Geckos break into win column

It took four outings on the sand to do it but the Geckos of Saipan International School finally broke into the win column on Thursday night as they edged the Sugoi Seven in the final set to earn their first victory in the 7th Annual Miller Lite Coed Four-Person Beach Volleyball League at the Pacific Islands Club.

The “Peruvian Punisher” Mili Saiki got the ball rolling early when she led SIS to an 11-8 win in the first set in which both of the winless teams looked strong, but she looked on from the sidelines in the second as the Seven rebounded with an 11-3 win to even the score at one apiece.

Upon her return to the sand, the Geckos drew from her experience and jumped out to a 5-0 to start the final set, but the run would not last. The Sugoi Seven chipped away at the lead with three points from “Call Me Uncle” Nokkie Rogopes, and the lead changed hands with the Seven leading late in the game, 10-9.

All they needed was one more point to win their first game, but the Sugoi Seven were unable to withstand the presence of the CNMI’s power-packed squad that went to Palau for the South Pacific Mini Games, as Saiki and Melisa Halaby completed the comeback with a three-point run to win the game in extra points, 12-10

Marianas High School was hoping to ride the Geckos’ coattails and become the second school team to score its first win, but the Dolphins weren’t able to smoke Puff, Puff, Pass despite their best efforts.

Quincy Johnson came up big for the 3 P’s as they won the first set convincingly, 11-4, but the aquatic mammals fought back in the second to win their third set of the year, 11-7. Unfortunately for the Dolphins, it wasn’t the third set of the night, as the final set went to Puff, Puff, Pass in much the same way as the game started, 11-4.

On the other end of the spectrum, Galuti lost its first game of the season to Got Beer? after taking the first set, 11-6. Jon Cramer and company quickly turned their game around in the second in the face of adversity by edging the G-men, 11-8. The drama poured into the third set as the teams needed extra points to determine the winner, but Got Beer? was not to be denied as they survived the frenzy to take the clincher, 13-11.

The win gave Got Beer? a slice of first place, but they still have to share it with Palaksi and Lick It, Stick It, Smack It, as Rachel Bandelin’s team downed Aschaabw to improve their record to 4-1.

Lick It, Stick It, Smack It wasted little time in getting the win as they took the first two sets 11-5 and 11-7 before dropping the third 11-5. The LSS Express is running full throttle as they currently lead the league with 143 points for and 11 sets won.

Namete can’t say the same as their record fell to 2-2 when Pugua Time! swept them in back-to-back-to-back nail biters, 8-11, 10-12, and 8-11.

The action continues next week when the teams return to the sand behind the PIC at 5:30pm on Tuesday night.