Lady Dolphins sweep all three matches

Marianas High School 2’s Sherry Zhu sets the ball against Saipan International School 2 in their NMIVA-PSS Interscholastic Girls High School Volleyball League 2021-2022 match last Tuesday at the Marianas High School Gymnasium. (Mark Rabago)

All three Marianas High School teams came out victorious as Week 2 of the NMIVA-PSS Interscholastic Girls High School Volleyball League 2021-2022 season unfolded Tuesday at the Marianas High School Gymnasium.

MHS 1 was the first to see action and hammered out a relatively easy 25-10, 25-13 win over Saipan Southern High School 2 to improve to 3-0. The Lady Dolphins 1 are made up of Arisa Custodio, Abigail Decena, Madelleen Narciso, Fatima Monterubio, Julie Ann Capayas, Daejah Benavente, Rizza Relucio, Raina Avelino, Raenna Ramarui, Kalista Klaver, and Kina Rangamar. SSHS remained winless after three starts.

The Lady Dolphins 3 was the next up and the game against SSHS was an instant classic as it also pitted son against mom. In the end, MHS 3 triumphed after three hard-fought sets, 25-12, 12-25, 15-9. It was the first win for MHS 3, while SSHS 1 went down to 0-2.

MHS 3 is made up of Tyana Cepeda, Jenica Hidalgo, Cloie Seo, Ava Deleon Guerrero, Alianna Sublemente, Sheena Gatdula, Ale’a Duenas, Sydney Lim, Kevina Tababa, Kaitani Tudela, and Fei Fei Lei.

Don Marshall Cabrera, who co-coaches all three MHS teams in the league, said SSHS 1 has new players and they were just fortunate to narrowly beat them.

“I don’t think it was an upset. SSHS 1 has relatively new players to volleyball and they have a new coach this year, who happens to be my mother, and she’s working week in week out to get them to where she’d like them to be. Both teams worked really hard to fight for every point and we ended up prevailing at the end of the third set,” he told Saipan Tribune.
SSHS 1 is mentored by Shawn Davis.

Saipan International School 2 player spikes the ball over the net against Marianas High School 2 in their NMIVA-PSS Interscholastic Girls High School Volleyball League 2021-2022 game Tuesday at the Marianas High School Gymnasium. (Mark Rabago)

MHS 2 then made it 3-for-3 for the largest high school in the CNMI after the Lady Dolphins 2 got the better of Saipan International School 2, 25-14, 25-15. It was the first win in three tries for Lady Dolphins 2, while SIS 2 is now 0-3. MHS 2 includes Margarette Dolotina, Stephanie Aguilar, Sherry Zhu, Yvonne Abustan, Daphne Cruzata, Ikeesha Aguiningoc, Ashley Palada, Angellyn Roligat, Tamia Kileleman-Hix, Elisha Henson, Tiara Cepeda, and Seiyul Hong.

Cabrera was happy for leaving their home gym with a perfect record Tuesday night, but assured that the grind to get better continues.

“We are very proud of all three of my teams for working hard and earning every point. We try to drill the girls a lot and we can see them applying the skills we are teaching them. All the teams we were scheduled with came ready to play and there were lots of long rallies fighting for points,” he said.

Other matches Tuesday at the sweltering hot MHS Gym saw MCS 1 with a 26-25, 26-9 nipping of GCA 2; MCS 1 following that up by drubbing sister team MCS 2, 25-12, 25-9; and GCA improving to 3-0 with an easy 25-2, 25-9 win over Kagman High School.

The 2021-2022 NMIVA-PSS Interscholastic Girls High School Volleyball League continues today with MCS 1 taking on SIS 1 and MCS 2 facing SSHS 1 in the 4:30pm first games. The second games will then pit SSHS 2 against MCS 3 and GCA 2 challenging GCA 1 in the 5:30pm second games. The third games will then have MHS 2 versus KHS and SIS 2 versus MHS 3.