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SIS dethrones MBA in high school v-ball
Saipan International School players huddle during their elimination round game against Marianas Baptist Academy in the boys division of the 2017-2018 Commonwealth Coalition of Private Schools Association Volleyball League at the SIS court in As Lito. The Geckos defeated MBA in the semis yesterday to advance to the finals against Mt. Carmel School. (Contributed Photo)
Saipan International School marched into the finals of the boys division of the 2017-2018 Commonwealth Coalition of Private Schools Association Volleyball League after eliminating defending champion Marianas Baptist Academy yesterday at the Geckos court in As Lito.
It took the Geckos three sets to dethrone MBA, which won last season’s championship after rallying past Mt. Carmel School in the finale, 23-25, 25-22, 15-12 and moved a step away from returning to the finals after downing Agape Christian School in the first playoff game last Monday.
SIS then pushed MBA on the brink after eking out a 25-22 victory in the first set of their semis match, but missed a sweep when the deposed champion fought back in the second with a 25-19 triumph to force a rubber. In the deciding third set, the Geckos regrouped and recorded a convincing 15-6 win to oust MBA and move into this Friday’s title game.
The Mili Saiki-coached SIS will duel Mt. Carmel School in this weekend’s finale, which will be a rematch of the 2015-2016 championship game. The Geckos took the crown in the 2015-2016 competition after sweeping the Knights, 25-22, 25-13.
Mt. Carmel will have a chance to get back at SIS this Friday after the Knights prevailed in the other semis pairing yesterday. The back-to-back runners-up pulled off a 27-25 win against Grace Christian Academy in the first set and then notched an easier 25-14 victory in the second to make it to the finals for the third straight season.
Meanwhile, in the girls division, Mt. Carmel School-1 is in the semis and will be facing the Lady Eagles for a finals berth today at the Knights court in Chalan Kanoa.
The SIS Lady Geckos joined MCS-1 and GCA in the Final Four, while Agape and MCS-2 squared off for the last semis ticket yesterday. The winner of the Agape versus MCS-2 tiff will slug it out in the other Final Four showdown today.
Mt. Carmel won the last two seasons of the girls high school league—both against SIS, 25-15, 23-25, 15-(2016-2017) and 25-15, 26-24 (2015-2016). The Lady Geckos topped the 2013-2014 season —the first time the league introduced a separate tournament for girls and boys—after sweeping the Lady Knights.
