SIS off to promising start in boys volleyball

Much like its two-time defending champion counterpart in the girls team, Saipan International School’s boys volleyball team is showing some talent on the court by starting off its Marianas Interscholastic Sports Organization volleyball season with a three-game winning streak.

The top-ranked Geckos notched a pair of wins in last Wednesday’s season opener and were victorious once again over Marianas High School’s Awesome Fins (2-1) in Monday’s match held at the MHS Gym.

Both teams came into Monday’s duel undefeated and SIS came out on top off a back-and-forth opening set, 27-25. The Geckos carried the momentum after the side change and rolled on to a 25-12 victory for the sweep. With the win already in hand, SIS went on to take the final set, 15-9.

Before the main event, the Awesome Fins defeated sister team KFC Fins (0-3) in all three sets. Awesome Fins held off KFC Fins, 25-20, in the first set and secured the victory in the second set, 25-16. Awesome Fins then smoked the KFC Fins, 15-2, in the final tiff.

Winless KFC Fins then endured yet another loss to the Manta Rays of Saipan Southern High School (1-0), which debuted in Monday’s second pairing.

While KFC Fins did not go quietly, SSHS managed to take the first set, 25-23, before dropping the second game, 25-17. Then the deciding third set went into sudden death where the Manta Rays pulled out the win, 21-19.

Also on Monday, the Grace Christian Academy Eagles (2-0) bested the Kagman High School Ayuyus (0-2) in a close match.
GCA outlasted KHS in the first set, 25-21, but tripped in the second match, 12-25, as the Ayuyus forced a deciding third game. However, in the end the Eagles managed a convincing 15-9 victory.

In last Wednesday’s season opening matches, GCA routed the KFC Dolphins in all three sets. GCA stunned KFC, 25-15, and then fired its opponent, 25-11, for the automatic victory. GCA went on to take the final set, 16-14 for good measure.

GCA then grinded out another win over KHS in its second pairing. GCA managed to take the first set, 25-21, but KHS clawed its way back in the second set, 25-12, to even the series. GCA then stepped up its game in the final set, 15-9.

SIS brushed off SSHS in three games, 25-14, 25-16, and 15-7 and maintained its momentum by knocking out MHS QT’s (0-1).

SIS worked a 25-20 win in the first set and secured the victory in the second set, 25-15, but dropped the last set, 8-15.

Notably, the Awesome Fins notched one win thanks to a forfeit by KHS on Wednesday.