Hopwood 2 defeats Tanapag 2 as MS v-ball continues

Matching energy brought both Hopwood Middle School 2 and Tanapag Middle School 2’s girls to a tiebreaker set, where Hopwood 2 took the win last Thursday at the NMIVA-PSS Interscholastic Girls Middle School Volleyball League 2023-2024 at the Marianas High School Gymnasium.

With Tanapag 2 dominating the first set 21-12, it wasn’t long until the Hopwood 2 revved up their engines and took over the second set with a 21-14 victory to level the counts at two sets apiece. The Hilitais carried the energy to the end during the tiebreaker set with a 15-7 win, which made their supporters go wild.

Later, Hopwood 2 coach Cyrus Ybanez said, “The girls were nervous, but man I’m excited [because] we won…”

He said the 30-member team has been training hard since the season began, especially with all new players from sixth, seventh and eighth grades. “It’s hard but we do it. Yeah it’s possible,” he added.

With this season, Ybanez is keeping his hopes up. “I think we’re going to do good, but I think right now our biggest opponent is maybe [Grace Christian Academy], because they’re really good. But we just beat Tanapag, so I think we’re going to do good. We’re off to a good start,” he added.

In other games played. Francisco M. Sablan Middle School 2 edged Mount Carmel School 2, 21-18, 18-21, 15-12; GCA 2 dominated Dandan Middle School 2, 21-4, 21-15. Mt. Carmel School 1 topped Hopwood 1, 21-17, 20-20, 15-11, GCA took down Saipan International School, 21-11, 21-8, and Dandan Middle School swept Saipan Community School, 22-20, 21-10.