Side Out, Yamazama top ‘For the Love’

Participants and organizers of the For the Love of Volleyball Tournament pose for a photo after the competition at the Hyatt Regency Saipan sandcourt last Saturday. (NMIVA Photo)

Side Out and Yamazawa negated their foes’ twice-to-beat advantage to win in the For the Love of Volleyball Tournament held last Saturday at the Hyatt Regency Saipan sand court.

Side Out, which had Chris Nelson and Tyler Willsey as players, ruled the men’s division after recording back-to-back victories against Old Farts’ Tyce Mister and Russ Quinn. The Nelson-Willsey duo prevailed in Game 1 of the finals, 21-15, and then registered a 15-7 victory in the deciding Game 2.

Willsey and Nelson had to down Quinn and Mister twice, as the Old Farts came into the finals undefeated. Old Farts won its first game against Route 66, 21-9, and made it two in a row with a 21-13 triumph over Loaded Blanks.

With its first two sets, Old Farts set up a semis showdown against Side Out in the winners’ bracket. Side Out also prevailed in its first two games, winning over the Titans, 21-13, and Arhopw, 21-14. Old Farts went on to end Side Out’s run with a 21-19 victory and the former also took the first finals seat.

Side Out, on the other hand, dropped to the loser’s bracket and had to eliminate Loaded Blanks, 22-20, to get a second crack at Old Farts. Nick Gross and Steven Beyer of Loaded Blanks forced a rubber against Side Out for the last finals ticket after ousting Air Mike, 21-18.

Meanwhile, Yamazama, which was composed of Charnessa Lizama and Toni Yamada duplicated Side Out’s feat in the women’s division.

Yamazama fell to Canpal’s Linda Anastacio and Nicole LeBlanc in the winner’s bracket semis, 18-21, but still managed to earn a slot to the finals after knocking out Sabrina The Teen’s Sabrina Pangelinan and Adele Hudkins in the loser’s bracket semis, 21-14.

In their second faceoff with Anastacio and LeBlanc, Yamada and Lizama posted a 21-14 win in Game 1 to keep their title hopes alive before sealing the championship with a 15-9 victory in Game 2.

Six other teams joined Yamazama, Canpal, and Sabrina The Teen in the women’s division contest with Brass, Shake & Bake, White Asian, Chammoles, Faithfully, and Haolepinos completing the field.

Before losing twice to Yamazama, Canpal was unbeaten in two games in the elimination, registering its pair of victories against Chammoles, 21-12, and Sabrina, 22-20, while the eventual champion also went 2-0 in the winner’s bracket, topping Brass, 21-12, and Shake & Bake, 21-15.

In the loser’s bracket, Sabrina nailed two wins to remain in contention, as it prevailed over White Asian, 21-13, and Shake & Bake, 21-14. Shake & Bake earlier beat Faithfully, 23-21, while White Asian outclassed Haolepinos, 21-16. Other results in the loser’s bracket had Haolepinos and Faithfully winning over Brass, 21-8., and Chammoles, 21-18, respectively.