GCA completes 3-peat

]Grace Christian Academy 1’s Katriel Saures hits the ball during their middle school title game against Agape Christian School 1 in the CCOPSA volleyball league last Tuesday at the Saipan International School court in As Lito. (Roby N. Pamintuan)

Grace Christian Academy 1 survived the resilient Agape Christian School 1 in the thrilling finale of the middle school division of the 2018-2019 Commonwealth Coalition of Private Schools Association Volleyball League en route to earning a three-peat in the competition.

The Eagles and Torchbearers wrestled back and forth throughout the threes sets, but GCA hung tough in the end to pull off a 25-19, 22-25, 15-9 win last Tuesday at the Saipan International School court. With the finals victory over Agape 1, the Eagles soared to new heights as they did not only rule the division for three straight seasons, but also kept their unblemished record.

Team captain Katriel Saures delivered the title-sealing serve in the third set and after showcasing both her individual and team skills all throughout the season, she was rewarded with the prestigious MVP award.

“I have to admit that I am happy to have received such a prestigious award, especially being surrounded by strong teammates and players from other teams,” Saures said.

When asked about the main keys behind GCA’s undefeated mark, Saures responded with joy and humility. “The main factors included lots of training and skill sharpening during practices, our coach’s constant push for us to play and think like champions, and our faith and trust in God. I attribute our success to God, our coaches, teammates, families, friends, and all our supporters who encouraged us at each game and throughout all three winning seasons.”

Before outlasting Agape 1, Saures and company were caught off guard in the opening set, as the Torchbearers leaped out of the gates to take a 8-2 lead against the defending champs. Agape captain David Zheng connected on three of his service attempts, while the rest of his team clamped down on defense to move in front early. With the Eagles’ reeling as a result of being left in the dust in the opening minutes of the game, coach Cesar Libut sued for time, which eventually threw Agape off its groove.

After the timeout, Hye Jin Elliott was put in prime position to fire off three consecutive serves and get GCA back in the game. Elliott scored four consecutive points off her serves near the end of the set and was also able to power multiple spikes through the Torchbearer’s airtight defense, allowing the Eagles to steal the opener. Elliott’s efforts did not go in vain, as she was handed the highly coveted Finals MVP award.

“My hard work paid off and I felt proud. It felt good to have won the Finals MVP award and it drives me to improve even more,” Elliott said.

Elliott also made special mention of their team’s season-long efforts.

“Our team has become very close and we are very proud of this win. It was a close match and its feels awesome to win,” she said.

As for Agape, the determined Torchbearers didn’t allow the first set loss to prevent them from executing their game plan. Bobby Bao, Agape’s all-around player, scored from multiple positions on the court, as his serves, spikes, and sets successfully found their marks. Zheng’s strong play in the first set also continued in the second set and his partnership with Bao did wonders for Agape. With Agape ahead, 22-18, GCA whistled in for a timeout, but the lull this time failed to extinguish the Torchbearer’s burning desire to stay in contention, as they rolled out a 25-22 victory.

After valiantly battling the Eagles in the second set, the Kok and En Yang Pang-coached Agape ultimately ceded the title to GCA. Despite the loss, the Torchbearers still held their heads high, as they were able to play in the middle school finals for the first time since the school was founded 25 years ago.

“It was such a good season. It’s time to build again,” Kok Pang said.

Meanwhile, the third place game also went the distance with GCA 2 beating MCS, 25-21, 17-25, 15-10.

GCA 2’s Vicky Wang fired up from the server’s spot at the perfect time, as she rattled home the final six serves to ice the game. Wang’s scoring outburst broke the 7-7 deadlock and provided GCA the lift it needed to secure the third place trophy.

“I was so nervous but I realized that I should do this for the people I love, and I felt that I could do it,” Wang said. “I was proud because I helped my teammates.”