Undefeated GCA leads MS v-ball

Defending NMIVA-PSS Interscholastic Girls Middle School Volleyball League champs Grace Christian Academy Lady Eagles breezed undefeated through the 2023-2024 regular season.

The Lady Eagles laid to waste each opponent for a 7-0 record. GCA then came back to win in two sets their last game before the holiday break after a shaky start against erstwhile undefeated Mount Carmel School Lady Knights last Monday at the Marianas High School Gymnasium.

It was back-and-forth match between GCA and MCS as they were evenly matched with an undefeated record each before their game. It was close throughout the first few points with GCA never too far behind a one- or two-point lead by MCS, but GCA made a few costly mistakes that led to a 17-12 MCS lead.

MCS’ Anjoelena Villagomez led the charge with her hard-hitting spikes and overhead serves, but a change in momentum came by way of GCA’s Llyana Libut, who took control and gave her team a much needed boost to comeback city.

By the end of her service, Libut brought them all the way home and stole the first set away from a stunned MCS team to come from behind and win, 21-19.

The second set came much easier for the Lady Eagles as they’ve established their ground against a once confident Lady Knights team. GCA quickly had a commanding 4-0 lead which expanded to 7-2.

Libut, the Lady Eagles’ main setter, also assisted not only from her serves, but also by setting up well placed plays to teammates Eliane Pagaduan and Aiyana Fatialofa who capitalized and ensured less returns by MCS.

Trouble at the boundary lines brewed as some points were either overruled or contested, but the show went on and MCS just couldn’t catch anymore up to the growing GCA lead.

MCS tried to mount a comeback like what GCA did in the first set—coming from 10-17 to 13-17, but they later conceded, 15-21, and was handed their first loss of the season for a 5-1 record.

The Lady Eagles include Libut, Fatialofa, Pagaduan, Neveah Camacho, Eliane Pagaduan, Aiyana Fatialofa, Wylynn Pua, Guadalupe Villagomez, Sarah Lim, Keala Takeda, and Jojo Yarofalir.

MCS was made up of Villagomez, Cassidee Flores, Aubrey Quitugua, Alexia Rubia, Mia Guerrero, Heather Sin, Miana Dela Cruz, Ciana Demapan, Janessa Arriola, Ava Sablan, Cali Cabrera, and Trisha Abuan.

In other results that night, Hopwood Middle School II defeated MCS II, 21-9, 21-18; DanDan Middle School II beat ChaCha Ocean View Middle School II in three tough sets, 21-13, 19-21, 15-10; COVMS silence Saipan Community School, 21-12, 21-9; Tanapag Middle School edged DMS, 21-17, 21-5; and HMS won against Francisco M. Sablan Middle School, 21-12, 21-14.

The last games of 2023 were played last Tuesday, but results weren’t available at press time.

One more regular season game is scheduled next year, Jan. 9, before the start of the championship round from Jan. 11 to Jan. 13.