Miki, Iwana repeat as women’s champs

The amateur tandem of Yoko Miki and Chie Iwana repeated as women’s division champion of the of 17th Marianas Cup Beach Volleyball Festival after turning back the Italian duo of Daniela Gitteli and Federica Tonon last Sunday at the Pacific Islands Club.

“I’m happy. It’s great to be here and play again,’ said Miki, who was named tournament MVP following their 21-18 finals win. She and Iwana went home with the $3,800 prize.

“We have a great teamwork. We will use the money to pay for our plane ticket for next year,” said Iwana, a mother of one who lives in Nara Prefecture.

Miki, who is a government employee from Osaka Prefecture, said they never played in a tournament as big as the Marianas Cup on Saipan.

“We’re just playing for the fun of the game,” she said.

Like last year, they were undefeated in the tournament, beating in succession the pairs of Amanda Puleo and Chelsea Reidey, 21-8; U.S. pro Jenelle Koester and Heather Kennedy, 21-12; Keiko Urata and Hiroko Matsumaya, 21-18; and Hiroyo Kaneda and Megumi Murakami, 21-17, on the way to on outright finals berth.

Gitteli, who is an Olympian, and Tonon needed five straight wins to reach the finals opposite the Japanese women.

But their uphill battle came to an end after the three-point loss at the hands of Miko and Iwana. They settled for the second place purse of $2,000.

The Italian women promised to come back next year. Tonon played for the third time in the Marianas Cup, while it was Gitteli’s first time.

Gitteli and Tonon won their debut against Dawn Penebaker and Linda Anastacio, 21-10, but lost to Urata and Matsumaya, 18-21, that relegated them to the losers’ bracket where they won their next five games before bowing out to Miki and Iwana in the finals.

In their road back, Tonon and Gitelli defeated the Korean pro Mi Hwa Sin and Milli Saiki, 15-8. They then fashioned out a 15-10 win over Koester and Kennedy before prevailing 21-17 against Chie Inoue and Hatsui Yui.

They reached the semis with a payback win over Urata and Matsumaya, 21-18, and advanced to the finals with a 21-17 triumph against the pair of Kaneda and Murakami, who settled for third place and shared the $1,000 prize for their effort.

Urata and Matsumaya were fourth and won $500, while the $200 fifth place prize went to two teams—Japanese pro Shinako Tanaka and Aurora Santos and the tandem of Yui and Inoue.

Assessing the tournament, Koester said it’s amazing to be always part of the annual beach volleyball event.

“The people are amazing. I’m happy to be back. It was an unfortunate draw for me but the Japanese and the Italian teams were really good. The level was high this year and I would love to come back next year and hope for the best,” said Koester.

She also recognized the efforts made by organizers Jon Cramer and Russ and Kanae Quinn.

During the awards ceremony, Northern Mariana Islands Volleyball Association president Laurie Peterka awarded Kanae Quinn with a certificate of recognition.

Peterka said the participants may be smaller in number compared to last year but the tournament proved that it was getting better each year.

Another U.S. pro, Jennifer Snyder, said the event this year was “awesome” and promised to come back next year.

“I have a great partner and we played well but the other teams were also very good and I have fun watching the finals,” she said.