NMIVA ready for Round 3

The Northern Mariana Islands Volleyball Association is one local sporting organization that isn’t wasting any time in preparing for the 2006 Micronesian Games that will be held on Saipan next summer, in fact association officials are already prepping for the third round of qualifying action on the beach.

With two rounds of hand-to-hand in the sand, the race to represent the CNMI as a member of the beach volleyball team is too close to call. Hopefully there will be a little separation when NMIVA hosts the men’s qualifier on Jan. 14, 2006, at the Pacific Islands Club.

There are still no clear cut leaders in either the men’s and women’s divisions as the tandem of Marino Pungilug and Jess Palacios is tied with the Quincy Johnson and Kaycee Rengaelur duo atop the rankings with 30 points. Each team has a tournament crown in its pocket, and they hold a narrow four-point advantage over their closest competitors.

Kitinan Intharaluk and Taula Peter teamed up to take second place in the first qualifier, while Palacios joined Andrew Ortega to bag second at the Hyatt the last time out, and both teams have 26 points. This creates an interesting dynamic for the decision makers as Palacios has a stake in each of his teams, but he will have to opt for a permanent partner as the CNMI team will be chosen by team points gained as opposed to last year’s system of individual rankings.

One reason for the logjam is that no team has played in consecutive tournaments thus far. Only five teams showed up to play at the Hyatt leaving many to wonder if the CNMI will field a top ranked team during the international competition or just the players with the best attendance record.

Things are a little easier to decipher on the women’s side as Stephanie Arnold and Jazmine Anastacio are all alone in first place with 48 points after back-to-back top five finishes. The duo managed to take fourth in their first outing as a team before surging to the forefront with a first place finish on the Hyatt sand.

They’ll have a chance to create some space on Jan. 14, 2006 when the women’s qualifier enters its third round of CNMI Beach Volleyball Idol.

Arnold-Anastacio holds a four-point lead over Laurie Peterka and Heather Kennedy, as they earned their 44 points by winning out at the Pacific Islands Club before falling to fifth place in the last qualifier at the Hyatt Regency Saipan.

Benylynn Mettao and Sia Dela Cruz are tied for second with a pair of third place finishes, while 2005 Palau South Pacific Mini Games star Melissa Halaby and the most valuable player from the Private Schools Indoor Volleyball League, Lena Guzman, and her partner are in fourth place with 40 points.

The fee for the two-on-two action is $5 for NMIVA members and $10 for all others.

Island time is not in effect as players must register by 9:30am as games will start at 10am sharp.

For more info, call Taula 322-9263 taulap@gmail.com or NMIVA head coach Nan Intharaluk at 235-6231 ext. 5147.