Jacoby Winkfield and Amber Vanthof, while Beauty and the Beast edged Bad Grass’ Hercia Nekaifes and Icemwar Somorong. Loco Moco completed the first round winners, as it prevailed over Grass Kissers’ Jeane Bracket and Chris Lam.

In the second round results, Old Timers beat Loco Moco, while MSQ thwarted Beauty and the Beast to join Siyasi and SH’s J.R. Gechig and Tony Yamada in the winner’s bracket quarterfinals. SH advanced after whipping Pickled Ginger’s Athena Andrews and Steve Beyer before losing to Siyasi. With two wins Siyasi made it to the winner’s bracket semis versus the Old Timers, which thwarted MSQ.

MSQ fell to the loser’s bracket, but survived Pickled Ginger and Loco Moco to keep its finals bid alive and eventually marched into the finals after getting back at Old Timers.

Meanwhile, Northern Mariana Islands Volleyball Association’s next tournament will be the For the Love of Volleyball, which Hyatt Regency Saipan is sponsoring and will be held on Feb. 8. Next month’s event will have competitions in the men’s and women’s doubles.