Pungilug and Berline best on the beach

Marino Pungilug and Bruce Berline turned their ticket to the losers’ bracket in to a beachside championship over the weekend as they bagged the Northern Mariana Islands Volleyball Association’s third 2006 Micronesian Games qualifier at the Fiesta Resort & Spa.

The resilient duo pulled out all of the stops as they scored back-to-back victories over winners’ bracket entries Dan Westphal and Nick Castro in the finals to secure 15 points toward representing the CNMI in this summer’s international competition on Saipan.

Once the duo fought its way into the finals, Pungilug-Berline eked out a hotly contested opening set, 21-19, to force a race to 15 points—which the team also won for the qualifier crown, 15-10.

“It feels really nice. It’s nice to win but we had some nice competition. Marino was incredible—he’s fast, which helps me out because I’m slow. It felt real good. We had some miscues and we were just kind of learning to play together but we brought it together and it felt real good,” said Berline.

Berline said that he would be happy to join Pungilug on the sand for another round, but that decision will ultimately fall on the lefty, as the “Yap Attack” said that he will first have to see what happens with his original partner, Jess Palacios.

“I still don’t know because my partner didn’t show up today and that’s why I played with Berline. Maybe next time he’ll show up and I’ll play with Jess,” said Pungilug.

The sky’s the limit if they continue to play together. Both of the players bring a lot of power to the court, and the combination of Berline’s size and Pungilug’s speed is a potent mix that could cinch the top spot for the CNMI.

The tandem took a little time getting to know one another’s style inside the lines. After tossing aside Tyson Whitney and Eric Souther, 21-13, in the opener, Pungilug-Berline suffered a hard-fought 21-17 loss to Rengaelur-Johnson. Berline told them that he would be looking for them in the finals, but he didn’t have to wait that long.

Pungilug-Berline passed its first test in the loser’s bracket by eliminating Taula Peter and Kitinan Intharaluk—after which they prevailed in the rematch they so badly wanted over Rengaelur-Johnson.

Westphal was a little disappointed with his team’s overall finish, but seemed to be satisfied with the way he and Castro have been able to maintain a constant high-level of play in the qualifiers.

“Second again? Argh! Consistency—that’s our only quote—consistency, but no first (place),” he said.

After edging Kitinan Intharaluk and Peter Bocago 21-19 in the opener, Westphal and Castro cruised through the winner’s bracket unscathed with back to back 21-13 wins over Paul Gauci and Sonny John, and last month’s champions Quincy Johnson and Kaycee Rengaelur to guarantee their slot in the finals.

Their luck ran out when they faced the determined Pungilug-Berline duo that capitalized on their mistakes and played near flawless ball on the Garapan sand.

The women are next up for the NMIVA qualifiers as their third round of bumps, sets, and spikes for the beach team rights gets underway this Saturday, Jan. 21, at the Pacific Islands Club.

While the location for the fourth men’s qualifier has yet to be determined, the date is all set for Saturday, Jan. 28. The women already have their venue secured, as they return to the PIC on Saturday, Feb. 4.

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

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