Guam’s Team Haggan dominates Jam Attack

Guam’s Team Haggan swept the 18th edition of the Jam Attack, completing their back-to-back title bids after games held over the weekend at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

Haggan ruled both the men’s and women’s divisions after surviving the gallant stand put up by Saipan’s Ol’Aces and YoYo’s in separate finals matches played yesterday. Both champions won $500 each.

It was the second straight year that Guam teams ruled the Jam Attack. Last year, Team Haggan used the tournament as a warm up for the 2007 Pacific Games in Apia, Samoa.

Guam’s NU Heights won the 2006 men’s title, while Saipan’s Pikan Gaga topped the women’s side. In 2005, The Guam Bombers and Team Haggan ruled the men’s and women’s class.

The six-man Haggan Younggunz completed a 10-game sweep of their matches after a 25-10, 23-25, 15-3 demolition of Ol’Aces in the finals to claim their second straight title.

Ol’Aces matched their opponents’ level of play to prevent Haggan from scoring a sweep in the finals and tied the game at a set each after a hard-fought battle in the second frame.

But Haggan would not be denied the win as they came out firing in all cylinders in the deciding third set, racing to a 5-0 lead to force Ol’Aces to call timeout and regroup their senses.

The timeout did not help Ol’Aces as Haggan continued to attack their defense at the net then scored points on carefully placed dropped shots and kills at the backline.

Haggan also put up a defensive wall at the net to take out Ol’Aces main hitter Freddy Pelisamen out of his comfort zone. Pelisamen could not penetrate the two-man and at times three-man blocks put up by Haggan at the net.

Ol’Aces called another time out when Haggan moved five points away from wrapping up the contest at 10-2. Haggan remained aggressive going on a 4-1 exchange.

An Alex Olopai service error gave Haggan the needed point to end the game.

In the women’s division, Team Haggan, which is composed of the same team that won the gold in the 6th Micronesian Games on Saipan in 2006, scored a 25-17, 25-20 win over YoYo’s to go undefeated in the tournament.

Team Haggan topped Pool A with a 5-0 record followed by YoYo’s, which was aiming for a second crown in one week after ruling the 2008 Indoor Volleyball Winter League, with a 2-3 card.

Tinian topped Pool B with a 5-1 slate while Guam’s Isa heights came in second with a 4-2 mark. Team Haggan and YoYo’s defeated Tinian and Isa Heights in the semifinals to arrange a championship showdown.

After escaping with a 25-17 first set win, Team Haggan seemed very much in control of the second going 18-9.

YoYo’s, however, fought back in the game and threatened at 17-22 and was still alive at 20-24 on a Gin Gridley kill at the corner but could not sustain their momentum as Haggan scored the winning point when YoYo’s return went out of bounds.

The Haggan Younggunz is composed of P.J. Quintanilla, Ton Crisostomo, Josh Cruz, Kevin Perez, Van Murer, and Alden Bautista while Team Haggan is led by captain Shelly Taisipic, Sharon Del Mundo, Luci Calvo, Becky Salas, Mie Rabago, Purinne Cruz, Leslie Hendricks, and Diana “Slim” Reyes.